Why Graphic Design is a Vital Aspect of Branding
A business must successfully negotiate a wide range of challenges in order to build a strong product — one that can survive long-term in an ever more competitive market environment. Graphic design is one of the most important tools for accomplishing that goal. Yet many people make the mistake of undervaluing the role played by graphic design.
Graphic design encompasses far more than just a company's logo. Instead it refers to the artful combination of text and images across all of your marketing and product platforms. This article helps to paint a clearer picture of graphic design, by outlining four compelling reasons for its importance in any business' success.
Graphic Design Is the First Thing Customers Notice
No matter how excellent your product, no matter how proficient your customer service, consumers will never get that far without good graphic design. Simply put, graphic design is the front line of every single business. No matter what capacity a customer interacts with your brand in — whether visiting your website, or picking up a product in a store — the very first impression they get will be through your graphic design.
The importance of that first impression simply cannot be understated. It is the moment in which a potential customer decides whether or not to continue engaging with your company in a way that will ultimately lead to a sale. Lackluster, inconsistent, or poorly chosen graphic design means that a customer will be more likely to look elsewhere to meet their needs.
Graphic Design Builds Brand Identity
There is no universal standard for what makes good graphic design. In other words, graphic design choices that work well for one company may be inappropriate for another. For instance, making the kinds of graphic design choices used by soft drink companies would likely lead to less than stellar results for an insurance company.
Wisely chosen graphic design works hand in hand with the other aspects of your company to build a more consistent brand identity. And the more consistent your brand identity, the more easily you can foster trust among your consumer base. Graphic design also builds consistent identity between your different platforms, unifying things like websites, product packaging, and promotional or informational materials.
Graphic Design Allows You to Present Complex Information Succinctly
Graphic design is more than just an advertising or marketing tactic — it also represents one of the most efficient ways to present information. The majority of people are naturally inclined towards visual learning. Infographics, therefore, are a strategic way to present information about your company in an engaging and easily digestible manner.
Infographics have also gained a lot of traction in the world of social media, thanks to their unique combination of visual appeal and content-rich information. As a result, infographics get liked and/or shared three times more than any other type of content on social media networks.
Graphic Design Gives a Website Credibility
The internet has become one of the most important tools for marketing a company and building brand identity. Yet the internet has also led to an increasing amount of competition from similar businesses. The graphic design of your website often proves to the deciding factor for a potential customer trying to narrow down a pool of businesses.
In fact, in a recent web credibility survey conducted by Stanford University 46.1 percent of respondents identified "design look" as the single most important aspect of a website. "Accuracy of information," by contrast, was selected by only 14.3 percent of respondents. That statistic should more than convince you to make graphic design a core part of your website budget.
Few aspects of branding play as much importance in a company's success as graphic design. For more information about what type of design choices would make the most sense for your business, contact the pros at Media Hounds.