Visual Communication Strategy

As a graphic designer I am always mindful how important visual representation is. How your company is perceived is more often determined by your marketing collateral than any other thing short of direct interaction and word of mouth. What constitutes this visual representation includes but is not limited to:

• Website                       Product Packaging                                 Commercials
• Business Cards            Store and Office Uniforms/Attire              Print Advertising
• Signage                       Invoices and Statements                        Company Newsletter
• Brochure                      Postcards                                              Social Media Pages 
• Pamphlets                    Emails                                                  Office Architecture
• Flyers                          Billboards

Many of you may have been surprised by the inclusion of attire and office architecture. Pause and think how many times you have driven to a place of business and had an immediate reaction to what the company is like based on the building condition, design and location. Are they conservative, flamboyant, lazy, reserved, cautious, trendy, traditional or modern? Such inferences determine what we will expect before the first word is ever spoken and attire is no different. How you present yourself professionally is perhaps one of the largest indicators of your business style and/or what you deem as important. This doesn't mean that it requires wearing Armani slacks to do oil changes. What it does mean is that one must consider a healthy balance between appropriateness, practicality and making a statement consistent with your visual communication strategy. 

The visual style of your business tells your prospective customer more about you than you realize. Consider your invoice design. Is is plain or detailed? Is it itemized with every phase of the project or product? How are your business cards? Are they on flimsy stock or are they thick and shiny with fancy graphics? Will it show that you spared no expense which might be seen as wasteful if you're a street hotdog vendor? Or sparing no expense on business cards might be considered normal for a Wall Street broker? It can say a great deal about your company before words are ever spoken. 

Whatever the state of your visual communication materials, the first thing to consider is the perceptual effect it will have on your customers and the public in general. You also have to consider whether or not you're maximizing its effectiveness and your ROI. I often think of product packaging and labeling on this point. I've seen the same product packaged and labeled differently to appease the taste and preferences of the market served; one package with different colors, typeface and styling sold to different ethnic groups. There is nothing illegal about it. It is simply maximizing your visual communication strategy by capitalizing on racial and ethnic diversity. Many large corporations have done this by making their websites in different languages with layouts, colors, and a user interface that addresses the preferences of a specific group. This is maximizing your visual strategy simply by being mindful of diversity.

The next time you have postcards designed, consider having one set in Chinese or the other in Spanish reflecting the colors, layout and visual tastes of the different groups. Tread carefully here. The last think you want to do is offend. Consult with a marketing professional before doing any grand ad campaigns without gathering all facts first. The last thing you want to do is make grand generalizations about anyone. All things being equal, you will be pleasantly shocked about how much feedback and responsiveness you get for simply considering and respecting the visual perceptiveness of one group or another. Frankly, I love designing postcards. It has more real estate than a business card to showcase your products and services. They are inexpensive to mail, and relatively inexpensive to produce. It's a great way to let people know who and what your business does without having to physically meet and hand your business card to them all. 

Visual communication is all about perception. Whether it's a business card or postcard, flyer or poster, it's important to engage your audience in a way that positively reflects your organization's objectives and values. 

Branding Yourself

It's amazing if you sit briefly and think about how surrounded we are by visual communications. Billboards, flyers, posters, logos, websites, product packaging and labeling. Even fashion and industrial design is all a summation of studies of consumer psychology, trend watching, and determining what will appeal to mass audiences and/or specific markets. While it may be argued that we're on the cusp of information and visual overload, it's incontrovertible that we all have a need for graphic design and photographic services.

Visual imagery is one of the defining characteristics that we use to separate and distinguish one product from another. Product packaging and branding helps organizations build brand identity and grow market share. Corporations spend millions trying to determine which color might incite an interests or pleasant responsiveness to their products and services. While even more money is spent attempting to ascertain what shape a product should be or how much is too much on a website design. You may not have known that certain colors on products aren't received well in other countries. Companies have had to shift or alter their visual identity to permeate new and foreign markets. Ideally, the goal is to create a perception of value; a perception that separates one organization from another, one product or service from another and passing those perceptive benefits down to you, the end user.

But what does this have to do with you personally? EVERYTHING!! You, like everything else around, is a brand; an identity that you have the ultimate control over. Your look, your reputation, and your general first impression. If you're an executive your corporate picture is important. Your online professional profile is representative of who you are as a person. It shows your work ethic and your attentiveness to detail and precision. If you're a real estate agent you have to stand out. You need to create a persona of professionalism and success at your job.

In today's job market your identity has to be strong. Create an image and historical profile of yourself that represents you positively that helps you to stand out. Create an online presence that identifies you as someone to be trusted and able to accept responsibility.

So branding and identity is not just about products, it's also about you and me. Imagery translates across media and bridges over context. Make sure your context is appropriate and applicable. Make sure you're saying everything you want to say about you is visible and accurate. Who says a business card has to be for people that own or work for a business? We all have to market ourselves today more than ever. Do you have a business card? If so, what identity are you conveying? Think about giving yourself an edge.

Get help working on a profile picture or get help designing a web site to promote yourself or your business. Consult with a marketing specialist on how you start creating a brand identity for yourself and your small business idea. If you're seeking employment, consider starting an at home business and find out what it takes to market your services and what resources it takes to start branding. If you have plans to work for an organization, consider how much stronger your identity will be if a prospective employer can find positive information about you.