Graphic Design

Have you ever noticed how many articles there are on creating your own marketing materials? Many of those articles concentrate on things you "should do," offering such sage advice as "Know your audience," "Say it with pictures" or "Write clearly and distinctly." None of this is poor advice… but you should also know what not to do.  Or more specifically, it's about what most do-it-yourselfers are often tempted to do - but really shouldn't.

Enlarge your logo so that it is the main focus of the page. Yes, your logo might feature the name of your company. But it's not the main point. People are initially more interested in what you're selling, than who you are. In fact, the smaller the logo, the more established the organisation would appear. For example: check out ads by Nike or Hewlett-Packard.

Place your logo in the text of your piece. Of course it's fine to use the name of your company in the text of any of your marketing materials, but inserting your actual logo into a headline or body copy is design suicide.

Use every font at your disposal. Choose one or two fonts for all your materials to build brand equity. Your font choices should be consistent with your image and your industry. For example, a conservative industry = a conservative font.

Use colour indiscriminately. More colours don’t necessarily make something more appealing. Often it just makes it loud and off-putting. When someone screams at you, do you want to listen or run away? Most, if not all, your text should be the same colour, preferably black for readability. For a unique look, try duotone photographs or print in two colours.  But beware – over 17% of your readers are likely to be colour-blind.

Be redundant. Don't repeat the name of your industry or product in your company name and your tagline and your headline. I once had a client request that the word "pharmaceutical" appear in his logo, his tagline and in the headline of his marketing brochure. This was totally unnecessary and even harmful. Potential customers know your industry. Restating it can give the impression that you don't.

Choose low-quality or low-resolution photography. A photo may look great in an album, but unless it features balanced lighting and good composition, it's not print-worthy. Photos need to be at least 300 dpi. And yes, people can tell the difference.

Fill up every inch of white space on the page. White space, or negative space, brings focus to what's important and gives the eye a rest. You may have a lot to say, but cramming it all in creates chaos and minimizes impact. Your piece will end up visually overwhelming. Think less, not more.

Focus on the details of your product or service; instead of focussing on how it benefits your audience. Unless your product is extremely technical, make your offering relevant to your audience by emphasizing its benefits, not its features. Otherwise it's like going to a party and talking about you, you and you all night long. That's not exactly the best way to win friends or gain customers.

Do exactly what your competitors are doing. When you're positioning your product, it's good to know your competition. But don't copy them. Find out what your customers want and are attracted to. Stand out without sticking out.

Change design styles with every marketing piece you create. Strive for a consistent look and feel, keeping the same fonts and logo placement. If you use photos in one ad, don't use illustrations in another. If you place your logo in the middle of one brochure, don't place in at the top-right corner in another.  Consistent approach is halfway there.

Always remember that what might appeal to one person, may not appeal to another and that most people don’t know what they like until they see something that they don’t like.  That’s probably why many design-houses offer a choice of 3 designs for every design brief, knowing that choice provides the opportunity for their customers to select from a ‘controlled’ set of options. 

Contact your local Accredited Partner for more details.

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