Your graphic design strategy needs
principles and rules...

To create an effective graphic design for your company, it is necessary to keep in mind some design principles and rules. Many times, I have seen layouts for PowerPoint Presentations, flyers, business cards, logos, etc. that just made me cringe from the horror and inappropriateness of the piece. When asked who designed their marketing materials, usually the reply was that they had an inexpensive desktop publishing program and decided to save some money by designing it themselves. It was not too long before they went out of business or were complaining that they did not get the clientele that they had hoped to achieve. Is it any wonder?

Rob Frankel, the number one guru for branding says, "Doing it yourself works—for suicide."

When targeting a specific demographic design your marketing materials for that specific market. Have you ever heard the old cliché, "A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient." Well, this applies to graphic design and marketing as well. You can spend hundreds; thousands of dollars on marketing materials and you could potentially throw your money down the drain. Why waste money on marketing materials that will not work for you in the misconception that you will save money if you do it yourself. Yes, you may save a few pennies now but in the end, you will lose so much more. It is the difference between being penny wise and pound-foolish. It is realizing that every aspect of your business needs attention and this attention gives the message that you pay attention to details. Graphic design is an investment in your company's growth, not an expense.

• Design has a purpose. It is utilitarian and explains how to order product, how to navigate a web site, how to serve a client's interests, how to communicate to an audience, and how to convey information.
  
  
• Design is a process that starts by creating from general information to specific details.
  

• Design is also informational. It visually defines specific examples such as charts, etc. Design is a visual language that uses imagery to give meaning to content.
  
  
• More importantly, design communicates ideas, functions, and concepts to specific audiences such as age groups, geographic locations, income levels, gender, age groups, etc.
  
  
• Design introduces qualities of color.
  
  
• Design leads the viewer's eye. Generally, a designer divides a composition by reads. What do they read first, second, third, and so on?
  
  
• Design also follows rules such as balance, contrast, dominance, gradation, harmony, rhythm, and unity.
  
  
• Design includes principles such as line, shape and form, space, texture, value, color, and color interactions.

Rob Frankel offers these excellent points of reference — the 10 Laws of Branding your business:

1. Brands are about your customers, not you.
2. If your brand is wrong, then so is everything else.
3. Branding gets right to your customer's hearts. Advertising captures their minds.
4. Build your business from your strengths.
5. If you can't articulate the benefits of your business, neither can your customers.
6. The success of your brand varies directly with your ability to accept the role of leadership.
7. The stronger your brand, the less susceptible you are to pricing issues and competition.
8. Your brand begins in your business plan. Do you have one?
9. Advertising is NOT branding. Branding is branding. Advertising raises awareness of the brand you create.
10. There is no such thing as co-branding.

Remember, just because you've heard about it doesn't mean it's well-branded. Branding and awareness are NOT the same thing. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on the way you perceive it, the smaller the budget, the stronger the brand has to be.

To design successfully, you must create and manipulate images, in print or on the Internet, in such a way that, for the viewer, will have the meaning or the impact you intend. Successful design is an essential element of any branding / marketing initiative. Without it, a piece of the puzzle is missing.

Let Carnright Design be your graphic design team member to help create memorable marketing and advertising materials and strengthen your brand.