We cannot underestimate the importance of good graphic and visual design in the success of our brands and reaching our marketing goals. Here are some key statistics, facts, and key trivia you need to know:
- Studies found that people make complex conclusions about a company or brand based on their logos. Five experiments reported that even the shape—its angularity or circularity—is powerful enough to shape the perceptions of consumers about a certain product or brand. Specifically, consumers tend to associate circular logos to softness, and rectangular or angular logos to hardness.
- There is a correlation between good design and business growth. According to Forbes, one of the building blocks of goal-reaching is excellent visual design, because it’s so much more than just visuals in print or on the screen—they embody the narrative and vision of an organization.
If you are a manager or key decision-maker in your company’s marketing strategies, then you need to develop a keen eye for good visual and graphic design, especially if you are someone who has the final word on what gets published out into the world. Here are some tips you need to know.
Get attuned with your first impressions
One of the markers of good graphic design is how it makes a viewer feel after seeing it. You don’t need to be an expert at drawing or Photoshop to know how a logo or piece of content makes you feel. This is especially true if your brand utilizes billboards, online ads, or other ways to promote or market that only allow viewers to see your logo or content for a few seconds. No matter the number of seconds or minutes people will have with your content, it needs to make a positive impact or first impression on everyone who sees it.
Consult with well-rounded marketing specialists
Another way to hone your eye for good design is by partnering with professionals and specialists who have experience with a variety of marketing strategies and different kinds of clients. For example, an agency with a proven track record of providing effective local SEO for hotels has a world of knowledge on how to capture your target audience’s attention, and how to convert that attention into sales.
Working with a well-rounded team will help train your eye for the type of design that works and what doesn’t, and they would also be able to point you towards trends that you need to know about.
Know the basics of design
Even if you’re not the person in charge of graphic design in your company, it would benefit you greatly to gain a keen understanding of the basic principles of design since you would have a baseline to work with. Here are some basic principles you need to know:
Hierarchy
This means your piece has visual cues so that people know which information they need to pay attention to first, second, and third.
Unity
Something about your page must look and feel cohesive, and every area must serve the greater whole.
Balance
Balance is important because it’s something that we also see in nature. It can be symmetrical or asymmetrical, but whichever style you choose, something about it must look right to the eye and feel right to the soul, and it shouldn’t make the viewer feel uneasy.
Variety
Variety is all about adding some unexpected, unique, and even quirky elements to set your page apart from other brands.
Alignment
Alignment is all about ensuring that all the graphics and texts on your page are lined up perfectly. When proper alignment is not observed you run the risk of making your page appear chaotic, messy, and haphazard.
Repetition
The principle of repetition refers to the idea that we need to use similar or same elements throughout our piece to create a sense of rhythm, which can help people gain a sense of continuity while looking at the design.
Emphasis
Emphasis is about establishing a focal point so that a viewer knows what to do after seeing it. It could be an image, a call-to-action, or a headline.
Contrast
Contrast is important because it helps elements stand out from each other, adding depth to the design.
Negative Space
Negative space, or white, is necessary because it allows your composition some much-needed room to breathe.
Movement
Movement is all about how a viewer’s eye moves throughout the composition. Movement can be dynamic or static, but it needs to serve the message you’re trying to send through the piece.
Having a good eye for graphic design is key to achieving your marketing goals. Keep training your eye so that you instantly know which designs work and which don’t.
