"Everything is designed. Few things are designed well."

– Brian Reed

by Danetta Smith

Everything surrounding you is designed… the shirt you’re wearing… the pen on your desk... even the coffee cup you brought into work. Design says a lot about your company, your product, and your services. With design being so important to a company’s image, it should be planned, show professionalism, and be easy to follow from start to finish.

Planned.

Every design has a purpose. Whether it is selling a product or service, presenting information, or sharing your company’s latest achievements, the design needs to be planned. Typically, people read from left to right and top to bottom. Therefore, the placement of the most important elements within the design should reflect this knowledge. Without planning, the most important elements in the design could go unnoticed.

Professionalism.

Consumers tend to view a company a little higher if they appear to be the best in the market. If the designs associated with the company show professionalism, the consumer may be more likely to spend or invest their money with your company. If your designs look cheap and overlooked by the company, you may miss out on an opportunity with someone completely.

Easy to Follow.

Whether it be print collateral, email marketing, or your website, every design should be easy to follow. The design should allow people to easily read from one section to the next or find exactly what they are looking for. Design should be “clutter-free”. Cluttered spaces in design can overwhelm people and cause them to quit looking at what your company has to offer.

So what is effective design?

Effective design should grab attention but make people feel comfortable at the same time. Effective design should represent the company well. There are millions of ways that a company can be represented with design. However the most effective designs meet the company’s goals and produce results that are desired.