Design. Thought. Intention. Theory. Practice.
It all matters and it makes you stand out as a designer and as a business. Create your own style & materials and you will be rewarded.
Show your integrity and your creativity instead of straight up copying who you think is successful. There’s a huge difference between inspiration and plagiarism.
If you’ve been in business long enough, you may have even encountered a few copycats of your own.
The first copycat I encountered literally stole graphics from one of my most popular sites. Totally stunned, I called the business in question and was told that “they found the graphics on google” and couldn’t understand what the big deal was.
FYI, to those reading, all of my work is custom.
So yes, you are stealing, and no, it’s not a free template.
After 45 days, they finally relented and modified the site.
And yes, it looks awful.
When you copy others, you get a substandard product.
Design with integrity or hire people who care.
If you’re a coder, read the markup to understand it and make something functional.
If you’re a designer, figure out the techniques employed and make something new.
If you’re a blogger, take notes, but share your own thoughts.
If you’re an entrepreneur, quit copying your idols and create your own methodologies.
Learn & be inspired, but implement in your unique voice. It matters.
Encountered copycats? Share your story!
Great blog. Yes, although infringement may seem like the best form of flattery, there is nothing creative about being a copy cat. using someone else as an inspiration is awesome, but using others work as an easy way out is cheap.
Great post. I am surprised by how often I hear the “found it on Google” excuse from people in the branding business who really ought to know better. Thinkstock.com is a great source for low cost stock images that can then be enhanced and modified by designers but at least you are starting out with an image that you own.
Thanks for sharing.
Julie
Thanks Julie and Patty!
The found it on google line continues to confound me — ESPECIALLY from folks who should know better…if you’re on a budget there are so many great resources to pull from instead of stealing.
Thanks for the heads up on thinkstock!
Thank you for expressing this so powerfully. SO NEEDED TO BE SAID. So grateful for you ~ One of your biggest fans — Jess