It is a well-known fact that the human brain remembers and processes images a lot faster than text. Also, an image conveys an idea more effectively than a verbal or written form of communication. The entire phenomenon of visual communication is based on this study. The practice of graphical representation of information is known as visual communication. Information and ideas when communicated in the form of visuals i.e. “when something can be seen” is what comprises of visual communication. Isn’t it rightly said – “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Images instantly communicate messages. People are more likely to relate to an image. Pictures make a connection easier than when someone reads a text. Visual communication overcomes cultural, ethnic or language differences. And that is why visuals make a stronger impact on our minds. Considering all of it, I am going to elaborate on the importance of design in marketing for a business.
Designing concerning marketing business is not confined to logos, page layout, website appearance, etc. It is an amalgamation of all these elements combined with the core values that your brand believes in. Effective designing is the procedure of converting complex data or information into easy to understand format. This helps people connect and understand the message you are trying to convey. That is what makes your business appear legit and therefore, the right set of customer base gets created. Isn’t it true that we are naturally attracted to visually appealing things? That is why a lot of emphases is put on the fact that your designs must be eye-catching.
Let’s talk about some statistics that help us to understand the importance of design. In 2005, The Design Council (a UK based charity, incorporated by the Royal Charter), studied portfolios of 63 companies that were listed on FTSE (Financial Times Stock Exchange). The study was conducted over a decade. It was concluded that companies that emphasized their designs did better than the others. So much so that they outperformed FTSE 100 index by a whopping 200%. Meaning that they did exponentially well than the average parameters.
Often, a start-up company prefers creating its designs to save cost in the short run. However, it is always recommended to go for expert advice on this matter. The reason is that a small investment at this stage eventually yields great results later. Designing is a kind of investment. According to another study by The Design Council, “every 100 pounds a design alert business spends on design increases turnover by 225 pounds.”
It is a way towards future profits. We have outlined some key reasons why it is essential to carefully choose a design and its relevance in your marketing master plan:
Creates customer impression, trust and perception
A good design in any form, such as a logo or website design creates a “make or break” impression on customers. A great design is often a blend of artistically chosen patterns and colours coupled with the brand’s vision. While designing your logo, website or any other marketing tool, if you are honest with your intentions, it automatically reflects in the creation. A great logo decides if your brand would vanish in the crowd or stand apart.
Similar is the story of designs while creating a website. We are surrounded by information all around us. Especially, in the digital age, the exposure of online content has increased manifold. It takes just a few seconds for someone to look at a website and decide if it is worth exploring forward. A poorly designed website hardly catches the customer’s eye. Let alone someone exploring beyond the home page. Several studies confirm this fact too. The design has just a couple of seconds to make an impact. If your designs pass this test, there are high chances of customers expressing their interests further. According to a test conducted by Google, people take about 17 to 50 milliseconds to decide how they felt about a website. That sounds like an eye-opener!
Another area where designs play an important role in packaging. Packaging designs alter customer perceptions too. A good looking packaging elevates customer expectations and adds a tint of excitement to your products.
It is only after this stage that customers start building trust over a while. A loyal customer base is created.
Product Prominence
From social media feeds to television commercials, marketing efforts are all around us. Products demand attention and their need to do so is constant. However, it is only the most unique, eye-catching content that stays with consumers. It is the design that makes your content outshine others and get noticed. To achieve successful marketing, product visibility is crucial. And this is achievable, among other things, through good design as well.
A well-articulated design does not only increase the chances of your product’s visibility but also elevate its image. It conveys the brand message. Something your customers find attractive.
Design is beyond appearance
Rightly quoted by Steve Jobs – “Design is not just what it looks like and feel like. Design is how it works.”We do understand that the overall outlook of anything marketing related makes an impact. However, we also need to understand that design is not confined to just appearance. It is more than that. Designs communicate stories of success and failure, of tireless efforts, of how the business perceives itself and much more.
Good designs, in the form of colours, images, fonts, add value to your brand. Therefore, it is incorrect to consider design as something with just an aesthetic perspective.
The power of invisible design
There is a popular quote – “Good design is invisible.”Often we come across situations where the content looks abrupt. We notice flaws in the designs – be it a website or a logo. These could be anything from poor fonts, Greatly to read words, pixelated images or hard to navigate instructions. We can only wonder what made the designers choose such an awful setting. While in some cases, we may not even notice any such deviations and focus on the content instead. This is a classic example of how flaws in the poor design are so easily noticeable. Whereas, a well-articulated content’s design is barely noticed despite its very own presence out there.
There’s a great example supporting our point here. This was elaborated by Jared M. Spool (An American writer & expert on design and research). Netflix questioned its customers about things they love concerning them. A huge range of movies, recommendation tools, service and plans all of these were pointed out. However, the customers failed to mention their website’s clever design, easy navigation and other aspects like these. The fact that these aspects were unmentioned does not mean they did not exist. It is because their designers have done their job pretty well since all these are invisible to customers despite their existence.
A visual representation of Brand values
A brand represents the ideas, values and goals that it believes in. And it is a tough task to communicate all of it to your consumers. In those situations, a design comes to the rescue. Design can be a Universal language. It communicates brand values in the form of images, icons, colours, fonts etc.
Let us have a look at Airbnb’s branding. Their strategy is to convey about living an active life, just as their service. They use people-heavy imagery and a bold pink logo. Both these encourage people to make the most out of life. And also use Airbnb as a medium to do so.
Key to the digital world
The world has witnessed a paradigm shift to digital media in the last couple of years. It is the need of the hour to be able to make an impact on the digital world. Social media has taken the world for a spin and your absence from it can be harmful to your business. So what is it that you need to be visible on social media? Of course, there is engagement with customers, deals, offers and whatnot. However, the design of your platforms is what makes an impact.
Social media is one of the best ways to connect with customers. And create a name for your business at the same time. But you won’t sustain with a poorly designed marketing strategy. It is not just customers who require good design. Approximately 93% of marketers feel that designs are an essential part of their marketing strategy. Without design, marketing messages are merely plain text and this approach doesn’t catch people’s attention.
Make money
All the marketing strategies, efforts, advertisements etc. have just one aim – to make sure that business flourishes and turns profitable. For obvious reasons, it means the brand makes money. So far, what we discussed were tools to reach this aim. Good designs boost sales, increase your brand’s worth and therefore improve the financial situation of your business. A good design helps to make your business profitable.
A popular example is Facebook and MySpace. Both these platforms were designed to connect people. At one point, a MySpace account was a must in people’s to-do list. However, it turned out that facebook’s user-friendly and intuitive design helped it reach the top spot in social network in the U.S. Today, Facebook has a net worth of $138.3 billion whereas MySpace peaked at $12 billion at one point. Its last known value is just $35 million before it was sold. A small business can grow exponentially over some time with the right implementation of appropriate design techniques.
So what are the factors we need to keep in mind while designing for our brand? Let us take a closer look based on different areas:
- Designing a logo: A logo is a company’s identity and personality. It is very own emblem. Several questions arise in your mind while designing a logo. Well, to begin with, a logo must stand for the brand’s values and beliefs. The colours must be chosen carefully since they pass on a message. You must also decide whether it is a good idea to create something unconventional or simplicity would be the key. The answers vary. To know more in detail about how a logo impacts your brand, do read this blog: https://de-sant.com/importance-of-logo/
- Designing a website: Designing a website is no ordinary task. It requires a deep understanding of the target customers and their expectations from your brand. A website has to have easy accessibility. There is no turn off greater than navigating through a poorly designed website. Yes, the colour, fonts, spaces all are crucial and must be taken into consideration. However, the easy navigation & user-friendly approach is what customers would love about your website. There are high chances of people not willing to visit or explore websites with poor designs.
- Designing Flyers / Brochures / Visiting cards: While designing all these articles, their content and its appearance have to be taken into account. They must be designed in such a way that the content is easily readable. The content should be to the point and must not have unnecessary information. These are easily tossed somewhere by customers if they do not find relevant information on them.
- Designing Billboards / Print advertisements: With changing times, it is essential to evolve and come up with great content for this category. Some out of the box thinking coupled with insightful designs can go a long way. Something that markets your products and passes a social message is a great idea for creating print ads and billboards.
- Designing Product & Packaging: Last but not the least, the product itself and its packaging are the centres of our agenda here. If your product’s appearance speaks for itself, there is no going back. Same goes for packaging. This is even more important because people create perceptions about what is inside just by looking at the packaging! For obvious reasons, a lot of effort and thought goes into the designing of a product.
There is a constant need to rediscover your marketing strategies every now & then. What is popular today might be out-dated at the blink of an eye. In such a situation, your designs can make a lasting impression on consumers. Designs either create or destroy an opportunity. The choice, however, lies in your hands.
