After meeting the graphic designer, the client was mesmerized by the skill the designer demonstrated and the academic credentials the designer had. After looking through the designer’s portfolio and seeing the number of academic degrees the designer had, the client was more than convinced that the designer was up to the challenge. The client was most impressed by the broad range of visual style and the mastery of technology used to create such incredible images; a mastery the designer proudly proclaimed he acquired going to the best design school.
The client hired the designer after a single meeting. The task was to create a logo that would capture the organization’s personality, what the company stood for, its mission and its social responsibility. The design is to be timeless as logos should be and be an image that can immediately gain brand equity and visibility. It is to show the company’s humor while being conservative enough for its shareholders. The designer set to the task and got to work creating the most beautiful work of his career.
Once the design was submitted to the client, the client gasped in exuberant elation of how incredible the artistry was; how the designer set the colors so well against a background waterfall; and how the unicorn looks so ethereal against a sky of flying angels. The client and the designer both proudly shook hands and concluded their business.
Six months later the company has no logo on their products. The product has yet to reach the market because the design has been framed and used as a piece of art in the client’s office. As beautiful as it is it could not be transferred to the company’s product. Despite how breathtaking the art was the client asks himself everyday since - what a mermaid riding a unicorn from underneath a waterfall as angels fly overhead has to do with selling potato chips. The answer was nothing.
The designer knew his technology well. The designer knew how to create masterful images using the most contemporary applications available. What the designer did not understand was his client’s business. The designer did not understand marketing strategy and consumer psychology. The designer did not understand return on investment (ROI). The designer did not know who his client’s competition was. The designer failed to investigate what market segmentation was or what market his client serves.
Graphic design is as diverse a field as any. Designers, particularly freelance designers see themselves as partners of their client on every job. They often operate their own companies and they understand what is at stake. They consider the most effective visual communication’s strategy in addition to demonstrating a mastery of artistic skill. They also know that they’re only as good as their last job because their reputation is the best and only advertising they have or need.
Graphic Design represents a plethora of disciplines including but not limited to page layout, product designers, large format advertisers, image editors, magazine designers, multimedia producers, webpage designers, photographers, illustrators, etc. Many are traditionalists who utilize the most basic of techniques with very little use of technology. They might be freehand artisans or painters while others are image editors utilizing the most advanced software technology. Some of the best designers understand business. They understand markets and psychology. The most successful designers understand people and they listen to what their clients want while also understanding what they need. They know that a visual communication message must be transferable to different media. It must be consistent and meaningful but it must also be relevant and effective.
Many graphic designers have niche markets they serve where they are able to demonstrate their skill most effectively as they often have backgrounds or specialties from certain industries from previous jobs. These designers have a broader insight on what is and what is not effective design. Despite a designer’s level of academic clout it is important to choose a designer that listens and demonstrates that he/she has a keen understanding of your organizational objectives. Choose a designer you’re comfortable working with because a great graphic designer knows that it is as much about people as it is business.
The aforementioned designer went on to design a website where the waterfall moves and the angels fly but no one has yet to buy potato chips from a mermaid riding on the back of a unicorn from underneath a waterfall hovered over by angels.
That was a very funny way of putting it. There should have been more meetings or disscussions on strategies or whatever venue that might work for both the designer and the client. I mean the designer will not know what the client wants unless there has been disucssions on the product line or simple suggestion "I want you to desgin something that is catchy, and appealing to the marketing and or advertising ploy. I want you to make sure you have my brand or my company product in the desgin." That is simple. Maybe then the designer will do some homework on marketing and advertising as well as other competitors. I mean, its as simple as...duh.
ReplyDeleteAs a designer, I feel professionally obligated to make sure I understand what my client's needs are. A professional knows what their limitations are. That extends to knowing when to back down, to admit when you don't understand, and in the worse case scenario turning down a job because you may not be able to meet their needs. You always listen to your client and do what in their interests and sometimes that means recommending another designer.
ReplyDeleteAll designers aren't created equal and some aren't qualified to be marketers, salespersons, media specialist, or promoters while very few are. Many are unparalleled artist and visionaries but many do not have business backgrounds at all. Some designers simply draw, sketch, illustrate, do CGI, do digital illustrations, develop for the web, focus on print design, package or product design, paint, edit images, etc. Getting the right designer for the right job is the most important step of the process. The designer should be professional and responsible enough not to step beyond their abilities of technical expertise or business knowledge. Finding someone you're comfortable with that talks your talk and understands the dynamics of your organization is perhaps the best choice; a designer willing to do research on your company and your market demographics. But know that all designers do not provide this level of service.