Check out these three tips that will help set you up for design success!
Consistent Colors
It can be tempting to make your ads – be they print or digital – as bright and eye-catching as possible by using bold colors and crazy fonts. But take a moment to consider the most iconic brands and how they use color: Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Apple, Nike. They use simplicity and consistent colors surrounding a simple design, to make their point and communicate their message. The human eye is drawn to white space and by surrounding a simple, striking image or brand with a clear color or two, you can capture people’s attention.
Resist the temptation to overwhelm your audience with colors, Instead focus on attracting them with its careful use. You may also want to run your color choices through a color palette to ensure they are complementary. Such clean, smart, and eye-pleasing design naturally gives your audience a positive sense of your company and your culture.
Message Through Design
Just as clean, consistent color can convey that a company is full of organized, intelligent, and serious people, a well-designed logo can also give customers a sense of your values and your product or service. Spend some time brainstorming a great logo and brand name representation, then bring your ideas to a graphic designer to see if he/she can help refine your concept. This process will likely take a few weeks and you’ll go through many iterations. This is definitely something worth bringing to an expert to help you refine and perfect.
Emotion in the Tagline
Many companies master the importance of color and strong design, but forget to perfect the tagline. A tagline is a great place to tap into the power of human emotion and convey a defining quality of your company, your personnel, and your ethos. Consider how McDonald’s built the value of their tagline “I’m lovin’ it.” Not only does it focus on a positive emotion, they turned a customer testimonial – a powerful tool in its own right – into a tagline. So be creative and bold, with your own.
Remember, too, that it is okay to periodically revisit all of these design elements, even if you are an established business. Launching your new look, logo, tagline, or color scheme is a powerful marketing tool, and one that people respond to with enthusiasm. You don’t want to rebrand every year, but it is fine to update your look every 7-10 years. In fact, investing in improved design for your business is a subtle way of showing your customers that you care to stay up-to-date, are aware of what is going on around you, and you’re focused on them. It’s a win-win, so take advantage of it!
United makes consultation services and design time available to all our customers – are you stuck and need some advice on how to improve your concept or choose the best medium for your next project? Let us help – we follow the three rules above and help you get to the heart of your marketing needs with consistent, effective design.