This post is a continuation of graphic design tip #35 in our article “101 Graphic Design Tips for Business Success.“

Design Is Not All About Pretty

Design is not only about creating something pretty, it’s about making people respond. There is a pure psychology around design and it goes hand in hand with marketing. You are expecting a certain response from what you do. You are helping words along. You are the ends to a mean.

Never forget that you are the vehicle for your client’s ideas and sometimes the sole point of contact to their clients and potential clients. Take the time out to search for answers to all the questions you need to fulfill your task.

Start out by asking some fundamental questions:

• Who are their competitors?
• How do they differ from their competitors?
• What is their company mission?
• Do they have brand standards?
• Who are their customers?
• How do they contact them?
• How do they sell to them?
• How do they track leads and potential customers?

Understand The Customer And Give Them A Perfect Design

You are essentially setting your client up for a blind date with their future business. Feel out both sides and make suggestions based on your expertise. Learn their approval process and create a template for presenting them concepts that relate and answer the questions above.

Selling is a key element; their selling style will greatly affect any marketing piece that you produce. Schedule an interview with one of your client’s main salesman to present to you their process. This information can be very valuable.

If you understand the customer, their needs, their competition, and their industry, you will be able to be creative with that knowledge and supply them with the perfect design.