Are you the tortoise or the hare? Why a focus on “fast results” always loses in the long run

Today’s world is fast-paced. Everyone knows that. In the era of same-day delivery and gratification at the swipe of a thumb, it’s hard for any business to escape the pressure of delivering everything immediately - strategies, designs and, most worryingly, results. 

But speed is too often being conflated with optimisation. And many companies are rushing processes in the name of fast results - getting distracted by quick fixes instead of focusing on long-term gains (we’ve all been there). This is leading to digital design which isn’t effective, and brands which don’t achieve their purpose. It’s a race to the bottom. 

Here’s why the Need for Speed is best reserved for the 90s video game…

Your audience deserves your time  

Chasing fast results almost always means overlooking your user’s needs. That’s because it takes time with a capital ‘t’ to understand what people really want, and to craft digital experiences which actually solve their problems. Operating on 2x speed might give you and your team a quick serotonin hit, but it also risks creating collateral that doesn’t resonate with your audience. Think websites with high bounce rates and videos with low views - it’s a no from us. 

Creativity can’t be rushed

Creativity is key to most good things in life - the best films, your fave songs and yep, you guessed it, successful digital design. But this is soon forgotten when tight timelines come into play. With rushed deadlines comes restricted creativity. And that leads to generic brands which struggle to stand out in the crowded digital landscape.

Fast results sacrifice strategy

From brand guidelines to marketing campaigns, your designs are about more than just aesthetics. They’re integral parts of your company’s identity which should be informed by your long-term strategy. You know that already, but without carving out enough time to consider it, you’ll end up with disjointed designs and an incohesive narrative. So take a breath, pour a cuppa and make time to align all you create with your business’ values and objectives.

Optimisation should be ongoing 

You might not want to hear it, but there’s no quick fix when it comes to digital design (we’re sorry!). It’s a process that requires constant iteration and improvement. Fast-paced projects ditch testing and optimisation in favour of turnaround times. But without time for proper refinement, mistakes will be missed, accessibility compromised and the user experience weakened. And nobody wants that.

Feedback is fundamental 

In the same way your business is nothing without its customers, your website and brand are nothing without audience feedback. In fact, with no feedback you risk launching digital experiences that fall flat. Setting aside time to gather user insights and bake them into your brand is the only way to avoid an alienated audience and bag yourself long-term success.

Quickly won, quickly lost

We get that quick results can be exciting initially, but they fade faster than a suntan in the English rain. As errors are discovered, user engagement drops off and you find yourself sliding back down the SERPs, your speed-driven designs will end up having to be, well… redesigned. Ultimately costing you more money and more time. It’s kind of a lose-lose.

Speed isn’t sustainable 

If fast results are still sounding tempting then it’s worth mentioning that hurrying also means overlooking sustainability considerations… Research and time are needed to work out the potential impact of your project and deliver eco-friendly digital and brand solutions that guarantee online reliability. Need we say more?

It’s not all bad news… 

We know it can feel frustrating, but it takes real time to cultivate real change - ya know, the type your business is worthy of. You might get ok results with a focus on speed, but your good brand deserves great. And more exposure, bigger impact and higher engagement (with the right audiences) can only come from a considered and considerate approach.  

So as people around you continue to automate, quicken and rush, keep a steady pace. Be part of a revolution, not a passing trend, by dedicating time to crafting designs that last and shaping a brand that’s loved. 

Need a little support slowing down the pace to turn up the results? That’s why we’re here.

We’re a B Corp certified digital agency helping purposeful brands to do amazing things and we’d love to chat.