When asked what is graphic design, many people say the same thing – graphic design makes things look pretty. Well, there’s more to graphic design than that. Graphic design is more than aesthetics. It’s the bridge that links your business and your audience.
Large, established businesses use graphics in every stage of the marketing funnel to inform and persuade audiences to buy or influence decisions a certain way.
Below, I will try to explain why graphic design is important for any business to expand their brand reach and turn over a higher profit.
1. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Amateur designers design for clients whereas professional graphic designers understand the value of first impressions and design for the audience.
Graphic design is important for any business wanting to make a positive, lasting impression.
Usually the first design an audience member sees may be a business card, website, online ad, flyer, packaging or the more popular these days – social media.
As a business, you should capitalise on the first step of the buyer’s journey by implementing relevant, targeted content that helps sell your brand through your story.
If a customer hears about you for the first time, they’ll instinctively do a little background research on who your are and what you stand for before they make a purchase. What does your website homepage say about your brand? What are the colours? What typography has been chosen? Sleek or playful designs? All these, influence people a certain way and can be the difference between a sale and being ignored.
2. Consistency is credibility
Graphic design is important for any business wanted to become credible in their field. The more content you provide that address pain points, the more your audience will trust your advice and start to regard you as an expert in your field.
Let’s say you see a basketball player sink a 3-pointer while you’re on a stroll through the park. It was a great shot but would you think he/she’s a great player because of that one shot? Probably not, it could have just been a lucky shot. Now, if you saw the same player sink the same shot 30 times in a row, you might start to believe they’re actually a professional basketball player. Consistency creates credibility.
This same principle applies to marketing and branding. If you create a piece of content that helps someone solve a problem in their own life, they are likely to return to you for advice again when facing a similar problem.
Consistent content creation is the key to building a dedicated following of people who trust your brand and believe in your message.
3. Creativity kills competition
When a business is looking to slay competition in the marketplace, graphic design becomes increasingly important.
To stay ahead of competitors in the marketplace, you’ve got to become creative. Create content that approaches an idea, solves a problem or relieves a pain point in a creative way.
4. Understanding your message
Possibly the most important part of any business is their message, and graphic design helps businesses tell their story. Whatever size your business may be, small or large, it has to tell a story.
The most effective way to do this is through graphic design. It communicates more than just words to your audience. Even simple design elements like fonts and colour schemes help portray a certain emotion or feeling that reflects your message.
Having a brand guideline in place will help you and your team choose design elements that tell the same story and keep the look of your brand consistent.
