Stay with us, we’ll explain. Yes, we’re designers. Of course we design. But those in the business of graphic design tend to do design differently to us.
You see, graphic designers tend to design from a visual perspective. That’s why they are often referred to as creatives, or considered artists. For the most part, they have a good eye and know how to create an aesthetic. They can do cool logos. Pretty packaging. That kind of thing.
We take a pretty serious approach to design at Voice. We don’t want to just deliver you a service that creates you a handsome shell. Given the right tools, any half-decent creative can do that. We’re determined to bring a lot more to the table, which is why we consider ourselves in the business of creating intellectual property (IP), rather than graphic design. Through creating IP, we aim to increase the value of your business.
Here’s how it works. Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind. This includes inventions, literary works, symbols and yes, design too. Having design that can be deemed IP is important for a number of reasons. For one, it’s protected by law. This means that nobody can steal your look or play copycat when it comes to your business.
But perhaps even more importantly, IP is critical in order for a business to establish a presence in a market. A business needs IP to carve out its place at the head of the pack; to lead strongly, to thrive, to be recognised and, ultimately, to be successful.
Here’s the catch though—to be considered intellectual property, design needs to be considered new and original. It cannot copy or follow anything that exists in the field.
IP is the reason why we’re always hammering into our prospective clients that we need to determine their meaningful difference, the magic that makes them unique or special. We need that to create IP. Trust us when we say your IP is one of the most valuable assets your business will own. It has a legitimate dollar value; it can be bought, licensed or sold. And as a wise old owl—OK, Craig Venter, a geneticist and one of the first scientists to sequence the human genome—once said, ‘Intellectual property is a key aspect for economic development.’
We create IP for our clients because we know it adds value to their business. We know it’s what they need to gain a competitive advantage in the industry. As founders ourselves, we doubly understand how crucial this is. We didn’t start this journey to be lost in a sea of designers, just as you didn’t start yours to merge in with the pack. Leaders lead, with new and original concepts and ideas.
If you lead, your consumers will want to buy from you, follow you, share you. Another business may even want to buy you out. You may also find that your competitors want to copy and mimic you. Don’t worry, this means your IP is valuable and you are in the right place, and you need to protect it. We can help you with that too.
We’re ready to talk IP when you are.
