As graphic designers, we have to communicate the brand’s message across to its consumers. There are many ways to do this – banners, postcards, stationery design, logos, mascots, brochures, and information packs are a few nameable mediums. To create an effective design, you have to understand the nuances of the sales message and use this information to create a visual design that is able to engage the viewer with the design and call to action buttons. Rather than focusing on immediate sales, it is important to focus on building a long-term strategy that would bring value and high return on investment. People tend to buy products from a trusted source so being able to build a relationship with the brand collateral is as important as bringing in immediate sales.Marketing your designs effectively is a skill that can be honed with time, patience and effort.
When creating the look and feel of a design, designers study the layout, color, schematics, content, typography, patterns and repetition. Using these design elements they create a cohesive and harmonious content that is able to guide the viewer through the information. When done right, this can raise the brand awareness and in effect bring in a valuable revenue.
When you are starting out your career in the creative industry, it is important to showcase work that not only shows your talent and technical skills as a designer but also emphasizes your thought process and who you are as a person. A good portfolio often tells a story about design and your relationship with it. Employers come across a variety of portfolios on a daily basis, how are you going to make yours unique?
Your projects often speak for themselves when it comes to your abilities as a designer. It should tell the employer that you are capable of producing work that is at par with your peers when it comes to creating refined and down to the last detail work. Use ‘less is more’ approach when it comes to what you want to show. It would make sense to include 5 of your best work instead publishing all your projects just to fill up space. Employers would much rather see your best work and understand the hows and whys of each than 5 excellent work mixed in with 5 mediocre projects.
Besides including designs that would appeal to a professional clientele. It is useful to include projects that you are passionate about, it could be work that you have done outside of your design classes. This could even be an experimental project that you care about as long as it defines the direction you want to take in the next step of your career. It is important for your portfolio to showcase a clear vision of what you want to do as a designer. If you are looking to design websites, make sure to include samples of work you have done in this regard. Ultimately the employer must be able to get a sense of what matters to you.
Flyers are a great and easy way to promote your business. A well-designed flyer can grab the users attention and hold it long enough for them to act on it. It is an important part of marketing strategy and when done well can bring in immediate sales and brand recognition.
For a flyer to stand out in a crowded marketplace, it has to be well designed— this would mean that the designer has to be skilled enough to choose the right font, artwork, and color to create a compelling visual. If you are a business owner, you would want your customers to pay attention to the content on the flyer and take action.
Style of a flyer is usually determined by the designer. It would largely depend on the needs and goals of the client. It could be big, bold and vibrant or simple, with minimal use of color. We have accumulated a collection of flyers and 10 creative ways to make it stand out. Hopefully, this gives you the inspiration you need to make a flyer that would stand out for your next project.
As a freelance designer, you don’t get a job – you have to make one. It is a challenge to build your personal brand and stand out in a crowded internet marketplace. Here are some ways designers can find freelance clients and build their personal brand on the side.
As graphic designers, we are constantly looking to learn and refine our skill sets. The wealth of inspiration and knowledge that can be found in a good book is usually incomparable to the readily available content on the internet. Whether you are an established design professional or a beginner who is looking to learn new skills, we recommend this list of 12 inspiring graphic design books to fuel that creative spark.
The speed of your website means more than just convenience for visitors. Site speed can make or break the success of your website. Without acceptable page load times, visitors will become impatient and leave your site, or worse yet, not hang around to give you a first glance.
Slow site speed is seen as a major red flag. So much so that search engines, like Google, will drop your site down in rank to provide their users with a quicker solution to the information they are seeking. Beyond simply inconveniencing visitors, slow site speed may significantly affect many related factors like UX, bounce rates, SEO and overall site traffic.
