Effective Graphic Designs

Graphic designs are known for representing the image or identity of a brand and the message one is trying to convey. It is sometimes referred to as visual communication with the aim of delivering a message to its targets.  Many people believe that graphic designs are effective once it is appealing to the eye, however this may not necessarily be true.  Think back to all the posters you have glimpsed, logos you have seen and billboards you’ve driven pass that you still have no idea what its purpose served. There is a strategic process to producing an effective design which first involves conceptualizing then execution.

Conceptualizing Process

1. Understanding the brand – Before the creative process can begin, the designer must ensure that they understand the brand that the design is being produced for. He/She must familiarize themselves with the purpose of the brand, the brand colours, and the main goals and objectives for the brand. This will help the designer come up with the quality concepts that not only look appealing but also assist in achieving the goals of the brand and creating that buzz that they need.
2. Understanding the brand’s targets – The next thing that is essential for an effective design is that it must be related to the targets. A designer must understand what the targets like and dislike and use that to his/her advantage. If you know what your targets respond to the most then creating effective designs come easy after that. It helps you in the sense that you can now use elements that grasps your target’s attention in your designs.
3. Understanding the message – The main purpose for creating designs as stated before is to deliver a certain message to targets. For a design to be effective the designer must understand what the message is and come up with a creative way to deliver that message to the target.

Once you have those main three things down and you’ve discovered a creative way to incorporate these elements then its execution time. However the execution process is not that simple and there are still a few things that a designer must understand when going forth with the design.

Execution Process

1. Attention Grabber – For your design to be noticed by your target there must be an element that grabs the attention of your audience. Without this key element it is highly likely that your design will go unnoticed. Tied in with understanding what your target responds to your design must include a bold representation that makes your target stop in their tracks and look at your design. This is almost law for effective graphics and designs.
2. Colour choice – People usually take colour choice for granted but a good designer knows that different colours evoke different feelings in an artwork. Therefore, for an effective design, the designer must understand the feeling that the brand is trying to evoke and incorporate colours that give off that feel in their designs. This is also tied with understanding the message and understanding the brand.
3. Copy – One thing to always remember with copy when it comes to effective graphics and designs is that less is more. Designs that are overcrowded with words may deter targets from the design. Visual communication is all about imagery, therefore your message should be delivered mostly through the imagery and the text should be used as a brief addition. Keep it simple, legible and to the point.

Essentially, a lot of work is put into an effective design. It’s not just creativity but knowing how each design can work for the brand and getting the right message across to targets.

Take a look at some designs we created using these steps. Portfolio