Here’s the truth: there are lots of things in marketing and business that you can skimp on. But design is not one of them. In fact, when it comes to differentiating yourself from your competitors, great design might be the most powerful tool you’ve got.
One of the reasons for that is design hits us first. Whether it’s a perfectly constructed logo, a beautifully presented brochure, or professional quality business cards, design is the first thing we notice. If the design isn’t up to par, it may be the only thing we notice – we all have limited attention, and most of us won’t waste it on something we suspect isn’t worth our time.
A related, and equally important, point is this: customers will usually see the quality of your design as symbolic of your business. If your design is shoddy, why would they expect your customer service, product, or knowledge-base to be any better?
With New Year just a couple of months away, here are three top tips to keep in mind if you’re planning a 2019 refresh!
Get your logo right!
If there’s one piece of design that is ultimately more important to your business than anything else, it’s probably your logo. A logo is the encapsulation of your brand – it is the first thing new clients see, and the first thing that pops to mind when they think of you. Think of Coke, Apple, Google, or Nike – you saw the logos, didn’t you?
That’s what makes logos so important: they are a visual tag that encapsulates your identity. If your logo is dated or poorly designed, to many customers, that means your business is too.
Put customer experience front and centre
Great design isn’t just about making things look beautiful. Customer experience is key: you have to design a path for people to follow that makes their engagement with your business as seamless and pleasurable as possible.
All designers will understand the conventions of customer experience. They’ve built up over time for a reason: by and large, they work! But that doesn’t mean that innovation shouldn’t be a part of your process.
Apple has a great reputation for innovating the user experience for the better. The company understands the value of conventional wisdom, but deviates from it when it thinks it can do a better job. You should do the same!
The power of printed materials
Don’t think of printing as a separate thing: it’s part of the design project. In other words, you have to take printing just as seriously as any other part of the design process, because even the best-designed piece of work can be made to look shoddy by a sub-par print job.
But remember that printers aren’t designers. They usually have artworkers on staff to finish jobs, but if you want a good ROI, you should use a designer and marketing team to create a great document before you hand it over to the printers.
Anyone can have an opinion on design, but sometimes, a professional’s touch is what it needs. If you’re thinking about rebranding, or refreshing your existing creative, call Kiss on 01675 446101 and talk to Lynsey. We have years of experience creating market-leading design for our clients, and we’d be happy to discuss your needs.