You may have seen them within your average strip mall: small, locally owned businesses that serve an important part of the local community. But you would be hard-pressed to name any of these businesses by their actual names beyond the essential function they serve. No, really. Take, for example, some of the basic ones like a laundromat, nail salon, or tattoo shop. They all have a unique legal name, but the basic text-only sign in the parking lot would have you believe that they are the same shop you just passed a few miles down the road. These three businesses service crowded industries in their own right, but many fail to convey themselves in any way that would make them stand apart from their competitors. They rely strictly on their location as a basis for why a consumer should shop there instead of their competitor one street over.
The reality is, with the availability of the internet, every competitor you could ever imagine for your business is, metaphorically speaking, one street over from you. No one is unique to their service, and no matter what industry you are in, there are potentially thousands of other similar companies ready to take your place. The problem becomes: what makes your business stand out when technology allows all of us to be connected and simultaneously crowded, all in the same place?
The good news is, with all of us here together online, all the fish you could potentially catch are in the same pond. You are almost guaranteed to get noticed, at least by a few people, if you put yourself out there. Your business's first impression is crucial if you wish to continue growing in the long term. Without a good first impression, you risk being forgotten along with every other nail salon we pass along the road.
So what makes a good impression? As a graphic designer, I have to think about this question every day because, even though the answer follows some basic rules, the details are always different. There are your basic principles when designing, of course: proportion, contrast, hierarchy, balance, etc.—the things that make graphic design visually appealing. But beyond that, I always find it helpful to take a step back and try a human approach, which may sound cheesey, but it's important to remember that art is subjective, and ultimately, the fundamental purpose of a design is to communicate a truth. What do I mean? If you have a design, take a minute to just stare and ask yourself the following questions:.
Does this design feel like the company or brand it represents?
What emotions do I feel are being conveyed to me simply through its color and form?
Is there a sense of consistency throughout the branding elements?
What about this design makes it feel unique to its industry?
What about this design feels unique compared to the whole world of design?
Will this design last as a legacy mark?
If my work can answer these questions confidently, then I have done my job.
A company needs to show they care about their visuals; it conveys to the customer that they will care about them. Consumers value attention to detail, and all of these design principles together create a sense of trust and communicate the truth. That your company is the one and only one that they need to be spending with.
Don't let your business be a strip mall business. Create a legacy, stand out from the crowd, reach out to a designer like us here at H0ll0M Design Studio to help and guide you, and let's make your business something customers will remember for years to come.
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