What’s your philosophy of design?

For years design was seen as merely artistic craft involving intuition and aesthetics. Design was “successful” if it at least captured attention.

More recently, design has been elevated to the status of a science involving market research, focus groups, and response tracking. This may benefit both the designer and the client, for it requires that design fulfill specific purposes and focus on clearly defined objectives. But, as with most sciences, it can at times dehumanize the process.

Graphic design must never become “art for art’s sake” but neither should it be a cold compilation of facts distilled into single solutions. Design needs to be seen as communication.

Whether your company is a corporation, a publisher, or a small business, your designed materials will benefit when you start with a specific audience, an objective goal, and a defined message. And, as with any communication, it will be more effective when done creatively and aesthetically. Design must hold in equal measure both the objectivity of communicating a message and the creativity and craft of telling a story in order to engage an often disinterested audience.

Take time to evaluate your own company’s design—not as art, not as science, but as effective communication.


Design with purpose:

1. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

2. DETERMINE THE BEST MEDIA FOR REACHING THEM
Will it be a web site, brochure, advertisement or book cover?

3. CLEARLY DEFINE THE GOAL OF THE PIECE
If multiple goals then have a clear hierarchy of what to communicate. Prioritize one aim and make sure other aims do not compete for attention with the primary aim.

4. DETERMINE THE PROPER MESSAGE
The message is what you want to communicate to your audience through the art and text.

5. WORK WITH DESIGNERS TO DEVELOP A CREATIVE, AESTHETIC AND ORIGINAL SOLUTION
The solution needs to do 5 things:
- appeal to the tastes of the target audience
- stand out above the media noise
- communicate the message with clarity
- distinguish you from the competition
- be memorable

The purpose of this newsletter is to remind, inspire, and invigorate our clients and friends as to the true potential of design when it is used for a clear purpose to communicate. Through subsequent articles we will address such issues as strategy, creativity, and branding which, we hope, will benefit you in some way.

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