“What is important is not what you hear said, it's what you observe.” - Michael Connelly
Those that understand the above will tend to opt for professional graphic design to ensure that their visuals communicate their message well.
Professional graphic design shows your commitment to your brand and will support in establishing consistent brand identity. It helps bring your brand to front of mind when people are looking for YOUR product or service.
In 2020, there was a colossal drive to focus on engaging content, relevant imagery and professional design. Below are some of the results of studies and surveys conducted to figure out the audience impact:
85% of small businesses are now paying for professional logo design and understand that this is a key element of brand recognition.
Audiences retain 65% of information three days after message is delivered if it is delivered alongside relevant, appropriate imagery.
8 seconds is the average web users attention span.
50 milliseconds is the time taken to assess visual appeal.
94% of users will leave a website immediately due to poor graphic design.
Social media posts with imagery produce 650% more engagement.
The message is a simple one: building a professional image and brand identity has a significant positive impact on your business. It drives engagement and builds trust. A well crafted brand image must be built for purpose and can create a lasting impression of your business that sticks with your audience.
The most common graphic design services for small businesses include:
Logo design
Business cards
Stationery
Labels & letterheads
Website design
Brand identity
Infographics, posters and promotional designs
And remember, much of your graphic design will no longer need to be printed if you don't want to - depending on your target audience you can use digital versions of business cards, price lists etc.
Logo design
Successful business begins with professional logo design. Your logo design is the foundation of your visual branding - if that falls short, everything that follows will go downhill. It must be unique and crafted solely with your brand in mind - this is why we do not recommend using templates to design logos (and to avoid 'designers' that do!).
This brand was to be professional, approachable and knowledgeable, more on the simple, natural and calming side than the 'typical' beauty image as there is more focus on holistic than glam.
We've completed and signed off the brand book and the website is complete.
Why is graphic design important?
In a poll of 1500 small business owners, a massive 80% agreed that graphic design was either very important or important to their success.
Graphic design presents your brand message effortlessly, and strengthens the brand image to leave a lasting impression.
Around 90% of the information we process is visual. As a small business owner you likely spend a lot of time working out how to convince people to buy your product or service. Customer psychology shows that people buy what they're familiar with - if they aren't already your customer, your next step is to reach them visually, through design.
A strong brand identity can pull the crowds, but to reach those potential customers, you have to know your brand inside out and show the benefits you bring to your customers - and the whole process requires effective graphic design to convey the message.
Design has a significant psychological impact and colour plays a large part:
Sometimes, the colours you like aren't the right colours for your brand. For example, I like orange, but my brand needs to instil confidence, trust and stability, so I decided on blues for my branding. You may not be the best person to decide on your brand colours, but a designer certainly will be, with your input of course. Achieving the desired reaction and response is precisely why the demand for professional graphic design has grown, but many small business owners still prefer to muddle through on their own.
Website design is equally as important - and if you don't have a website currently - I'm sorry, but you're behind your competitors from the jump. Everyone looks online these days, and if you're not there, your competitors are, trust me.
If I search for a business I'm considering using and they don't have a website, they're off the potential list, and I'm not alone here. Why? Because if the business hasn't invested in their online presence, what else aren't they investing in? Social media is great, but it does not replace the need for a website. Equally, if a website is poorly designed or has ads that indicate it's a free website, I'm also out. This again shows lack of investment - if you don't invest in your business, why should potential customers?
In conclusion: potential customers need a good reason to choose your business over another, and you need a powerful combination of elements to achieve this.
You need a USP (unique selling point) that makes you stand out from your competition.
You need time, you can't build a successful brand overnight.
You need a powerful brand with visual elements to convey your brand message.
Your branding needs to include not only your logo design, but also other graphic elements such as typography and relevant imagery, how you communicate both visually and verbally and other core values of your brand.
Consumer awareness of good design is at an all time high - don't get left behind. While this short post only scratches the surface, hopefully it will give you a better idea of the importance of graphic design and the advantage it gives your business.