I can already hear you thinking, “Oh, sure she thinks graphic design is important, she’s a graphic designer!” And you are not wrong! Who would I be to shoot myself in the foot and talk badly about my profession? But just hear me out and listen to why you shouldn’t put graphic design on the backburner for your business. If you are still on the fence about whether you should invest in professionally designed ads, brochures or banners, just read my ode to graphic design to the end.

It Creates Lasting Impressions 

Let me take you back a couple of years to the roots of my love for design. When I was about two years old, my grandfather had just sealed something in our garage with tar, and the bucket with the brush was still standing there. In an unobserved moment, I wandered out there and started decorating the recently painted white walls with tar… Needless to say, when my grandparents and parents realized what I was up to, they weren’t particularly happy and probably didn’t appreciate my creative work at the time. All the marks on the wall are long gone, but I occasionally still hear about them today. Not that my brush strokes were a work of art back then, but they definitely left a lasting impression. 

Can you remember a time you saw a billboard or a commercial and thought it was really eye-catching or funny? Can you still remember it today? Everyone remembers at least one commercial or billboard. The right design paired with a great idea, story or emotion can leave a lasting impression and make people smile or cry. Graphic design is a powerful tool to make people connect emotionally with a subject. The use of different colors or fonts alone can have a great effect on the overall perception of a design. 

It Makes an Impact

Graphic design works like a megaphone — it emphasizes the message and makes it  heard and seen, loud and clear. I love the power of typography, pictures, colors and composition to visualize a message. Sometimes content can be very complicated and confusing to people who aren’t experts. By designing the content visually, you get the chance to break down the words, pull out key messaging or enhance text with pictures, illustrations or graphic elements to help people comprehend your message. In other words, you can make plain and boring words come to life, so they get the attention they deserve! A pleasing design attracts the viewer’s attention and opens the door for the content. Without content, there wouldn’t be anything to design. A well-designed brochure might not change the world, but if the design helps a company get their message across to be seen and heard by more people, it has made an impact. Even if people claim they can’t tell good design from bad design, I think they know it when they see it. If you feel a design is engaging and you get the vibe or message by not even reading the fine print, it’s probably a winner.

It Gets You Recognized

Your website, social media and collateral (logo, brochures, flyers) are your number one communication tools to the public. They should all go hand in hand and speak the same design language. If you stay consistent with everything you put out to your potential customers, over time people will start recognizing your brand. Getting recognized and standing out from the crowd will help you acquire and also retain customers. Graphic design is the key to building a brand identity. (Read more about “The Value of Having a Consistent Brand Identity” here.)

Whether you already have a website, social media channels and brochures for your business, or are just starting out, it’s never too late or too early to improve on your graphic design game. 

Don’t Miss Out 

I hope I convinced you by now that graphic design is important and that you are truly missing out on potential customers if you think a brochure made on the fly with Microsoft Word will work for your business in the long run. You are a professional at what you do, but you also need to be seen as a professional by the public. If all the flyers and ads you put out there look unprofessional, that will reflect badly on your business. If you have a company, or are selling a product, you shouldn’t think twice about hiring a professional graphic designer to give your collateral the finishing touches. You care about your company and we care about making you look good, so let’s get started!