“There’s an awful lot of evidence across an awful lot of categories that consumers will pay more for better design.”
– AG Lafley, Chief Executive, Procter & Gamble
If the CEO of one of the worlds largest companies is saying it, it’s probably true right? I believe it, and I’m not a Graphic Designer, I just see it every day.
Why Graphic Designers are really good at what they do?
Some people think that graphic design is just some words and related images laid out nicely on a page. But the real strength that a Designer brings to the table is his knowledge of psychology and human behavior.
A Graphic Designer will first determine the goal of the piece, then create a subtle and logical journey that eliminates as many pain points or obstacles as possible focusing on getting the reader to do what you want them to do. Where do we want to draw the users eye in a logical flow? What emotional state should the design create? Should the design be modern and simple, colourful and bold or soft and comforting?
A good designer is a master of a variety of techniques to ensure an effective design. They understand things like proportion, proximity, balance, emphasis, contrast, repetition, alignment, white space, levels, typography and more. They use these elements to ensure that the piece is designed in such a way as to reach the desired goals, whether that be to get you a phone call, to get someone to your website or to buy a product.
Good graphic design will help you to present your marketing message in a clear and concise way by displaying your information in a visually appealing manner setting yourself up to get the very best results.
So Graphic Designers are really good at what they do… but how can this benefit you?
You might be thinking that you can do this on your own; I know a lot of small businesses that do their own graphic design work. But are you throwing away potential business opportunities because of ineffective design? Why leave it to chance? It could be hurting your marketing efforts, and marketing is expensive! Here are some of the benefits you could be experiencing by having a professional take over your design work:
Increased Sales
Good designs can definitely increase your sales. When a design is created to be effective, it will achieve better results than putting content and graphics onto a page with your phone number and hoping for the best
Improved Market Position
Graphic design can help your company stand out from the crowd and separate you from your competition, enabling you to present your business in a compelling and memorable way.
Customer Loyalty
When you present a cohesive, well-designed look to everything your customer sees, whether it’s your logo, vehicle decals, signage, advertisements, website etc, you are establishing a stronger identity for your business. Once you have done that, your customers recognize and relate to your products and this will build customer loyalty.
Charge more for your existing products and services
People want well-designed products and services that look good and customers are prepared to pay more for superior design. Image is everything. If your designs look bad people assume your work will be bad and you should charge less money than a company that looks good on the outside.
Final Thoughts:
You only get a few seconds to make an impression on someone before they turn the page away from your advertisement, throw away your mail-out, drive past your billboard or pass your tradeshow booth. Good graphic design will make the most effective impact to hold your reader’s attention. Anything your customers see should be well designed to create an impact and lead them to take the next action you want them to take.
