A lot of designers like to refer to their process; scribbles and thumbnail sketches and screen caps of Bezier curves. But there are steps that need to be taken before that process can begin. When building a house, you need blueprints to help you build a support structure first. Research is the blueprint to great graphic design.
Marketing research is an integral part in building a brand and developing a message.
Identifying the target audience, tone and mood of a campaign is the key to making it successful. These points set the guidelines for what how the final design should look and feel. Without these things, a message will never find it’s home.
There are many factors that need to be considered when developing a marketing strategy, and you can figure out most of them with basic questions. Depending on the length of your brands life and the scope of the project, some questions may be easier to answer than others.
Who?
Who are you targeting? Strategies for advertising to men and strategies for advertising to women are pretty different. Maybe you want use primary colors and basic shapes to appeal to kids and parents. Think of it this way: you can’t have a conversation if you don’t have anyone to talk to.
What?
What are you selling? Is it a product, an event or a cause? Different industries have different design trends. These trends cater to the style of the products and the people who frequently buy them. Imagine being a salesman and trying to sell a product you know nothing about.
When?
Are you advertising for the moment or pushing an ongoing campaign? Time-sensitive material can be conveyed in a different manner than ever-lasting campaigns. “Diamonds are forever” versus “This Friday night” are two vastly different approaches.
Where?
Location, location, location. Some global advertising campaigns will use different content in different locations to better connect with the audience there. You have to cater to the community you’re advertising to. Buying and selling is a partnership. Let your customers know that you care about them as much as you want them to care about you.
Why?
Why should the consumer care about your product or service? What does it do for them and how do you want them to feel? One step is to have a message, the next is to make the message stick. The designer is always thinking of what visual ques will most effectively get that message across.
How?
You need to outline how you want your audience to get involved. You can’t have a one-on-one conversation with every person that views your promotional material; but good visuals and typography can do this for you. Good design isn’t just about making things that are pretty, but also making things that work.
All these factors set the guidelines that the design needs to fit into; so the design process can’t begin until these factors are known. Narrowing down the options helps to find the best solution. Sometimes the answers are obvious, and sometimes they aren’t. Designers and their teams will work through these questions and ideas with clients before beginning a new project. That way, they can develop the most effective strategies for creating and implementing designs that are attractive, informative and effective.
