When it comes to considering a design project, there are three factors to take into account:

  • How much it will cost?
  • How long it will take?
  • How good the finished product will be?

Of the three factors, you’re going to have to pick two. You can get the work done fast and well, but it won’t come cheap. You can have your designer do good work for cheap, but it’ll be slow, because it won’t take precedence over other projects. Or, you can get the work done fast for cheap, which guarantees it won’t be done well.

FAST, GOOD, & CHEAP SIMPLY DOESN’T EXIST.

Think of it like a triangle: in geometry, there is no point on a triangle where all three sides intersect. Each point consists of two lines: fast/good, cheap/good, fast/cheap.

When you’re approaching a design project, think about your needs and priorities. Are you working on a tight deadline? Then you’ll need to pay a bit more to have the work done well. Is budget the main concern? Then keep in mind that you may need to allow your designer a bit longer to get the work done. And we’ll assume that no one wants the quality that would be produced by fast and cheap.

Everyone wishes they could get a great design on a short timeline and a tiny budget, but that utopia doesn’t exist. Project management and design have some constraints. Fast, good, and cheap: pick two.