Why good graphic design is essential for business

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Graphic design is more than just about making things look nice. Graphic design is the main method of communication between your business and your audience. The power it has over how the public define you should never be underestimated.

There are dozens of reasons why good design is important for any business but here are Ripple’s top five.

1. First impression

As the old adage goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Good graphic design is important for any business wanting to make a positive and lasting impression. The first time a potential customer interacts with your brand they will automatically form an opinion of your company and it will immediately set the tone for the rest of your business relationship.

The first time a prospective client encounters your company could well be via an item of your branded media such as a business card, your website, a flyer, a social media post, your products or even your packaging. The design and quality of these will instantly establish whether you are perceived as a professional operation or shoddy amateurs, and therefore determine whether they contact you or dismiss you.

It’s that quick and yes, it’s really that simple.

Potential customers will judge a business in just a few seconds based on visual appeal alone.

2. Professionalism

With the majority of the population these days owning a computer, and with all of the free online design tools that are currently available, it’s hardly surprising that so many people think that they have everything they need to do it all themselves. Sadly, merely buying an expensive Mac and creating a Canva account does not make a person a professional designer, in the same way that buying a state-of-the-art kitchen will not suddenly turn you into a Michelin star chef.

Professional design is a specialism that requires skill, expertise and experience. With that comes the knowledge of what works, and more importantly what doesn’t work. High-quality graphic design gives a business credibility and authority. Potential customers will judge a business in just a few seconds based on visual appeal alone. You could have the best product in the world, but if your branding isn’t right and/or you use poor design to promote your business, it will cast an unfavourable light on your company and you run the risk of potential clients going elsewhere.

Think of your design as your shop front. If your business was on the local high street and your premises were untidy and unwelcoming, it is highly likely that any prospective customers would keep walking until they came across a business that had the correct appeal.

You could have the best product in the world, but if your branding isn’t right, you run the risk of potential clients going elsewhere.

Catherine Halliday

3. Appropriate Branding

The initial impression people usually make of your brand is when they first see your logo which needs to be created with your target audience in mind as well as representing your company in an attractive and professional way. The tone must be appropriate for the type of business and it will also have to work across a range of print and digital media including business cards, brochures and websites and work in harmony with your social media profiles.

Professional design will accurately represent your brand and evoke the correct image in customers’ minds. It should give people a feel for what a business is about even if they’ve never heard of it before. It should portray the company’s values, mission and personality. This can never be achieved by using a clipart logo or bad execution and poor planning.

Never under estimate the power of good design and branding, even if your business is just you!

Catherine Halliday

4. Communication

Graphic design communicates more than just words to your audience. Even simple design elements like font choice, layout, placement and colour palettes can help to portray an emotion or feeling that supports your message.

Branding makes a company memorable, and solid graphic design provides branding consistency across every visual, customer-facing aspect of a business. This way, customers have the same experience visiting a company’s website as they do reading its brochure. Consistency in communication symbolizes professionalism, and professionalism symbolizes trustworthiness. While the message of all the graphics in your business will differ slightly, they should all tell the same story about your brand. Having a branding guide in place will help you choose design elements that tell the same story and keep the look of your brand consistent. Whether you’re a solo-preneur selling homemade jewellery on Etsy, or part of multi-million dollar e-commerce operation, your business has a story to tell.

5. Doing things on the cheap will cost more!

It is a common misconception that saving money on design will benefit your business by keeping costs down. This is completely untrue - in fact, it is the exact opposite. Bad design will undoubtedly show your products in unfavourable light and is highly likely to deter potential customers. Bad design can cost your reputation, and having to correct that will undeniably cost more in the long run.

Investing in good design will always benefit your business. The most successful companies know that great design pays back more than it costs - and that’s priceless.