What Makes Great Graphic Design?
By Patricia Belyea / Guest Columnist
Media, Inc / 3rd Quarter 2003
Let's start at the beginning. If there is no strategy - no goals or objectives - there is no graphic design. If the deliverable is not expected to produce results, the final piece is fine art.
Graphic design is a commercial art form. There is a buyer or client who commissions a design team to develop a project. Large or small, what is created is the product of a well-defined process combined with creativity, smarts and sound management.
Great design equals great results. It sings its siren song - persuading, educating, motivating or inspiring its target audience - and produces a tangible response.
To succeed, a graphic design masterpiece - whether printed or on-line-needs to get the messaging right. This means the words, and much more. Images, materials, physical scale, level of finish, colors, font choices and other details contribute to the viewer's understanding of the messaging.
How does a designer produce this great work? By partnering with a great client. There are two types of clients who do not engender great design:
The first type of client sees the design team as subordinates - essentially as design slaves whose job is to just produce the work. This lack of respect does not induce a positive outcome.
The second knows exactly what s/he wants. It is impossible for others, no matter how talented, to read a person's mind and be their hands.
The best approach is for a client to share the strategy of the project and what s/he wants to accomplish. By partnering with professionals, the client can direct the development of materials that exceed anything s/he could possibly dream up.
Remember that the success of brilliant design is dependent on the messaging being right. When a design team works with a new client, an extensive amount of time is spent in research and learning.
Sessions with top executives and people on the front line produce insights into the workings and personality of the organization. An audit of existing materials reveals what is valuable and what no longer applies. A review of the competition uncovers opportunities to differentiate and lead, and avoids look-alikes.
Listening to the target audience is also key. One-on-one phone interviews with existing, potential, and lost clients contribute to understanding the customers' needs and wants. If the scope of work and budget allow, focus groups are also highly useful.
Pulling it all together is the design team's job. The project writer organizes, analyzes and simplifies all the information gleaned from the different sources. The designer, working in tandem with the writer, builds a visual vocabulary to express the message. The final design is genuine, fresh and distinctive, as well as compelling.
Will the deliverable match the client's expectations? If both the client and the design team have worked closely together, there are no surprises. That is, except the pleasant surprise that the final piece is "so right on."
Great design works hard. It does its job with aplomb. It makes the client happy by getting results. And it makes the client look great, too.
Patricia Belyea is founding principal and Creative Director of Belyea, a graphic design firm specializing in branding and marketing programs. She can be reached at patricia@belyea.com or 206-682-4895.