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Graphic Design - Don't Blow that 1st Impression!
Whether it’s a company
business card, a letterhead, a poster, an ad in the
paper, a web site, or any host of business presentation
materials, you need superb graphic design to stand out
in this highly competitive world. Like the old saying
goes, “You never get a second chance to make a
first impression.”
Great first impressions are made by
outstanding graphic design.
There are people who take years in university
or college to study graphic design. The good thing is
that if you’re not one of them there’s still
hope!
Large corporations contract companies
or highly capable individuals who can look after their
corporate identity, but the rest of us need to either
hire the local printing shop or do the design work ourselves.
Today, being able to create a good company
image is not the stumbling block it was years ago. Most
computer programs, like word processors, desktop publishers
etc., have 'wizards' that will help you create an identity
for your business by using existing templates. All you
need to do is plug-in your own information. These programs
can create business cards, logos, brochures, newsletters,
posters, and a host of other related presentation materials.
There are even software programs that
will create a very professional company logo, whether
your business is very conservative or very outlandish.
Some of these are less than $20.
Web sites are also a major part of a
company’s identity, more so if you are actually
developing or own an online company. By searching the
Internet, you can buy templates for your web site that
will almost be a perfect fit for your business, whether
you are selling online or offline.
Even the presentation of information,
the actual words that tell about your product or service,
or anything related, needs to be considered a graphic
design element. Consider some of the posters that promote
milk. The advertising companies that promote the drinking
of milk could write a multitude of words explaining
the chemical make-up of milk and why you should drink
it.
Instead, they add a large photo image
of an active person drinking it outdoors, with a cow
in the background, and place one word in the corner
of the poster, “Milk”. Everyone gets the meaning
immediately from the photo, which is then reinforced
by the word, or a few words.
When doing your own graphic design,
the best principle to follow is that ‘less is more’.
Allow for lots of space. People find it hard to focus
on things that are cluttered. Think of a desk. You don’t
really notice the desk when it’s cluttered with
papers and junk. Remove the clutter and everyone notices
the desk. Keep things clean and simple.
If you do have to present a lot of words,
try adding visual interest by adding pull-quotes, which
are boxes set in the text that quote some of the highlights
of the actual text. The box adds interest.
People usually notice the biggest, boldest
item first, and then go left to right if no clear indication
is given. In a newspaper article, it’s usually
the photo first, then the headline, then bolded captions,
then the actual article.
There’s no shame in looking at
a design that works for someone else, and emulating
it, but not copying it.
By keeping in mind what your ‘desk’,
or focus, is, and by using all the tools at your disposal,
many of which are free, you will be able to produce
graphic designs that are both eye catching and profitable.
1howto.com
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