Don’t start the design process before reading this. The world of graphic design is complex, built upon many approaches and influences, and it’s not perceived uniformly like other professions. For example, you’ll find many influences from the art world – because graphic techniques are based on principles from the art world: everything is based on circles, squares, and triangles, the color wheel is a constant tool for graphic designers, and tools like brushes and erasers are even in their toolbox despite being in the computer age for a long time now.
One of the common problems in the graphic design profession is the fact that, on the one hand, it’s the main engine of advertising endeavors – with proper graphics, we can move large audiences to purchase products and services, which is what the business world wants. On the other hand, the graphic designer hired to design the advertising campaign is not on the same wavelength as the business world; deep inside, they’re an artist who isn’t seeking business success but rather an expression of their creativity. The clash between these two worlds often generates frustration for both sides – you can probably imagine why.
If you’re at the beginning of a graphic design process with business implications, let’s teach you to be better clients in the graphic design field. There are several principles you’ll want to maintain so that the needle doesn’t shift to the artistic districts and remains business-oriented and efficient. Here they are:
- You’re not your customer.
The most common mistake among business owners is the misconception that they are the customer. Every business design process begins with questioning and an attempt to reach the project’s design goal. What is it? Who determines that we’ve reached it? Right, the customer. Ask yourselves – is the customer an experienced art director in an advertising agency? Is he a marketing manager in leading companies? In most cases, no. And the artistically minded graphic designer only wants one thing: to please his customer, the one sitting in front of him. But here’s a secret everyone needs to know – neither of them matters here; neither of the two responsible parties for the project truly delves into the important aspect of “the customer,” thus confusing the design compass each time in an attempt to please themselves. My tip: Before starting work, create an imaginary but accurate “persona” of your customer base, envision it, and allow it to express itself in the design process – this ensures that you’re targeting your actual customer base and increases the project’s chances of success.
- Don’t shorten the questioning process.
As I mentioned in the previous section, it’s crucial to ask questions to drive the design process. In many cases, clients don’t have the patience or time to conduct an in-depth inquiry into material they already know, and they’ll try to shorten it due to time constraints or lack of interest. This may seem like a simple stage, but experienced professionals know it’s a critical one – let’s dissect its significance here. After this stage, in most cases, the client moves on and the designer starts and finishes the design. Really? Not really. Sometimes it will take a few more days, and a few more projects from other clients until the design is completed. And what does the designer do each time he returns to the project? Right, he goes back to questioning. While the client’s whole world revolves around the business and the project, for the designer, the situation is different – he has a variety of clients, each coming from a different field, all with specific requirements, and he wants to succeed with all of them. My tip: To succeed in your design process, always insist on thorough and high-quality questioning – convey everything to the graphic designer, as if he were a blank page, and ensure that he writes everything down!
- Ask Important Questions
In the questioning phase preceding design processes, many questions must be asked. One logical question to ask is: Why would someone want to buy the product? This is a question few know how to answer properly – today, you’re going to learn about the mechanics of product selection, a big secret that I usually only share with my clients, but I’ll make an exception because you’re here, and I’m glad to share it with you on our website.
The mechanics behind every product choice (from groceries to a new car) are simple and rely on two factors:
A. The Product – The client will ask themselves if the business has the product they are looking for. Does it meet the finishing level they desire? Is the product sold in packaging they need? In the right color? These are “dry” and mundane questions, but they need to be addressed. Can you find a differentiation in the market based on the product level? If so, it will be a very strong card in your journey to a successful campaign.
B. The Experience – If the product is the dry part, here we delve into the “wet” experience of being a customer of this business. Try to characterize the experience your business provides. How accessible is it? What services do you offer? What are the price ranges? What are the payment terms? What variety do you maintain? Is it easy or complicated to buy from you? This is the place to showcase the customer experience capabilities you provide. Ask yourself – do I have a differentiation in the experience level? If so, it’s worth bringing it out in the campaign messages.
The principle of asking quality questions may sound like something the graphic designer should bring, not the client, but as we’ve seen, there’s no uniformity and no such profession – “graphic designer for businesses.” Therefore, to ensure you’re keeping the azimuth of the project on the right track, make sure to ask the right questions; they will serve as an excellent basis for the correct design. My tip: Don’t leave the room where the questioning takes place until you feel the graphic designer truly understands the source of your business strength – not as you experience it, but as customers experience it. It’s an easy stage to fall into, so don’t give up on the important questions that need to be asked.
- It’s Either Simple or It’s Just Not
The other two principles belong to the stage after questioning. The fourth principle is another crucial one. We’ve already seen that to succeed in the design process, there needs to be a significant and intricate alignment between three worlds: the business world, the graphic designer’s world, and most importantly (but often forgotten) the world of the customer. Each world has its own set of values, desires, and goals. Trying to please them all is not quality design for businesses. Therefore, your focus must be on the world of the customer; they are the ones who will make the purchase, not the other two.
If you look around, you’ll see that we live in a kind of informational chaos, bombarded with complete divisions of advertisements everywhere: on our phones, on TV, on the radio, on billboards, on the internet, on credit card statements, even while we’re making calls to pay bills… Your customers are under siege, and now you want to join the celebration… Wonderful.
You have a lot to tell them, but first – take a breath, cool shower, meditate. Keep it simple in conveying your messages – don’t start from the assumption that “if we’re already facing the customer, we should load as many offers onto the cart as possible.” If your advertising is crowded and complex, it’s reasonable to assume you’ll receive a cold shoulder, disconnection, or a failed campaign. My tip: Business graphics is the art of message transmission; the important messages that arose in the previous section now need to make their way to the minds of thousands of people – make sure it’s easy to understand, don’t be afraid to empty the trash in the editing room – get rid of everything unnecessary and remember the important phrase “less is more.”
- Take Part
This is the shortest and most meaningful tip – take part. Step out of the mindset of “the graphic designer is a professional – let’s dump full responsibility on them and give them all the stage” (we’ll only come back to criticize the work later). When a doctor gives you a prescription, they’re not forcing you to buy the medication. If you don’t agree with the doctor’s opinion, you can go to the pharmacy, buy the medicine, and take it according to the prescription. However, there is no actual collaboration with the healing process the doctor suggested, so there’s no expectation that following it will lead to healing – it’s self-evident. The graphic design process isn’t much different, but it has its dynamics – to succeed in the process, you need to agree to participate. You’re not just a critic and payer; you’re not just the project’s customer but an integral part of its success.
My tip: Negative criticism in a low tone doesn’t help. Someone invested their time and effort for your business; it can’t be summed up as “it’s ugly.” Want high-quality graphics? Approach it positively, be patient, take a real part, and remember that when worlds collide, the connection isn’t always immediate, and the value system that precedes the encounter heavily influences its success – come with a sincere heart to the process. Demand that the graphic designer adhere to the terms of the work agreement you signed (timelines, payments, etc.), but take a positive part in the design process – what will happen when your graphic designer feels they’re in a positive environment will amaze you – that’s how the strongest designs are created.
In conclusion, if you’ve made it this far, you’re probably on your way to creating a design or advertising campaign. Remember these principles and other important ones I haven’t mentioned here, and try to make the process as professional as possible – you are your marketer, and marketing is a profession. Stick to professional principles and shorten success – good luck!
