Will software replace designers and marketers?

Contents:

• The 2000s: Expensive Websites in Toxic Colors
• The Late 2000s: Simple Designers and the Beginning of Automation
• The 2020s: AI Services and the "Repackaging" of Web Studios

The founder of the Creama project, a service that uses artificial intelligence technologies to generate creatives, has significant experience in this field. Creama is a graduate of several prestigious accelerators, including Rockstart (Netherlands), Conscious Venture Lab (USA), and ADV LaunchPad (Russia). This project aims to optimize the creative content creation process by offering innovative solutions for business and marketing.

Over the past two decades, online marketing automation platforms have undergone significant changes. Standard templates have been replaced by innovative services that allow users to create their own projects, similar to Airbnb, without the help of developers. These new tools offer more flexible and adaptable solutions, making the process of creating and managing online resources more accessible and effective for businesses.

In the next 3-5 years, we will witness a significant shift by small businesses to automated platforms. This process will not lead to a decrease in demand for professionals such as designers and developers. On the contrary, with the growth of automation, the need for qualified specialists capable of adapting and improving automated solutions, as well as creating unique content and user experiences, will increase. Understanding business needs and the ability to integrate new technologies will be key factors in the future development of these professions.

Large companies will actively seek creative professionals capable of offering unconventional solutions. Furthermore, a new, in-demand profession will emerge on the labor market: AI platform configuration specialists. This specialization will become key in the context of increasing automation and digitalization of business processes, opening up new opportunities for career growth and professional development.

Let's review the evolution of no-code services and analyze how the market has adapted to modern technologies. Despite the growing interest in such solutions, demand for qualified specialists remained high. However, many professionals had to reconsider their skills and retrain to meet new requirements and trends in development and automation.

The 2000s: Expensive Websites in Toxic Colors

Twenty years ago, the development of the Internet became a catalyst for the emergence of new professions on the labor market. Businesses began to need their own online platforms. In the early 2000s, even creating simple one-page websites cost a lot of money. Their development required the services of programmers, layout designers, and designers, and each of these professions had to be paid for separately. Over time, as technology developed and new tools appeared, the process of website creation became significantly simplified and became more accessible to a wider audience.

This time can be characterized as the golden age of web studios. Development companies focused on various client segments began to actively appear on the market. Large enterprises utilized the services of renowned agencies like Art. Lebedev Studio, while small and medium-sized businesses preferred to turn to smaller web agencies and freelancers. This period marked a significant milestone in the development of web design and development, as companies began to recognize the importance of an online presence and a high-quality web product for the successful promotion of their business.

Website development traditionally requires significant financial investment. The average development cost at large studios is hundreds of thousands of rubles. This high price is due to various factors, such as the team's professionalism, the complexity of the project, and the level of technology used. At the same time, with the advancement of technology and the emergence of new tools, it is possible to reduce website development costs without sacrificing quality.

The first designers Website builders appeared in 1995. Although they attracted attention in the market, they did not gain widespread popularity among users. These tools were primarily focused on the US and European markets. Among the first builders, platforms such as Amaya and GeoCities were pioneers in the field of web development. Over time, website builders evolved, offering users more convenient and functional solutions for creating their own websites without the need for programming.

In 2003, WordPress was launched, which had a negative impact on the business of low-cost web studios. This content management system (CMS) provided the ability to quickly and efficiently create attractive websites for clients with minimal requirements. WordPress became an accessible tool for many, which changed the web development market and made website creation a more democratic process.

WordPress service gained great popularity among blog owners. In its initial stages, its use was not very intuitive, and users needed time to master the platform. Web studios responded to this by purchasing WordPress templates for as little as $10 and then offering website creation services for $100 and up. Thus, WordPress became an essential tool for web studios, but it didn't replace developers and designers, continuing to require their professional skills to create high-quality and unique web resources.

Over time, new players emerged in the content management system (CMS) market, such as Drupal, Joomla, and Shopify. However, the real revolution in website creation occurred with the release of Wix and Tilda. These tools significantly simplified the process of website development and design, providing users with intuitive interfaces and powerful functionality without the need for programming. Wix and Tilda made it easy for anyone to create a professional-looking website quickly and easily, making them popular among entrepreneurs and small businesses.

The Late 2000s: Simple Builders and the Rise of Automation

In 2007, companies from Israel, New York, and San Francisco introduced innovative products to the digital market that caused a real sensation. Website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly were actively advertised on many websites. Weebly was subsequently acquired by Squarespace, strengthening the latter's position in the market. These platforms changed the approach to website creation, making it accessible to a wide audience and allowing users without programming skills to create professional-looking sites.

Website builder developers claimed that their tools would free businesses from the need to turn to web studios. There is some truth to this statement. These services make it easy to create various types of websites, including business cards, online stores, and image and informational websites. Website builders offer user-friendly interfaces and ready-made templates, allowing users without specialized web development knowledge to launch their projects. This makes them an attractive solution for small and medium-sized businesses looking to optimize website creation and maintenance costs. The savings that can be achieved by using website builders are obvious. Monthly costs for such services range from 100 to 500 rubles. When considered in annual terms, the amount is quite small. For example, platforms like Wix and Weebly offer free plans, making them accessible to users on a budget. Meanwhile, the average cost of services from inexpensive web studios ranges from 30,000 to 100,000 rubles per project. Thus, using website builders not only reduces the cost of creating web resources but also provides the opportunity to implement your own ideas without significant financial investment. Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly, despite their popularity, have their drawbacks. These platforms offer a limited selection of templates and design tools, which affects the uniqueness of the websites created. As a result, the internet has become overrun with similar, easily recognizable resources. Users often perceive such websites as inexpensive and less professional, which negatively impacts their image. For better web design results, consider more flexible and functional platforms that allow for greater customization and originality.

The three mentioned These platforms pioneered the affordable web builder market. The drag-and-drop model became the foundation for many other services. As a result, Tilda emerged and quickly gained popularity in the landing page segment. With its intuitive interface and extensive customization options, Tilda attracted the attention of users seeking to create effective and attractive landing pages.

Designers note the attractive appearance of the templates and regular library updates on the Tilda platform. This website builder has established itself as a premium service, despite lacking significant advantages over competitors. Tilda attracts users with its intuitive interface and extensive capabilities for creating unique and professional web pages.

Users have begun to recognize the benefits of the page design platform. With the increase in templates and tools, using a website builder has become common practice. Now, having a website created with a builder is perceived as normal, indicating its popularity and accessibility to a wider audience.

The emergence of platforms for creating websites without the need for development has had a significant impact on designers and marketers. Despite the growing popularity of automated services, the value of a unique corporate identity, creative design, and unconventional solutions has increased in the market. Standardization of processes has made specialists in UI/UX design, web design, and creative creation even more in demand. In a world where many people can create a website on their own, the need for a professional approach to design and uniqueness is becoming especially pressing. Talented designers and marketers can set a brand apart from the competition, bringing individuality and innovation to each development.

2020s: AI Services and the "Repackaging" of Web Studios

In the 2020s, developers are introducing innovative solutions to simplify the website creation process. Currently, dozens of website builders are available on the market, in demand across various industries. Wix and Tilda remain among the leaders, providing quick landing page creation, hypothesis testing support, and CustDev. These platforms allow users to easily implement their ideas and test market assumptions, making them indispensable tools for business.

The Bubble service is gaining popularity as a no-code development platform, allowing users to create complex web applications without the need for programming. With Bubble, you can implement projects similar to well-known platforms like Airbnb or Facebook. This tool is ideal for creating marketplaces and social networks, offering functionality comparable to services like Sharetribe, Webflow, and Glide. Bubble opens up new opportunities for developers and entrepreneurs, allowing you to quickly and efficiently bring ideas to life.

The disadvantages of similar solutions are that you will not be able to create a completely unique product. Using powerful platforms like Bubble will require a significant investment of time - months to develop a full-fledged website. Although compared to the work of a team of programmers, this is still a savings, you should not yet expect full automation of the development process.

There are services that can create a business card page based on access to a user's social network. One of the most well-known is Yandex.Business. These platforms represent the next stage of development, following website builders like Wix.

With the advent of business accounts on Facebook and Instagram, small web studios are faced with the loss of a significant number of clients. Many small businesses have begun to independently manage social media promotion, which has transformed the market for services in this area. Companies now strive to develop their brands and attract customers using available tools and platforms. This creates new challenges for web studios, which must adapt to the changing conditions and find new ways to attract clients. Business card websites and small online stores are increasingly being replaced by neat Facebook and Instagram pages. Social media and website creation platforms have had a significant impact on the web development market, leading to the closure of many low-cost web studios. These changes demonstrate how digital transformation is changing the way businesses present themselves online, placing an emphasis on accessibility and convenience. The market has responded to these changes quite noticeably. Small web studios continue to create simple websites, but their client base has significantly decreased. In response to new trends, many have retrained as SMM agencies. They now offer promotion and content creation services, adapting to the requirements of digital marketing. SMM specialists and creative designers have followed in the footsteps of web studios, focusing their efforts on effective audience engagement on social media and the creation of engaging content. This transformation underscores the importance of adapting businesses to modern realities and user needs in the online space.

Modern digital agencies offer comprehensive services for shaping companies' image and promoting them online. These agencies specialize in social media management, website development and optimization, internet marketing, as well as the creation of illustrations, video content, and photo production. Their goal is to help clients effectively represent their brand and engage their target audience through digital channels.

Automation has taken over the SMM market, thanks to the emergence of artificial intelligence services. These modern solutions can perform virtually all tasks previously handled by specialists. Algorithms have learned to edit videos, create creative materials, write texts, and promote posts, significantly simplifying the process of social media management. Using these technologies can improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and reduce the time spent on routine tasks. In an increasingly competitive environment, automation in SMM is becoming an integral part of a successful promotion strategy.

Canva and Spark provide convenient banner templates, allowing users to quickly and efficiently develop visual content. Copyshark automates the process of writing slogans, saving marketers time and effort. Magisto offers tools for creating clickable videos that attract audience attention. Criteo enables targeted advertising, allowing you to reach your target audience. These tools significantly simplify the process of creating and promoting content in digital marketing.

Creama develops advertising creatives using trained models based on successful materials that effectively attract users. Thanks to deep learning, this system generates unique and attractive advertising solutions that help businesses grow their audience and improve customer engagement. Using advanced technologies, Creama creates creatives that meet modern market demands and the interests of the target audience.

Automated systems, such as a robotic designer, video editor, and social media specialist, are significantly cheaper than professional services. The total cost of using these technologies ranges from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles per month. Meanwhile, the cost of an average specialist can reach five times that amount. This makes automation more attractive for businesses looking to optimize marketing and design costs.

Social media page automation services continue to evolve, reminiscent of the evolution of website builders. As was the case during the popularity of WordPress, many tools still require qualified specialists for their configuration and optimization. This underscores the importance of a professional approach to automation in order to maximize the capabilities of modern platforms.

Tools that do not require specialist involvement are not yet distinguished by original design solutions. Users easily recognize banners created in Canva, which is reminiscent of the situation with the branding of pages created in Wix. These tools allow you to create visual content, but a lack of uniqueness can negatively impact brand perception.

Over the past two decades, online businesses have experienced a variety of approaches to web design, including expensive websites with awkward colors, templates from various builders, and automated social media pages.

Automated services emerging on the market are gradually replacing expensive studios and designers, as well as SMM specialists. However, businesses still need the services of digital companies. As they transition to artificial intelligence-powered platforms, businesses will need experts to customize them. Large corporations that have the ability to invest in unique projects will be even more actively seeking creative designers and developers, which creates demand for professional digital services.