Recently, a client shared her amazement at how I had pulled together the many elements of her project into a coherent and on-target design. It almost sounded like she thought what I did was magic!
I won’t lie—sometimes I wish I could simply wave a magic wand, and ta-da!—brilliant work appears. But as a marketing-savvy designer, I know that the real trick to achieving a successful outcome is to let marketing strategy inform the design process, as it did with my client’s project. That’s how the magic happens.
Do you want design that astounds and amazes? Here are some tips:
Don’t hide the “Why” up your sleeve.
For designers to “work their magic,” they need a thorough understanding of what they will be visually communicating. I’m a big believer in the saying, “The only dumb question is the unasked one.” The more I know about a project, the better I am at developing a creative solution that delivers the desired results. Because my client clearly communicated her marketing strategy—the “why” of her project—to me at the start, I was able to deliver a design that successfully met the project’s goals and objectives.
Make “Communication” your magic word.
One of the values I look to share with my clients is agreeing that open communication is essential to a successful collaboration. This is why it’s important to give your designer the full project background before they dive in. While a lack of communication can often lead to trouble down the road, sharing your marketing vision and expectations upfront makes it more likely you’ll get the design solutions you want and need. (And from a practical point of view, the more clarity from the start, the less time wasted in multiple rounds of revisions.)
It’s no illusion—you benefit from making your designer your creative partner.
Marketing-savvy designers know how to create designs that help solve challenging business problems. In a world that’s becoming ever more dependent on visual communication, we take complex ideas and turn them into strategic, targeted visuals that deliver results. When you make your designer a real partner on your project, they can play a critical role in helping you build your brand and grow your business.
Ready for your own ta-da moment?
If you’re looking for magic from your next marketing project, be sure your design is guided by marketing strategy. And if you need mission-driven, engaging print and digital design that inspires action and delivers results—let’s connect!
Infinite Blue Creative provides creative design services to busy education, nonprofit, and small business marketing communication professionals.