DYNAMIC GRAPHIC DESIGN TIPS

Building Brand Awareness with a Consistent Corporate Identity

Who are you trying to reach? What are you trying to achieve? Do you want to build brand awareness or sell a product or service? Defining your objectives will help you get focused.

Designing for attention vs. transparency

When your message is competing for the reader’s attention, design for attention. Use color, type and images in a visually appealing way. When you need to simplify the message and make it easy to understand, design for transparency. Break up heavy text with subheads and pull quotes, and replace text with tables, charts and other graphic design elements.

Emphasize important parts of the message

Use selective emphasis to prioritize information. As a rule of thumb, put the most important information in the headline, secondary information in the subheads and lesser information in the body copy. Short quotations can be used as graphic devices to add emphasis and visual interest.

Add interest with contrast

Use white space, different type fonts and sizes, and varying graphic elements to add visual contrast. Images of differing sizes are more appealing than those of equal size and immediately communicate which elements are more important.

Don’t go overboard

Avoid trying to do too much in a single piece. You only have a few seconds to capture the reader’s attention. Narrow your focus to one or two strong messages. The best graphic designs use minimal color, text and graphic effects. Use of white space makes the design clean, fresh looking and easy to read.

Create a consistent identity

Use consistent graphic design elements to create an identifiable look from piece to piece. Your look is just as much a part of your brand as your logo. This is true on all marketing materials, from printed collateral to your website.

Project the right image

Every graphic design affects the reader on an emotional level. Be sure it’s the emotional response you want to evoke and the image you want to project.

Create templates to enhance efficiency & brand recognition

You don’t always have to start from scratch every time you design a new document. Use your existing documents and color palettes as templates to enhance efficiency. Having a consistent look on all your marketing materials and ads will enhance your brand recognition.

Edit to fit

It’s better to cut copy than try to squeeze it in by reducing type size and line spacing. Eliminate unnecessary verbiage. Write for your intended audience. You know your product or service intimately. Your audience may not. So write clearly, simply and concisely.