Do your graphics deliver your message or just look pretty?
2010 Nov 10
By Craig Sutton
You won’t talk to everyone you see today. If you go out to lunch or take a trip to the store you will pass by several people and exchange nothing more than a look. Likewise, some people won’t stop to read your ad when browsing a magazine or newspaper, but they will glance at it. During that microsecond of thought a decision is made in the mind of your potential customer: “read this,” or “skip it.” A message is delivered regardless of whether or not the words are actually read. This is where the power of good design shines and why it’s so important.
Color, texture, patterns, organization, clutter, fonts, megabytes, bits, and prints – you name it – it all comes together to become part of your brand and speaks volumes to customers. Think of graphic design as your businesses wardrobe. Does your business wear a high-end tuxedo or a comfortable t-shirt and jeans? Does it don cowboy boots or a punk rocker’s chain wallet?
Find your business’ style
Be unique so that you can stand apart from the competition, but be careful not to alienate potential customers. Your look needs to make sense with the product or service that you are offering. If you sell high-end wine, your graphics need to be clean and expensive looking. If you sell trinkets on eBay, you have room to be more eclectic.
Look to create a visual identity that truly resonates with your customer base. Cast aside your personal preferences and listen to your customers. Discover what sets them apart and incorporate these traits into your look. If you do business for a niche market – this part is easy – cater to the niche. If you offer your product or service to a wide market, developing a visual personality becomes more challenging. It also becomes more important. In some cases you may even want to consider developing multiple brands.
It may appear as though you’re competing with yourself by creating multiple brands, but what you’re really doing is taking a bigger bite out of the marketing share. If parents identify with brand A and teenagers identify with brand B, you’ve expanded the audience that you can sell to without changing the product you are offering. Multi-branding also allows you to sell the same product at different price points.
The way you present your product or service will offer clues to consumers as to whether or not they want to afford it. The more white space you use in your material, the more high-end your brand will appear. It can be difficult to leave empty space in an ad that you’ve paid good money for, but what you’re telling your customer is that you can afford to leave that space empty.
Stick with your look
Consistency is key when building your image. If you’re a t-shirt and jeans kind of businesses, always wear a t-shirt and jeans. Don’t confuse your customers by pulling out a tweed suit from the back of the closet. If someone is seeing your brand for the first time, your message needs to be strong and easy to understand. If this isn’t the first time they’ve heard of you, your graphics need to reinforce the message you gave them before. Brand recognition is the first step to building customer confidence in your product or service. Delivering multiple looks or messages is a surefire way to confuse the masses.
When it comes to graphics design as a messaging tool, it’s all about sending the right message and being consistent. If you follow these two basic principles, you’ll strengthen your image and save yourself from mixed messaging mayhem.
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