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Editor:
This time we’re talking with a guy who’s been at the forefront of tech and marketing for well over a decade now. He’s the man behind many of the most successful software as a service products, including ClickDesigns, which has really taken the industry by storm. Now, don’t worry if you’ve not heard about ClickDesigns yet because we’re going to find out much more about that and the man behind it. Mo Latif, welcome.
Mo Latif:
Thanks a lot. Thanks for having me.
Editor:
Well, it’s great to have you with us, Mo. Now, I’ve been looking forward to this because ClickDesigns is such an impressive product. So before I ask about you and how it all came about, maybe you could just explain a little about what ClickDesigns is.
Mo Latif:
So ClickDesigns is basically a design tool that replaces a designer. So, for example, let’s say you’re actually building a site or a website or a blog or anything online and you’re looking to have graphics for your website. And before I even actually created the software, we would actually out sourcing our graphics, hiring people in-house. And it’s just a nightmare, communicating back and forth revisions, endless back and forth actually.
Editor:
Yeah.
Mo Latif:
And I’ve been doing this for maybe 15 years until I got to a point thinking, “Okay, you know what? This is enough. I’ve got to figure out a way to eliminate the designer instead of begging to get stuff done, not miss deadlines.” And I think that is what pushed me to actually create ClickDesigns.
Editor:
So that was the key driver behind it. And ClickDesigns is like an online graphic repository, isn’t it? Where you can actually edit your own graphics really easily.
So it takes away the pain point, as you say, of having to hire a designer. I’ll be honest, Mo, I’ve got the design skills of a five-year-old at best. So how have you been able to make this so easy to use?
Mo Latif:
Well, luckily for you, it’s perfect for five year olds as well. So, because I’ve been doing projects for two decades now, the way we did everything, I mean, we started up with a logo. From a logo, we’ll go to a book cover. From a book cover, we’ll go to a [inaudible 00:02:07], we’ll go to different illustrations. And it’s actually a process that we just repetitively do every other month for our projects.
And it just came to a point thinking, “Okay, you know what? I’m going to start with the logo, then I’m going to need this, then I’m going to need this, then I’m going to need this.” I know what I need. So, if I’m doing this and there’s millions of other people doing the exact same thing.
So, I started designing and creating a software that actually allows me myself to go in, create my logo, create my box covers, create my book covers, create my designs for my web pages, my sales pages, my offers without literally wasting time chasing, communicating.
I mean, we had designers across in different countries. Sometimes it’s the communication issues, sometimes it’s internet issues, there’s always an excuse to be honest with you. And we were like, what actually gave real buzz to it is, I would say ClickFunnels, I think. And we actually had programmers at the time as well.
So, from programmers, we were like, “Do you know what? We need to eliminate the programmers.” And obviously an old friend, Russell Brunson, he had a ClickFunnels, I started using it and then I realised this does absolutely, well, kind of everything that I need except for the designs.
Editor:
Right, yeah.
Mo Latif:
So, it fixed the programming and the website problem, but the biggest problem was the actual graphics for my own sites. They do provide, I mean, every single site builder. They provide templates, so you can literally come in and start editing, however you’re stuck at the design process.
And that’s when people kind of either cancel their subscription to these site builders because they’re like, “You can’t change or edit.”
So, what we do instead is we work seamlessly with the site builders.
So, what happens is once you create a graphic, you can just literally stick it into the site builder and it’s done.
You don’t need slicing, you don’t need editing, you don’t need absolutely nothing because every site builder is built on elements and frames and when you create something, it basically says when you go to a site builder, it says, “Image. Insert your image here.” You can just literally insert your image and it just fits in. So all you have to do is select a template inside ClickDesigns, customise it to your brand, and just stick it straight into site builder without any help. Because if you can use the site builder, you can use ClickDesigns.
Editor:
Yeah, and it is seriously impressive and very simple to use. For anybody who’s not discovered ClickDesigns before, first of all, where can you find ClickDesigns?
Mo Latif:
ClickDesigns.com.
Editor:
Simple as that.
Mo Latif:
Yep.
Editor:
Nice and simple. Now I’m sure I’m going to have many more questions to ask about ClickDesigns, but first let’s find out a little bit more about you, Mo. What’s your background?
Mo Latif:
My background, I mean, I started working as an accountant/investment banking background. Then got literally bored of the still life in London, Liverpool Street, Bank Street, no, Bank Station.
Editor:
Yeah.
Mo Latif:
And from there, I think it was 2000 and no, 1998, I think it was. Then obviously Google gave birth and I was like thinking this is a new thing and I hate actually going to work, I hate the commute. So, I actually believed in the fact that the internet was going to stay. So, what I basically did is I started planning on how I can actually move away from a corporate job onto working from home or just working for myself. So, I think it was in 2002 when I registered my first domain name.
I was like, “Okay, this is expensive, but is this thing for real? Is it going to actually follow through?” Fast-forward 20 years later, look where we are. We are still here, and the internet is still booming. Obviously, there’s technology advances.
But I’ll say from 2000, and so when I started 2002, it took me three years to say, “You know what? Let’s do something.”
Editor:
Yeah.
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