Break Free from Templates: Revitalize Brand Design with Design Thinking

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, where everyone wants to establish a unique and memorable brand identity, designers often face templates’ allure. While templates can be tempting due to their convenience and time-saving nature, adhering to design thinking principles and embracing individuality in brand design becomes increasingly challenging. This article delves into the pitfalls of using templates in brand design, particularly from the perspective of design thinking. It explores why renowned designer Will Mokry vehemently opposes using templates and platforms like Canva®, Squarespace®, and Wix®.

The Essence of Design Thinking

Design thinking is a human-centered problem-solving approach emphasizing empathy, experimentation, and iteration. It encourages designers to deeply understand the needs and desires of their audience, identify unique solutions, and create meaningful experiences. Designers risk compromising this fundamental process, as templates restrict creative freedom and hinder exploring diverse possibilities.

The Loss of Individuality

One of the critical elements of effective brand design is uniqueness. By their very nature, templates are pre-designed structures that often lack originality. They may be used by numerous individuals or businesses, diluting the brand’s distinctiveness. Designers must create a visual identity that reflects the brand’s personality, values, and aspirations. Templates, however, limit customization options, making crafting a truly unique and memorable brand experience difficult.

Limited Scope for Innovation

Design thinking fosters innovation and encourages designers to push boundaries and challenge the status quo. Templates are predefined and restrict designers’ ability to explore new and unconventional ideas. They often follow established design trends, resulting in a homogenized visual landscape. By utilizing templates, designers inadvertently limit their potential for innovation, experimentation, and the creation of groundbreaking design solutions.

Impersonal Communication

Effective brand design is rooted in building meaningful connections with the target audience. Design thinking emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding the user’s needs. Templates can inadvertently create a disconnect by delivering a generic and impersonal communication style. The audience may perceive the brand as lacking authenticity, resulting in diminished emotional connection. Designers should strive to create designs that evoke emotions, tell stories, and resonate with the intended audience.

My Perspective About The Use Of Templates

As a designer known for advocating design thinking principles, I vehemently oppose using templates, and platforms like Canva®, Squarespace®, and Wix®. I believe these tools hinder creativity, stifle individuality, and erode the core principles of design thinking. I also argue that relying on templates limits a designer’s ability to create bespoke solutions tailored to a brand’s specific needs.

While templates may appear tempting for their ease and time-saving benefits, designers who adhere to design thinking principles understand their drawbacks. Design thinking emphasizes the importance of uniqueness, innovation, and emotional connection. By eschewing templates, designers can harness their creative potential, deliver exceptional experiences, and drive brand success.