I’m still shocked by how bad most church graphics are. Yes, most. If you think I’m exaggerating, you’re in a cool church bubble, my friend.
I’m shocked for several reasons…
1. It matters so much to younger generations.
I don’t have stats or studies to share, but they really aren’t necessary. If your website was designed before 2013, Millennials will notice. If your bulletin features Microsoft clipart, Gen Xers will groan.
Bad graphic design communicates instantly that you are out of touch. It communicates that your primary “customer” is someone who won’t notice.
2. Quality design isn’t just for big churches with big budgets.
If you can’t hire a full-time or part-time graphic designer, check out some of the very economical outsourcing options online. Give Fivrr or Upwork a try to connect with freelancers you can engage on an as-needed basis at various price points.
3. There are tons of simple, cheap tools you can be using.
In fact, here are two I recommend for churches that don’t have the funds to hire a designer, or even to outsource.
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Canva
Canva is a design tool for people who are not designers. There’s a free version with tons of current design templates that just about anyone can easily learn. You can use it to create social media images, slides, infographics and more. They have great, interactive tutorials to help you get started.
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Word Swag
Word Swag is a $4.99 smartphone app that makes it easy to add beautiful text to your images for sharing on social media. Again, it’s extremely user-friendly, and the templates continue to be updated and kept current with design trends.
4. You can empower volunteers to lead the way.
Both of the tools I mentioned above are simple enough for you to train a team of volunteers to manage for you. Just be picky about who you give this role to. You still need someone with an eye for the style you’re after to be quality control on design — the tools are great, but in the wrong hands they can still produce bad design.
The very best way to ensure you invest in design wisely? Know your primary customer and invite their input on the designs you’re using to connect with others like them.