Graphic Designer vs. IT Guy/Woman

Now I understand this article may put me out of a freelance job, but this is something to think about none the less. Many churches that I come in contact with will hire an IT person to their staff. Let me just say, if you can hire both graphic designer and IT person, that is the way to go. As I read more and more magazines, “Fast Times” “Entrepreneur” and others, there is a common trend happening which I believe reflects back into the church.

There is a trend that is starting to happen in our society where people are realizing that a graphic designer is a very valuable person to have on their staff. In return, they are letting their IT people go as they realize more time is required to design sharp products than is needed to maintain their networking and email systems.

I think it would be safe to say that most churches turn-out multiple printed materials each month. Some churches turn out sharp materials while others….well, not so much. Gone are the days of using cartoon clip-art and many different fonts on one publication. What can happen though, is that a church will feel it necessary to hire an IT person to maintain their emails, computer networks, etc., while the “eye candy” department, Graphic Design, goes lacking. Over the past month, look back at what your church has done. Has your email crashed or website gone offline or networks went down? Not to say these things don’t happen, but they are usually very stable. Now, let me ask you that same question in regards to graphic design. Over the past month, how many newsletters, bulletins, website updates, ministry logo’s, etc. has your church done or needed to do? Chances are that you spent more time creating attractive pieces to capture the attention of people than getting your email working again. What happens is your department leaders/staff pastors spend time creating brochures, logos, etc. that they may or may not have a gifting in and, as a result, they take time away from what their true gifting is.
What am I getting at? Many organizations and churches are finding that it actually saves them money to have only a graphic designer on staff due to the fact it is cheaper to outsource IT problems than pay someone weekly for something that is not needed weekly. What can also happen is that people confuse IT people with graphic designers leaving them frustrated because IT people really are trained in maintaining the electronic infrastructure, not coming up with your next Women’s Ministry brochure.

In the fast paced, make is short and sweet, try to attract your audience with sharp graphics world we live in, I suggest making every effort to examine and re-examine what literature you are sending out from your church. The very first visit to your church for someone may be the latest piece of mail you just sent out or a visit to your website (if you have one at all). I bumped into one pastor at a recent event who told me, “I enjoy getting your emails, but the whole website thing for me is not my gifting. I know I can hire you to do it, but, I would want to update it. So, because I do not have the time or talent to do that, I think our church will just go without a website.”

I will end this blog with a quote from “Church Marketing 101-A Revolutionary Blend of Corporate Marketing Strategy and Biblical Wisdom” by Richard L. Resing. “You see, marketing is much more than promoting things. Marketing requires thinking it through. It involves every entity and interaction that fosters the outside world’s perception of your organization. When you do not pay your bills, you’re marketing. When you do not cut the grass, you’re marketing. When you talk over the heads of your “prospects” or fail to serve them, you’re marketing. You are shaping perception in the hearts and minds of your members and your target community-that is the very definition of marketing.” And to that I would say, when people see your website or the lack of one…your marketing. When people see your brochure and it still uses 200 different fonts and cartoon clip-art…your marketing. This is the generation we live in, like it or not, we have to change the way we do things.