When building a business and marketing a product, the importance of graphic design can not be understated. Graphic design is an image and/or text that conveys the tone and the content of your brand. Graphic design can take infinite forms, but its goal is universal; graphic design is intended to make an impact on the audience. When harnessed by an emerging or an established brand, graphic design is a powerful tool for business owners. A variety of factors influence the impact of graphic design on a brand.
Tone
Graphic design can be used to set the tone for a brand. Tone is the emotional connotation attached to the brand. Impactful graphic design takes into consideration the emotional reaction a brand wants to elicit from its audience. Tone can be conveyed through the use of images, whether they are photographs, logos, artwork, or clip art. Images have strong impact when they are original and when they relate to the brand.
Another aspect of tone is the text used in the graphic. Text includes not only the words that are used on a graphic, but the form and content of the text. Font choice can make a powerful impact and consideration of the font is an important part of graphic design. Fonts can be bold, playful, full of flourish, or academic. They can make a consumer feel nostalgic, childlike, safe, or sophisticated, among many other emotions.
The third aspect of tone is color. Anyone who has painted a room or planned a party knows that color is used universally to convey tone. Blue is considered calming. Red is full of anger or energy. Yellow is friendly. The color or colors used in a brand’s graphic design compel the audience to feel an emotional reaction, even if that reaction is completely subconscious. For the brand, this results in a personal connection forged between the brand and the audience.
Information
Graphic design also makes its impact on a brand by providing information for the consumer about the brand. This can be achieved by including an image of the product. This makes an immediate impact on the viewer and leaves an image in the mind of the consumer. This image may be recalled in time of need or be used to promote the brand via social media. Providing an image of the product helps a consumer to understand, visually, what to expect from the brand.
Information may also be contained in text used in the graphic design. Incorporation of text must be thoughtful and take into consideration the format of the graphic design. For example, a driver on the highway has less time to read the text on a billboard than a web surfer. Text may take the form of a logo, which is easy to incorporate onto the larger format of a billboard or magazine advertisement. A logo would also be used consistently across the brand, informing the consumer at every opportunity. Text may take a prominent or a secondary role, appearing boldly at the forefront of the design or as fine print beneath a high impact image. However it is used, text conveys information necessary to understanding the brand and sharing its objectives, promises, and benefits.
Graphic design is used to embody and promote a brand. It makes its impact by using unique and consistent images and thoughtful text. Graphic design can be incorporated into promotions and special events, instructions, contact information, and packaging. Graphic designs make their impacts by appealing to a brand’s audience, increasing traffic and demand for the product, and making a brand memorable.
Featured images:
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://static.squarespace.com/static/5176fdb5e4b083b631f31303/t/522dfafae4b0bb402a82879d/1378745098081/bigstock-Colour-pencil-in-row-43723921.jpg?format=750w
This article ws contributed by Shanna Cramer, owner of http://thewebshoppe.net, a small web and graphic design company in Fargo, North Dakota. Follow @thewebshoppe on Twitter for web design and marketing tips.