8 Reasons why you should hire an agency over a Crowdsourcing Platform

Crowdsourcing platform have become a worldwide phenomenon. It has given a platform to designers belonging to various geo-locations & having a different level of skills to display their work which wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

Do you know what is Crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourcing is simply outsourcing a project to a crowd/group of designers via an open call for contributions.

The term “crowdsourcing” was coined by Jeff Howe back in 2006.

People believe that crowdsourcing platforms are a dying man’s wish come true for startups & small businesses owing to their limitation of budgets.

But unfortunately, that is not the case. In this post, I will explain & clarify all my statements with facts & examples to prove to you that hiring an agency is 100 times better than going for a crowdsourcing platform.

1- Money

Crowdsourcing platforms are promoted due to the low prices they offer but low prices are synonymous to low quality. You feel that you are getting your work done at a lower cost but will you get that all-important “value for your money?”

Absolutely not!

And why do I say that?

Just think for a second, owing to the low-cost projects, designers will be opting for several projects at a single time. This amounts to “no exclusivity” or “special attention” for your project.

Therefore, you don’t exactly get value for the money you pay. And out of the money you dedicate, a big percentage is kept by the crowdsourcing platform which further reduces the actual amount, the designer receives.

Monetary fulfillment is an important incentive for delivering quality work.  As the amount reduces, so does the quality of design. Thus, you cannot be sure if you are actually saving money or losing it in a fruitless endeavor.

2- Time

Crowdsourcing platforms offer deadlines which are stringent & allow you to get your tasks done if you are on a strict timeline. You end up feeling, Wow man! I saved time as well as money.

Absolutely wrong!

A few days are not enough to understand the brief, carry out research, study competition, brainstorm & devise an award-winning design.

Logically, it is not possible to carry out all these steps over a span of 2 days. This means that your design will not be at par with your expectations.

Not only this, but you will have to invest time to study & provide feedback to all the different designs submitted by all the designers. Thus, the quest to find That One WINNING Design will become long & tedious.

You don’t have to go through this when you are working with a creative agency. You provide a brief. Their team studies it, carries out research & creates an amazing design for you. They invest time in studying your brand positioning, your vision & then create a design which aligns with all of it.

3- Get more designers on board

Another feature which crowdsourcing platforms boast is that they have a huge group of designers who will pitch for your project.

Have you heard the idiom?

“Too many cooks spoil the broth”

I think it was specifically made for crowdsourcing platforms. Let me explain more!

When so many designers are pitching in, the probability of your brief getting lost within these designs created without proper research or brainstorming is pretty high.

You will have to invest time & energy to thoroughly vet these designs & their rationales so that the design meant for you doesn’t get lost in the process.

Therefore, more designers do not equate to quality designs at any point. You will have to continue finding the appropriate person for the job.

But with a specialized packaging design agency, you can hire & then relax as they will be responsible for producing the best designs for you. Their money & reputation both will be at stake. There will be no chance for a sub-par solution.

4- Branding Consultation

When hiring an agency specializing in packaging design or logo design, you can rest assured that they will provide you good advice for your branding requirements. They are emotionally invested to build your brand which makes them care for it as you do.

Designers on crowdsourcing do not have an emotional connection with your brand. It is simply another job for them. They do not recommend any strategies or advice which may prove useful.

You may argue that you do not need any advice as you have prior experience. Yet there are many who wouldn’t mind a good & sane advice every now & then.

5-Quality of Designs

As I mentioned earlier that crowdsourcing platforms do not guarantee quality designs. Instead, they offer money-back guarantee to lead you on.

You will feel that money-back guarantee is perfect. If I don’t like the design, I can get the refund for my money.

But you may not be able to judge the quality of designs submitted.

Art is subjective. What clicks with you may not work for your customers.

Packaging design agencies have feedback groups. They test designs based on functionality & user feedback.

Therefore, they understand – how a quality & award-winning design needs to be & provide options accordingly.

6- Design Specialists

Crowdsourcing platforms do not allow you to interact personally with a designer. You cannot dig deeper into their portfolio or resume as it is restricted to what they have done in their previous contests.

Also, it is a common fact that most newbie designers go to crowdsourcing platforms as they do not have a steady flow of jobs as yet.

Therefore, you do not know if the person working on your brief is an actual design specialist or an amateur who won’t be able to create something worthwhile.

Agencies hire professionals who have a good level of skills to deliver the best output for their customers. They do not compromise on talent or skill while hiring as a lot is stake for them.

Now, it is up to you to decide if you wish to work with a professional or an amateur.

7- Brief Writing

Writing briefs is a daunting task. Not only this, but you feel limited if you have to fill a template to explain complex or abstract ideas.

Secondly, you need to explain in a literal manner as many designers working on crowdsourcing platforms may not be native speakers of your language.

Packaging Design agencies offer the benefit of 1-1 interaction which allows you to communicate each & every detail clearly, leaving no stones unturned.

8- Relationships

Building a relationship is important as it allows you to ask for a favor or encourage the other person to go an extra mile.

When you are running a design contest, it is not possible to build rapport with the designer as you do not know if you will be working together again and the platform itself restricts your interaction.

But when you hire a packaging design agency, both parties work can work on building the relationship. This allows you to go beyond sharing brief & listing down preferences. It ensures that you relate your vision & the agency produces designs which tell your brand story beautifully.

Therefore, relationships go a long way & are mutually beneficial.

Now, I have listed all the possible reasons which influence your decision to opt for a crowdsourcing platform or an agency. I hope you make your decision wisely.

Do let us know about your experience working with a packaging design agency or a crowdsourcing platform in the comments.