Tweak.com, is this the end for designers? - 28th March 2011
Posted by Gavin O Shea on March 28, 2011 in Graphic Design, Smart Ideas with 0 CommentsThe recent launch of Kerry based website, tweak.com has sparked much controversy in the design world of late.
Tweak.com, is this the end for designers
The recent launch of Kerry based website, tweak.com has sparked much controversy in the design world of late. The brainchild of Stockbyte founder, Jerry Kennelly, Tweak.com is an online facility which offers design templates to business owners and professionals. The site caters to a range of industries and businesses. Customers can log-on to the site and browse through hundreds of templates from business cards, flyers and brochures, to greetings cards, invitations, and more, with no obligation to buy. Once they have chosen an appropriate design model they can then ‘tweak’ the colour palette, copy, and logo to suit their particular needs.
In a speech at the CEPIC conference in Dublin, Kennelly explains that his online business targets the small to medium sized business owners that design studios cannot afford to cater to. He aims to give creative control back to the customer and empower them to create simple design solutions without having any technical ability.
The idea is not completely new or groundbreaking. Companies like VistaPrint and Stocklayouts have been doing the same thing successfully for a number of years. The difference with Tweak is the usability. The website is laid out in a simplistic, straightforward and user-friendly format, it could not be easier to navigate. The tweaking tools also give limited control so it's impossible to create an unattractive piece of design.
As design professional, this ‘design revolution’ raises many questions for me. I can see how this service is attractive to small business owners with limited resources. However, I am wondering where this leaves me as a designer? Is this the future of design? Is this the beginning of the end, Should I ring Jerry and ask if he’s hiring?
Check it out for yourself: http://www.tweak.com/index.htm
Gavin O Shea is one of the longer-serving members of the team, he has been involved in several brand identity developments, and company re-branding projects. Find out more at Gavin's Profile. Don't forget to subscribe if you'd like to hear more!
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