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Tips For Businesses

What Should A Small Business Owner Design Themesleves?

January 31, 2018February 6, 2018 MadisonCarrDesigns

A mountain of books are precariously piled on your desk, illuminated by the blue glow of your overworked laptop. Each one is a deep well of knowledge, helping to guide you down the treacherous path of entrepreneurship. This is how you’ve built your empire: figuring things out on your own. As a business owner, you’ve become the Lord of DIY. You’ve conquered such monsters as contract drafting, social media marketing, copyrights and patents.

But now, as you need a mailer made to advertise your new service, you question if it’s wise to down countless hours in battle with Photoshop. Those hours could better be spent reaching new customers, catching up on your bills, or taking a much overdue brain-break in front of Netflix. How do you know when it’s time to start outsourcing design work? Can you keep trying to do it yourself?

This is the internal war waging within all small business owners. When building your business from the ground up, you get rather used to doing everything yourself. But there’s a point where you need to hand the reigns over to another professional, one that is skilled and trained with a teacher other than a stack of “Dummy Guides.”

There are already so many obstacles to overcome in running a business, do yourself a favor and don’t be one of them.  

A required disclaimer: As a professional designer, I’m required to say the following: You should always hire a professional designer to design everything.

But as a small business owner, I’m also inclined to say: you can (and should) learn how to do some graphics by yourself. So let’s cover how you can gauge what you can conquer on your own and what you should definitely outsource!

The Level of Client Interaction 

The first thing to look at is how often is your client going to interact with it. A good rule of thumb is internal graphics can be created in-house, external graphics should be outsourced. How your timesheets look won’t in anyway influence your client’s perception of your brand. But your logo? That’s going to be seen by EVERYONE, and it will be around for a LONG time (fingers crossed.)

So let’s apply that to a project like a mailer. We’ll pretend we have a bakery in town, eager to let everyone know that their pies will be 50% off next month. They plan on printing 10,000 of them, so that means at least 10,000 eyes are going to see them. They’ll also be paying some decent money to get them before those people. The owner decides that since she has a free trial of Photoshop, she can absolutely create the mailer herself. And the journey of mistakes is begun… 

There is a very real chance that because she has no training in design, she’ll end up printing 10,000 mailers that don’t do their job. This could be because there’s a lack of hierarchy, the text is distorted and stretched and hard to read, the graphics are generic and don’t demand any attention, and the list could go on and on.

 

Now what if she hired a designer? She’ll be paying for some who is trained to effectively communicate through visual elements. Which means they’re going to design a mailer that catches your audience’s attention, properly displays the critical information you’ve paid to put out in the world, and conveys a sense of professionalism and quality that you want associated with your brand.

I know I’m SLIGHTLY more attentive to design than the everyday consumer, but everyone is heavily influenced by design in their buying habits, consciously or not. It’s been scientifically proven that you have 7 seconds to make a good first impression. When I receive a piece of mail advertising a business, I immediately draw conclusions about that business based on the design alone. If it’s clean and clear to understand, I’ll assume the business is professional and organized. If it’s crammed full of clip art, and it takes me thirty seconds to figure out just what I’m supposed to read, I’ll assume the business is cluttered and unprofessional.

Now these things could be a hundred miles off, but if all I have to go on is my initial impression of the kind of mailers they put out, that’s what I’m going to use to determine my feelings towards the business. But the more positive impression I have, the more willing I am to take action.

Using this logic, I think there’s ample argument that a logo is something you should ABSOLUTELY outsource. It’s the face of your company, and whether you know it or not, you draw major conclusions about a company based on its logo alone.  

The Complexity of The Project 

 

The fewer ways there are to mess something up, the more okay it is for you to tackle it yourself. It’s pretty hard (but sadly not impossible,) to fail at putting five words on a colored background. But there are a million ways to screw up a website! 

I think small business owners should absolutely try to generate their own social media images. There are a ton of tools out there to help them. (Canva is one of the most popular.) Social media images are simple, don’t require money to be put out in the world, and aren’t as deeply impactful or long lasting as most other graphics in your business.

Hiring a social media manager who produces high quality images and posts can definitely boost your sales and interactions, but in the early stages of a business, it is possible to adequately manage them yourself. 

On the other side of the spectrum is website design and branding. Although Squarespace tries to convince you that you can do it yourself, if at all possible, I suggest you hire a web designer and developer. And if you want to move away from the templates provided and try to build a site yourself, I virtually grasp your hand, look deep into your eyes, and plead with you to resist. In the digital age, your website is quite possibly the MOST influential interaction your client has with your business, so for the love of all good things, please hire a professional!

And to touch back on a previous point, your company’s brand and visual identity is the most prominent graphic attached to your business. Just because logos seem small and easy to make, they are one of the most difficult visual elements to successfully design. As a branding focused designer, I have to hit this point a few times.

Pay good money for a good logo. It’s worth it a thousand fold.

A sum of all we’ve covered is that everything can be designed well, but not everything has to be. Some additional notes to drive the point home:

– Invoices are meant to be more functional than pretty. As long as your client knows how much to pay, it’s done its job. I’m sure Nike has invoices that are unmistakably Nike, but that’s a business expense that is far down the road for every small business.

– Billboards are mean to convey a message. If it’s not designed well, it can’t do its job. 

– You want to turn your sweet Subaru into a marketing machine? Car magnets are $40 on Vistaprint, all you do is make sure your business name is spelled right. You can conquer this one!

– Although they’re only 3.5 in. X 2 in., business cards are vitally important in networking. If you want anything more than your business name and logo on it, find a designer. (Most designers are willing to package business card designs into a logo project. Two birds, meet one stone!)

As a business owner, you’re used to doing things on your own. And some things can continue to be tackled in that manner. But as you can see, sometimes you need to hand over the reigns and give your business the best opportunity to succeed.

Tagged diy, entrepreneur, graphic design, logo, marketing, small business, websiteLeave a comment
Branding

Branding, Logo, Identity: Do They Mean The Same Thing? Part 2

November 15, 2017February 7, 2018 MadisonCarrDesigns

In last week’s post, we covered the basic definitions of branding, visual identity, and logo, and took a closer look at branding through athletic powerhouse, Nike. Let’s now move into the next word, and truly understand what a visual identity is and how your branding should affect it.

We learned from Nike that branding is an intangible entity; it’s the feelings and promise that consumers associate with a company. A visual identity, however, is the very tangible counterpart. A company’s visual identity is how consumers differentiate one product or service from another. It’s common to assume this responsibility solely lies on the logo. While the logo is the primary visual component of an identity, it’s by no means the only one. The logo will dictate all the other graphics used throughout the company, but shouldn’t be the only visual element created for a business.

Take a look at this diagram. The brand is over the entire company, and everything the company produces should point back to the brand. The visual identity is comprised of a logo, color scheme, fonts, and images. These are predetermined visual attributes that are then implemented into everything the company releases into the world.

You can see from the diagram that if a company is handled well, all of its tangible assets should fall under the visual identity. A great example of this is Coca-Cola. It’s primary competitor is Pepsi, but Coke is decisively winning the battle. “In 2011, Coke brand held 17 percent of the US soda market, followed by Diet Coke at 9.6 percent and Pepsi at 9.2 percent, according to Beverage Digest.” Despite the ongoing argument, the truth is the taste between the two isn’t worlds apart. In fact, they’re chemically nearly similar, and in most blind tests, people choose Pepsi over Coke.

So why is Coke the kingpin of the soda world? It starts with branding. Though people argue about taste preferences, almost no one denies that Coke has a superior brand position. That means they’ve established themselves as the better product. And they’ve gotten there in part because of their visual identity.

As you can see from this diagram, Coke’s brand can be boiled down to a few feelings and promises. They have really focused on tying human emotion to a soft drink. Capturing life’s moments is a very important stance for them, and it ties back to the history of Coke. Check out Coca-Cola’s own article outlining their history to get a great overview, but in a nutshell, their brand position began to take form in the 1970s, “when Coca‑Cola’s advertising started to reflect a brand connected with fun, friends and good times.” Coke might be one of the best companies at tapping into the phenomenon of nostalgia in their visual identity. The classic red and white logo is at the forefront, the fonts they use are timeless, and the images implemented into ads, campaigns, and their online presence often have a Polaroid-type filter.

Furthermore, they are consistent with their identity. Perusing through their social media, commercials, packaging, campaigns, etc., gives you a great concept of how integrated their visual identity is within the company. Coke can even now be recognized on the red and white colors alone.

But you’re probably not in the position to forego all visual elements except for two colors. That takes years and billions of marketing dollars. So what is the role of a visual identity for a small business? It’s the tangible elements that reinforce your company’s brand. Once you’ve shared your brand with your designer, they should respond with a logo, color choices, fonts, and images that reflect your brand.

This step is where gut-instinct is key. When you look at the work your designer delivers, does it bring the feelings and promises you want your company to convey? Grab some friends and family and ask them the same question. If you’re really prepared, find some people who fit your target demographic and see how they emotionally respond to the delivered graphics.

If you’re running a daycare, but your designer chose droll, monochromatic colors, you’re not going to feel happy, warm, or safe. If you run a gym targeting bodybuilders, but your designer opted to use a crazy font with curly cues, you’re not going to attract your ideal customers. Pinpointing your brand is vital to nailing the visual identity, otherwise you might end up scattered and misguided.

Now you might’ve started simply by wanting a logo, but hopefully you now have a better understanding of the role graphics play in your company. But your logo is still the primary graphic, and there are certain things to look for and pitfalls to avoid when hiring a designer and choosing a logo. We’ll tackle that monster in part 3, so please like, comment, share, and return next week!

Tagged brand position, branding, coca-cola, graphic design, logo, marketing, small business, visual identityLeave a comment
Branding

Branding, Logo, Identity: Do They Mean The Same Thing? (Part 1)

November 8, 2017February 7, 2018 MadisonCarrDesigns

No doubt you’ve come across these three buzzwords in the business world, but what are they and how do they impact your company? Whether you’re a start-up currently scouring the Internet to find a logo designer, or you’ve come to realize your company needs a rebrand, it’s vital to understand these three words and how they work together to help your business grow. In this post, we’ll cover the basic definition these terms, and then delve into the first one.

So first, a simple definition.

The common misunderstanding surrounding these terms can lead to confusion and misdirection within a company, as well as stifle communication between a company and their designer. Let’s delve a little deeper into each term so we can walk away with a clearer understanding of the world of “branding.”

The confusion begins with the interchanging usage of “logo” and “brand.” This stems from the origin of the term “brand.” In the old days, ranchers and farmers would brand their livestock with an image to distinguish their herds from others. That image became associated with the farmer, much like the Golden Arches has become synonymous with McDonald’s. This was the beginning of logo design. But since then, branding has evolved into a different form. A brand is no longer a single image; the term “logo” takes that definition. Instead, a brand has become an intangible entity.

Take Nike for example. In addition to having one of the most recognizable logos, it’s become the poster child for branding. It causes us to ask how is this company able to charge such enormous prices for athletic wear? Why do elite athletes crave sponsorships from them? Why can you go to any given gym and see a sea of swooshes?

 

It goes beyond a great logo. Nike has invested millions of marketing dollars into selling the public on one notion: The best wear Nike. Pop open another window in your browser and look through Nike’s social media platforms. You’ll find an abundance of stories about humans beating the odds, ascending to new heights, and pushing the limits. This is why Nike is the king of athletic apparel.

It begins with sponsorships: get the best athletes in the world to wear Nike apparel. From there, non-elite athletes see their idols sporting the swoosh and are compelled to purchase the same products. Then those of us, who are by no means athletes, have a desire to reach physical fitness and we tell ourselves to become the best, we must dress like the best. So we too drop enormous amounts of money on anything Nike.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Any well-branded company can be broken down into a single statement and an identifiable path of getting consumers to agree with that statement. Some examples:

Apple – Newest, superior technology.

Walmart – Lowest prices for everyday needs.

Starbucks – Gourmet coffee for everyone.

Yes, these are simple, and not always even true. But it’s the feeling or promise that springs to mind when we hear their name or see their logo.

Now journey from billion-dollar companies to your business. What does branding have to do with you? There’s often an idea in entrepreneurs’ minds that a company doesn’t need to worry about branding until they’ve “made it big.” But just because you’re not on the NY Stock Exchange doesn’t mean your business has no promise to your clients! No matter what product or service you sell, there should be something about you that compels your clients to choose you over the next guy. So find that thing, write it down, and bam! You have a brand. Define it and understand it. This is what you’ll need to present to your designer, so they can take you from having a brand to having a visual identity, which we’ll explore in next week’s post. 

Tagged branding, entrepreneur, graphic design, logo, small business, visual identityLeave a comment

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