There are a ton of products out there for creating graphics online. Why? Because we aren’t all great at creating graphics, posters, infographics, and other marketing materials. Sometimes we just need a program with a few templates pre-loaded, some decent graphics along with the ability to load our own, and some simple tools to get the job done.
Don’t get me wrong. This program, or any other like it for that matter, does not replace a good graphic designer, or make you one. I mean, it does not work that way for me anyway. I tell stories, sometimes using graphics, but I am just not a design genius.
True, Microsoft Office 365 includes some templates for posters, presentations, and other materials. But most users will tell you they pretty quickly download third-party templates and graphics to give themselves a more robust set of choices.
Visme is different from the start. Different from Canva and other programs, different than Buffer’s Pablo, a great tool for making simple images to share on social media, but not an epic design tool by any means.
Full disclosure before we begin. I was given a free trial of Visme to review. I had access to all of the premium features, something I recommend if you are going to create any number of graphics. I will also tell you this: I am a skeptic, and I have been given trial memberships to several business programs and apps in the past, and I certainly have not reviewed them all. Why? Well, because my mom told me if I did not have anything nice to say, to not say anything at all.
So you won’t hear about those programs from me. Some I used for less than a day. Some I tried, waited for updates, and tried again. When they didn’t work, I hit the uninstall button and moved on with my rather busy life.
Visme is Simple to Use
Every program or graphic design app says this, but in this case, it is true. Visme has a number of simple templates, is very clear about what you are trying to create, even allowing you to select your own sizes, graphics, titles, and animations. The initial menu is pretty easy to navigate.
That being said I am a pretty advanced software user. In this case, though, the interface was intuitive and ran smoothly and quickly.
Online Tool
Visme is an online tool, so no need to install some bloatware on your computer and slow down your processor and hard drive. You can even save your projects in the cloud, or download them, or do a combination of both.
Sharing your creations and embedding them in websites is simple as well. The code can be simply copied and pasted, even if you have no knowledge of coding websites or blogs.
Need help? It is just a click away, and the advice is good and easy to follow. I had some initial issues logging in, but they were quickly resolved in a few easy emails.
However, any review that simply offers undying positive praise to without pointing out the negatives is probably fake or paid. Here is a simple list of the pros and cons.
Pros:
- Intuitive and Easy to Learn
- Online: no bloatware or storage issues
- Ease of Sharing
- Ease of embedding in websites or converting to other programs.
Cons:
Simple software. This is not Photoshop, nor does it make you a graphic designer. For simple graphics you need to create quickly, this program is great. However, don’t fire anyone, at least not yet.
Completely Online. We are all pretty used to be connected wherever we go. However, if you do find yourself in a hotel with no wifi, or for some reason your network is down, you can’t use Visme. You can access projects you have downloaded, but you will have to use another program to open them.
Subscription Service. Okay, this is something I have not historically been a big fan of, but I have adapted to Microsoft Office 365 and other programs offered this way. The cost is not prohibitive, but it will be a monthly expense. If you do a lot of presentations and make a lot of graphics and infographics, this tool is a great way to do it with minimal cost. Especially if you are a small business who has to outsource design. It’s just good to keep in mind that this is not a single-time cost, but an ongoing investment.
That being said, the advantage of subscription services is that if you don’t need them anymore, you can just stop paying for them, and move on to another software.
This is not likely to be the case with Visme.co. This is a program I will keep around. I certainly won’t use it for everything, but I do see myself using it on a regular basis for simple marketing materials.
Troy is a freelance writer, author, and blogger who lives, works, and plays in Boise, Idaho with the love of his life and three very talented dogs.
Passionate about writing dark psychological thrillers, he is an avid cyclist, skier, hiker, all-around outdoorsman, and a terrible beginning golfer.
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Passionate about writing dark psychological thrillers, he is an avid cyclist, skier, hiker, all-around outdoorsman, and a terrible beginning golfer.
