Where to Start: Copy or Design?
There is an old philosophical question, which has been asked so many times, by so many people, that it has become something of a cultural cliche. I’m sure you’ve heard it before. You may have even asked it to someone:
Which came first? The chicken or the egg?
I’m going to ask a different question, with slightly different phrasing! Which should come first? The copy or the design? This is an ongoing issue, and a question that gets raised a lot. So, while the chicken-egg dilemma will probably continue until the end of time, in this post, we’re going to take a look at both perspectives, and try to determine an answer to this question of copy and design.
Copy
Many copywriters would probably argue that the question we are looking at today isn’t even a question. They would probably say that the copy is the heart and soul of any direct marketing piece and that the design is little more than the frame into which the copy is placed. The design has to be good, but should always be crafted to fit their copy.
There may be some validity to this, but let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of starting with writing copy.
Advantages:
- Direct marketing is a response-based form of advertising, so your primary call to action (CTA) is absolutely critical. A good copywriter will establish the CTA early, which should help keep the project on track!
- Well written copy can help inspire the designer. If the copy has an interesting theme or uses a unique metaphor, this can certainly help with the design process
Disadvantages:
- Too much text. Great copywriters are short and concise. Unfortunately, not all copywriters are great. Long winded copy can be a nightmare for designers as they try to fit on the page.
- Copywriters who try to design for the designer. It can some times be tempting for writers to try to create a “layout” for their text before handing it off to the designer. This can either irritate the designer or make them feel limited in what they can do (especially if the copywriter is also a more senior team member).
Design
The typical designer wants to make things look beautiful. It’s an instinct so natural that they probably walk around mentally correcting every sub-par design they see. They will likely acknowledge the importance of the message and the call to action, but will also likely emphasize that it is the design that will ultimately capture the customer’s attention and draw it towards the message.
Again, this is a valid point. But do the advantages and disadvantges of starting with the design stack up against those of starting with the copy?
Advantages:
- A good design can work as a template, and force the copywriter to write their copy to fit into predefined areas. This can be extremely useful when working with a writer who does his or her best work when writing within a structure.
- Allows the piece to develop from a strong visual base. This is not always the way you may want to work, but it can be an advantage in some instances.
Disadvantages:
- A design with limited space. Depending on a designer’s unique aesthetic and workflow, it’s possible to get a design that doesn’t afford enough room for any substantive content! I am all for minimalism and keeping things simple, but a piece does still need to have a certain amount of copy!
- Getting the wrong focus. If you start with the design, it’s possible to end up with something that is just to graphically oriented, and which doesn’t do enough to highlight your message and CTA!
So what’s the final verdict? Which comes first? The copy or the design?
In the vast majority of cases, I would say that the copy wins out. The call to action is just too important, and so the advantages of starting with copy simply outweigh the disadvantages. It just seems to put that much more emphasis on the CTA.
That being said, though, every situation is different, and you may find that there are situations where you may want to start with the design first. For example, perhaps you are creating a series of eight different brochures that you all want to have a similar format. Then, maybe you would want to start by having a template designed and instructing the copywriter to work within the space provided.
Or, maybe you are developing a campaign with a specific graphically rich theme. In this case, you may want to develop the graphics first, before having any copy written.
Ultimately, the best choice is probably going to depend on your own situation. Look at what you are wanting to accomplish and the strengths and weaknesses of the people on your team (both internally and freelancing) and try to determine what the best overall approach would be!
Hopefully, though, this post will help you determine what that approach might be!
