Web Design Agency or Freelance Website Designer?

This is an age old question; should you use a web design agency or hire a freelance web designer to build your new website? The answer to that question is not always so clear and it really depends on the type of website you want.

As we all know, website design and development is very complex and it takes years to master. All website designers learn their trade in different ways. Some train in university and others teach themselves. The technology is evolving at a rapid rate and this forces website designers and developers to constantly update their skill sets.

Web Design Agency

Our web design agency always has a number of developments ongoing and a typical day involves the web designers talking to the web developers who in turn are talking to the content providers. Each member of the team adds a certain amount of expertise to the overall project. Each member of the team is highly interested in their subject matter and they always push to use the newest and best techniques to build websites. Each website design specialist pushes the boundaries in their particular area and that has a knock on effect for the other members. Sometimes it causes the website developers to go and find new solutions or to develop a website in a way that is different from their usual style. It is this interaction between the team that drives the creativity and sets the bar higher on each and every project.

Freelance Website Designer

Now let’s look at a freelance web designer. Yes the price for designing a website might in some cases be a little bit less and this is due to the overhead costs of running an agency as opposed to a home office. But with smaller overheads comes less resources. The individual freelance web designer in most cases works alone. They learn their trade in a particular way and for the most part they learn it very well, they find what works for them and they stick by it. Now given the rate of change in technology and the rapid changes in websites over the past two years, it is hard to see how the freelance web designer could be motivated to change their ways to newer and better techniques. After a period of time and with no up-skilling, a freelance web designer could find their techniques out of date.

In contrast, a team environment constantly forces designers and developers to change and to look at new technologies. The flow of information exchange inside a web design agency is what drives the advancements. Bringing together a number of specialists, each with their own desire to implement new exciting ideas is what drives future creations.

The Client

For the client, these new creative websites are the websites that get noticed by your customers. They create interest in your brand and help you stand out from your competition. In my opinion and yes I am biased as I run a web agency in Dublin, an agency is the only way to go.