In business, there are multiple printing and design options available, and although, they may all share or be similar in their goal, and even utilize the same content, the impact and subsequent results are very different. The organization/presentation of this content becomes key because it ultimately can make or break a brand, otherwise known as your business image. Thus, why the investment into a graphic designer opposed to just using a printing company designer, gives you and creates the opportunity to define or reinforce your brand.
Let’s start by establishing how most printing company designers create media layouts. First, much of their layout is based on an on-center design approach, and granted, it presents the content, but it fails to create much, if any, emphasis, visual interest to draw a viewer in, or an impact on the content being presented, it simply doesn’t yield any hierarchy of importance with its content. Rather it just list the content on a centered, central axis, and in doing so, leaves the viewer, the potential customer/client, having to figure it all out.
Secondly, most of the printing company designers create layouts that have little, if any, to say about a company’s branding because it’s generic, and often times is so generic that it could be used with any company, and even companies in different areas of business and/or trades. Thus, it adds/presents content, but beyond that, it has little to help the viewer with their processing of the information, it simply just lacks impact.
In contrast, a graphic designer takes an entirely different approach than a printing company designer because a graphic designer places a customer’s/client’s branding for their company first, or if the customer/client doesn’t have a brand yet, the graphic designer utilizes the opportunity to create a brand for the company, an image that will ultimately set their customer’s/client’s business apart, and it further defines not only what makes the customer’s/client’s business unique, but also shows and depicts what makes the customer’s/client’s business different from their competition, it helps the viewer better understand what the customer’s/client’s business can offer.
Moreover, graphic designers create balance in layouts and rarely use on-center layouts, but rather they create balance through various design elements, such as color, contrast, line, space, shape/form, value, texture etc., that are used to establish a hierarchy in the content that is being presented so the viewer is directed and visually led through the content, and even helps them gain a deeper understanding of the information being presented. This is very critical factor because a viewer that does not have the content presented in such a manner can get lost in the information, become confused, lose interest and/or move on to find another business/company to service and meet their needs.
Likewise, media content, digital and/or printed, needs to speak about the company’s brand, it all needs to have that “look”, and it needs to be consistent across all media forms, again, digital and/or printed. This, too, is another critical factor in the design layout because 1 – it defines a company’s brand, and in doing so, sets apart one company from the next, and 2 – it directs a viewer to that company for their current needs, and also re-directs the viewer to that company for their future needs. The branding of a company simply sets a company apart from it’s competition, and business and repeat business ultimately yields a greater success to any company.
Therefore, and most importantly, it is critical that all media, digital and/or printed, has a design layout and presentation that quickly gives the viewer easy access to the information that they are seeking, and subsequently, it helps educate the viewer. Media also needs to be a reflection of the brand that defines the company and services that they provide, and it, too, needs to be consistent across all media forms for a company to find their greatest success! So, hiring a graphic designer instead of just using the printing company designer to create the layout, can be a huge driving factor in the success of your business!