It seems silly to me that anyone might think or argue graphic design isn’t an extremely important part of any business — and I understand how one might think that seems a bit unfair for me to say, being a graphic designer and all. I’m not about to throw out claims without backing it up, though. I’d like to explain why choosing to care and invest in your company’s design is a good business decision.
Design creates trust. The majority of today’s business is conducted online in some way. Most first impressions of a company are created by visiting their website. The way to make a good impression and convince a potential client or customer to choose your business over your competition is…can you guess? Good design.
Badly designed websites are often not read, trusted, or visited for any length of time. The interface and experience of your website very quickly decide whether a user will explore further than the homepage or revisit the site later. A website can have the best content ever but hidden behind the unsightly and disorienting design, the message is devalued. A study conducted by The Daily Egg showed that “94% of the reason the participants rejected a site was for design related issues, while only 6% was for content-related issues.” So here is what you should avoid when developing the design for your site: busy layouts, lack of navigation aids, boring web design, too many pop-up advertisements, slow introductions (splash pages, slow-loading flash introductions, etc.), small print, and too much text. By avoiding these design blunders, you have a higher likelihood of coming across as legitimate and trustworthy to potential customers.
Design makes you memorable. The way a memorable brand is created is through intentional and carefully chosen design decisions. Good customer service and a good product certainly help, but beyond that, on purely a surface level, it’s design. The elements of design that contribute to creating a brand; like the logo, color palette, icons/motifs, etc. are a huge factor in how clearly we remember it. Incorporating an original design concept can ensure your brand stays memorable and recognizable.
Design motivates people to act. Successful websites or pieces of content have clear calls to action (CTAs). By that I mean there is a section that tells you to “Call Today!” or “Download Now!” … these CTAs can be very effective in creating business when done correctly and paired with enticing graphics. However, if your main CTAs are hidden within a busy layout with too much content they will most likely be disregarded. So whatever your main goal is, motivate your audi
ence to take that step by investing in good design.
Design communicates your values. All brands are built on ideas, values, and goals, and it can be tricky to communicate these values quickly your consumers. Chances are, most people aren’t going to read your mission statement, so the best way to express your brand’s values is visually. Try to capture your tone and values through imagery and type and let your images do the talking.
Most people have certainly, at one time or another, bought a product simply because it looked nicer than the alternative. Good design is what sets one company apart from the crowd. Good design gives you a competitive edge, drives powerful marketing results and allows you to stand out. Enable your business to succeed be prominent in the marketplace — let your design shine.