I know, I know, “but I do the work of 3!” Still, you’re one person. So why, in this web 2.0 world of transparency and avatars and tribes and trust agents are you constantly writing in plural form? I view a lot of portfolios and so often I see one-man operations with copy reading like this:
“We’ve been designing totally rad awesome websites for over 5 years. With skills in HTML, CSS, Ajax and PHP we have the know-how to get the job done right. Whether you come to us for a simple homepage designed or a full-fledged eCommerce solution, we guarantee that you’ll leave satisfied.”
Does this misrepresentation not put potential clients off? Is it working or is it just so rampant that when a freelancer sits down to write copy they immediately go there?
I don’t know; that’s why I’m asking.
It screams to me of somebody trying to be something they’re not. Somebody who wants to work for an agency but couldn’t, is embarrassed that they’re working as a freelancer, and so they try to fake it. I’m not trying to make fun of anybody or be cruel or get laughs etc. here; that’s honestly the first thing that comes to my mind.
As I said, love it or hate it, we’re living in the age of transparency now. Knowing what I know about the social web, it just doesn’t seem to mix with this kind of advertising. Yet I see it every day. Not just in design, either, but in lots of occupations. I don’t get it.
Does anybody have any thoughts? Do you do this? Does it work?
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
hahahaha I neeevvveer understood that! Interesting point you bring up because I believe the transparency builds that interpersonal relationship with your readers. I've found myself in the past debating the “we” or “i”, so now I either say “i” or “my site's name.”
Everyone aspires to a multi-level operation but I don't think you should fake it..
Designers and businesses use the term 'we' not to sound like they are big necessarily.
It gives the impression of a team effort, that the people behind the work are 'team players' – that they are happy to work with other people, particularly the potential client.
I believe designers are far more desirable when they refer to 'we' as opposed to 'me me me, i i i'. This means they acknowledge the efforts of others who may contribute to the work, and this includes the client. I can't tell you how many times I have seen a client pull a job because they are sick of not being listened to by an ego-centric designer who can't listen to and engage with others.
So yes sure, designers are not multiple people, but I think your comments kinda of miss the point of referring to 'we' rather than 'i'.
I use the “I” when referencing myself and “we” when speaking of he design community at large, though I suppose if someone is scanning rather than reading what I write this can be confusing, LOL. I believe in transparency, I think that there is just too much work involved in doing things any other way. As a designer I find myself constantly frustrated when I see “False Advertising”.
Don't forget that some freelancers (me included) work with other freelancers like programmers, copywriters, etc. The person whose site you browse might be the first contact point of a virtual team of experts.
It makes sense to advertise as a team of skillful people rather than one jack-of-all-trades freelancer when possible. In my case, it allows me to get bigger clients who would never consider my services if I were on my own.
Yeah, I was strictly talking about people working entirely alone. Sorry if that wasn't clear. You're right in that some people work with teams and they are more than justified to say “we”. You can usually tell the people who do and the people who don't very quickly though. Not always, but usually.