Design IRL vs asking around
A recommendation from someone you trust is hard to beat. It only reaches as far as the people you already know.
Side by side
| Compared on | Asking around | Design IRL |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Asking aroundA name or two, from someone who has worked with them. | Design IRLStudios, makers and sellers across cities, with their projects to look at. |
| Who you hear about | Asking aroundWhoever your circle already knows, often the same few names. | Design IRLAnyone in the industry, including people nobody has told you about. |
| What you can check | Asking aroundHow it went for that one person, which we can’t tell you. | Design IRLThe work itself, the people behind it, and a link to their own website. |
Which one should you use?
Ask around when
- Someone you trust has hired them and can tell you how it went
- You care most about how they are to work with
Choose Design IRL when
- Your circle keeps giving you the same names
- You’re somewhere new, or looking for something nobody you know has bought
What we aren’t
- We’re new. Most pages start from public facts on a business’s own website until its owner claims them, so some are thin.
- We don’t rate or review anyone. You judge the work yourself.
- The marketplace carries Indian brands only, and you buy on the brand’s own site, not here.