Design IRL vs Google
Google searches everything. Design IRL only holds the design and building industry, so you can browse it by type, city and category.
Side by side
| Compared on | Design IRL | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | GoogleThe whole web, and local businesses on Maps. | Design IRLOnly the people who design, make and supply buildings. |
| What decides the order | GoogleLocal results rest on relevance, distance and prominence, including review count and score. | Design IRLClaimed pages first, then A to Z. How well known you are doesn’t come into it. |
| Paid results | GoogleAds are labelled “Sponsored”. Google says they don’t influence its organic results. | Design IRLThere are no ads in the directory, and nobody can pay to rank higher. |
| How things connect | GoogleSeparate results, one link at a time. | Design IRLA project links to its studio and credits, and a product to its brand and sellers. |
Which one should you use?
Choose Google when
- You already know the name of who you’re looking for
- You want reviews, directions and opening hours
- You’re looking for something outside the trade
Choose Design IRL when
- You want to compare work by type and city, not by who is best known
- You want to discover studios and brands you haven’t heard of
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.