28The UK is clearly a thriving environment for aspiring entrepreneurs setting up new business ventures, with a record-breaking 608,110 new businesses being launched in 2015 alone. A large majority of these are set up on a tight budget and their owners must try to balance keeping costs under control while at the same time providing value for money for their customers. Every day, these fledgling businesses have to make important choices to ensure they’re spending every penny of their working capital wisely. Your corporate identity (logo/branding) is one area where a small investment can go a long way, and why investing in a professional graphic designer is a must have. In this article we explain the benefits it can bring to your business.
Why can’t I just do it myself?
There’s a natural tendency in all of us to think we are good at marketing and with an ever-increasing number of websites offering logo design for £25 it can be hard to resist the temptation to cut corners and purchase an off-the-shelf brand, and set it in place in your favourite word processing software such as Microsoft Word. The problem with this is that the artwork used is not specifically created for your business, potentially shared with thousands, and the execution is often in a format that printers and other industry professionals will subsequently not want to work with. To understand the difference between this approach and professionally created artwork, you have to understand exactly what a graphic designer does.
What is a graphic designer?
A graphic designer is a professional (either independent or with an agency) who creates and assembles images, typography, or motion graphics with a view to improving the aesthetic appeal of your business through the logo device within a full branding that communicates either your line of business or the level of service likely to be provided. They can make your brand stand out in a crowded market sector, make it appear more professional, and open your product or services up to existing or entirely new audiences.
Often mistaken for contemporary artists by business owners, the purpose of a graphic designer is completely different. Where fine artists create work that is left up to the viewer to interpret, a graphic designer’s work should require no explanation such that people ‘get it’ within seconds!
What can a graphic designer offer?
When you invest in professional graphic design you are doing just that; you are making an investment in an individual who has studied design as a profession; who will be able to take you on a creative journey to successfully convey your business vision to your customers. Fully qualified designers are taught key areas such as design theory and its principles, psychology and colour theory, and the skillful use of type to knit the various elements together. This skillset plus years of experience can result in effective reinforcement of key messages and the building of brand loyalty and repeat business.
Before a graphic designer puts ‘pen to paper’ or starts work on-screen, there is a strategic path that they must take to effectively communicate your message visually to your audience. They will need to understand things such as the product or service you’re selling, the culture of your business, it’s target market and main competitors.
Only when this information is processed does the actual design process begin; ending with a bespoke brand that reflects your company and its ethos perfectly. The hard work doesn’t stop there however; maintaining brand consistency across a range of applications (everything from corporate wear to vehicle graphics, online selling and social media) is something that an experienced professional graphic designer will be well versed in and will know the ‘tricks of the trade’ to maximise brand awareness.
At the end of the design process the artwork will be made up to professional print or media specifications and once payment is made you will normally receive full copyright for the artwork.
Invest in your company and your potential clients will invest in you!
If you fail to value yourself and your company enough to invest in commissioning a professional graphic designer, then how can you expect your potential customers to confidently invest in you?
With so much to offer, your business could be seriously missing out by not investing in an independent graphic design professional such as Dan Summers Design who will be able to create and develop bespoke branding for your company to make it stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons!
Find Dan Summers Design today on 01245 465324 for more information on professional graphic design and the benefits it can bring your business or organisation.
