Graphic Design Services - London, UK

How do graphic design services tie in with a company's positioning? We can take a look at a large corporate as a case study, to see what importance they attach to their logo design within their brand image.

According to the CISCO creative standards handbook "Positioning is how our company is viewed by others in our target marketplace. While we have goals for positioning ourselves, ultimately our position is what others think and say about us. We can, however, greatly influence how we are positioned by communicating to our external audiences in a clear and consistent way."

Within the handbook guidelines are given with respect to the writing style you should use when communicating with your customers, how the company tag line fits into the overall branding and positioning. And of course, the logo -

"The Cisco Systems logo is our signature to the world and must not be compromised. It is integral to our worldwide corporate identity."

The logo design used on the signage is the front end of the business presenting its shop front to passing customers...it certainly helps when it is clear exactly who you are.

The C in the signage is much clearer and bolder than the smaller,  multi-colored Y which does not impress itself within the better defined C. This had led to the confusing situation when at the first glance the storename can easily be misread, not the best start for sending an effective message.

 (image courtesy of http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2163652270026551357BYisaG ) 

A good designer must therefore be able to be creative within the framework laid down by the customer. Bubbling creativity is of no use without a sense of context and economic realism. A designer must be capable of focused working within financial and time limitations. This is the challenge, and it is one of the areas a good designer gets paid to master."

Jan Nielsen, Creative Manager, Kuhl+co

There are many great designers out there with artistic flair, creativity and innovative thinking - after all, we're some of them :)

An important challenge is to be able to manage that creativity and innovation within a business context. Though creativity is an important attribute, it is of no use if left without focus and not harnessed in a productive manner. It is important that any project involving heavy elements of graphic design should have clear milestones and agreed deliverables, set within fixed timescales. This type of management of talent comes with experience across several clients and industry types.

So not only is good graphic design about delivering an effective message, but for it to be practically viable in a business sense, creativity and innovation need to be managed within a controlled environment to ensure that the client's business goals are met.

Can just anyone come up with a graphic design suitable for purpose? After all, doesn't everyone have some art skills, to varying degrees? Graphic design is not a profession as such - its just a hobby someone is making money out of, isn't it? (by the way the answer is no, it isn't)

How many times have you seen a [small] business with a brand image designed by their spouse, nephew or [insert suitable relative with pretensions to artistic granduer here]?

Is it right?

Of course, if they have the necessary training or experience - no problem,

But if they don't - then the person who has trusted their brand image to them is either a huge gambler, or simply not that bothered...

The adage - if you want a job done properly, then get a professional to do it, is normally a pretty safe bet. 

The right place to start off exploring what makes good graphic design - would be to first restate what we mean by graphic design.

 So here goes with a defination as written by Jacci Howard Bear -

"Graphic design is the process and art of combining text and graphics and communicating an effective message in the design of logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual communication. "

As you can see - the definition pretty much encompasses the graphic design services put down in the last post.

The key issue to take from the definition would be "communicating an effective message" - the be all and end all of any design project.

Graphic Design is not simply an art form, created for aesthetic pleasure or simply for people to stare at and wonder whether their 3 year old could do any better and also make millions by having a drawing of a pink square on a blue background hung up in the Tate - it is not just about any type of communication.

No successful business owner  would commision a new brand identity simply to look pretty or impress the neighbours (note the keyword "successful"). Rather, the brand would be created in order to effectively communicate the service/ product/ added value being provided.

In other words, the message must be received at the other end.

So most definately - the first rule of Good Graphic Design - it has to communicate an effective message.