Tips from a Graphic Designer

Many new business owners make the mistake of thinking they can save money by designing their own logos, branding and business collateral by themselves. Just having a computer and perhaps a small design program like Publisher, doesn't mean you possess design skills to design well.

Even though it is tempting to save money, I think in the long run, designing your own business collateral can be a big mistake. First impressions are everything in business, and a poorly designed logo, business card, promotional signage, etc, can reflect poorly on you and your business. A professional logo and business card can make or break a potential deal with a prospective client.

Graphic Designers have the education and experience to create the look you wish to achieve. The use of color, fonts, style, contrast, balance, etc., along with an artistic eye will give your business branding the professional look you need to compete with your competition.

Designers also have the industry standard software to create designs in formats acceptable for any type of use, web, print, specialty formats, etc. You'll find that you are very limited with a software like Publisher and will find many printers and companies that can't open your files or use them for professional printing jobs.

Current graphic design software costs between $1200 and $1800 depending on your needs and there is a steep learning curve before you can achieve those professional results.

However, for those of you who are determined to do your own design, you'll find tips, books and products to educate yourself about the basics to help you on your design journey.

Communicating a message though the use of color is complicated, as color preferences and meanings associated with particular colors can be different cross-culturally.

For example, the color purple conveys mourning in Thailand, and royalty in Europe. Europeans and Americans associate the color white to marriage, angels and peace. However, in Japan it relates to mourning; in China, to death and in India, to unhappiness.

"Marketing research shows that
over 80% of our visual information
is related to color, making color
a powerful element in design."

In advertising, knowing your target market and/or using combinations of different colors can help overcome these cultural differences.

In addition to having an emotional influence, colors can influence a physical reaction. For example, warm colors (reds, yellows, oranges) will attract and hold attention opposed to the cooler colors (blues, greens).

Red
Passion, Energy, Love, Violence, Leadership

Pink
Romance, Calming, Peace, Sweetness

Blue
Wisdom, Formality, Trust, Loyalty

Green
Success, Hope, Freshness, Healing, Harmony

Yellow
Intelligence, Joy, Warmth, Caution, Optimism

Purple
Spiritual power, Mystery, Extravagance, Magic

Black
Protection, Sophistication, Elegance, Wealth, Power

Pay attention to the colors around you. Notice your own reaction to specific colors that you see. Are you attracted to a specific combination of colors? Which ones make you feel positive? Which ones attract your attention?

When you look through your lens, notice the composition of your subject matter.
Does your subject look natural instead of 'arranged' or 'posed'?

A natural or relaxed looking photo is more appealing. Whether you are shooting people or scenery, be aware of the way the elements within the frame fit together as a composition.

For outdoor photography, the best time of day to take photographs is before 10 am and after 3 pm. The light is bright but not glaring and your subjects look warmer, richer and have more depth than if the sun was directly overhead. Overcast days are great for outdoor photography as the colors will be more saturated. If you are photographing people, make sure neither you or your subject are looking directly into the sun.

If you need to use a flash to fill in shadows on your subject's face, here is a trick I've used. To soften the effect of a bright flash. take a white coffee filter, cut a piece off and wrap it around your popup flash. Tape it , so that once it is fitted correctly, you can reuse it.

The flash provides plenty of light but you won't get the red eye or burnout spots from a bright reflecting flash.

Don't be afraid to move around, change position and see how the view looks through your lens. Don't center your subject in the middle of the picture. Try an angle, a view from above or below,a close-up of an element or a side shot. Experiment and take lots of pictures. The more images the better. You can always delete what you don't like.

Be aware of your surroundings and be creative!

Before you hire a designer, you should be prepared with your content and ideas so that you 'hit the ground running'.

Give your designer a clear picture of what you would like to accomplish. Have all your written content, product descriptions, any images of your products, color preferences and clearly express your goals. Your designer will work with you to organize and optimize your information to achieve your vision.

You'll find more tips on my website/blog