VickyIf your business isn’t especially creative you might think you have no reason to hire a graphic designer. Think again. Almost every business can benefit from the skills of a designer, and the reasons why might surprise you.
What is graphic design & why do I need a professional?
Graphic design is a form of art. Graphic designers solve visual problems using images and text. They communicate ideas visually in order to sell products or spread a brand message.
It’s best to hire a professional if you need graphic design work done. They’ll have the right experience and skills to make your project come to life. They’ll also have the right tools and kit to make sure your project is done professionally and to industry standard.
In the end, it’ll save you money. By all means you could try doing the design project yourself, but you’ll never be as quick as a professional designer.
What does a graphic designer do?
Anything that can tell a visual story or communicate a visual message can be produced by a graphic designer. That’s quite a vague explanation, but that’s because the field of graphic design is so varied.
A graphic designer can help with a myriad of problems from huge projects to smaller tasks like making your website more readable or tweaking your logo so it can be used on your Facebook page. Bringing in a creative mind to your team will help you see things in a new way and could improve how you do business.
Work they can undertake includes, but is not limited to:
Logo
A graphic designer can create a unique logo for your business. Every business needs a logo in order to be memorable and stand out from the crowd. Many companies don’t realise the difference a professionally crafted logo can make. A designer understands how to appeal to your target audience, stand apart from the competition and how to create a design that can be used anywhere – from social media to clothing to business cards.
Branding
A graphic designer can take your company and bring it to life with a brand. Your brand includes your company logo, but it’s so much more.
Business cards
The need to make a good first impression is so important in today’s busy market. Does your business card do you justice? A graphic designer can create a card that matches your branding and makes sure you leave a lasting first impression. They can also place a QR code on your business card!
Misc stationery
Letterheads, envelopes, compliment slips, note cards… is your company still using plain ones? Company branded stationery gives an air of professionalism. Once your company name leaves the confines of your office and goes into the wild, make sure it’s saying the right things about you.
Brochures and Booklets
A designer can professionally create any booklet or brochure that your company needs.
Posters and flyers
Don’t risk it with an amateur. Get your posters and flyers professionally designed to make sure you’re attracting the right target audience and really capturing their attention. It’s instantly obvious when a poster hasn’t been professionally designed; the message is lost and the design isn’t memorable. Don’t let this happen to your business.
Website
Probably the most important design collateral today, if you don’t have a company website, you’re alienating current and new customers alike. Getting a professionally designed website done will inspire confidence in your company and make your customers trust you more. A free or template website is instantly recognisable and looks cheap.
Advertising
Graphic designers can take care of your advertising needs too. Much like posters and flyers, you need to have a trained professional on the case. Depending on what your project is, advertising can be expensive and you only get one shot to get it right. So make sure you hit the mark. Graphic designers can produce anything from billboards to magazine adverts to bus signage and more.
Social media
Another increasingly important area for every business is social media. Communication is increasingly visual these days, and your social media channels need to stay afloat of the changes. Graphic designers can create eye catching logos and cover images for your accounts. Not only that, they can create compelling visual campaigns to post out across your networks.
If you’re wondering how much a graphic designer can earn, check out this article from Pixpa on graphic designer salaries.
Why does it matter for my business?
An argument we hear time and time again is that graphic design is just a fancy extra. And it’s easy to see why the inexperienced can come to this conclusion. Graphic design is such an integral part of our culture and daily lives it’s almost easy to overlook it and undermine the job it does. But without good graphic design your business will sink to the bottom of the pile. First impressions count and good design converts so hire yourself a professional today.
awork
Stuart Logan
