"Design is not what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
Steve Jobs
Less is More
Your company is multi-faceted so it's typical for you to want to put all of your ideas into one design. The fear is that if you don't fill the page with information--you'll miss out on a customer who wanted to know about that one key thing you left out.
The truth is though, the opposite will happen.
Try to nail down a clear and concise message - white or blank space in a design is a good thing! Our goal is to make a stand-out design that also allows your customer to find the information they need easily.
But First, Content
Have you ever gone out to get ingredients for a recipe only to realize while you're making the meal that you've forgotten one of them? Hard to deal with, right? The same goes with graphic design.
It's much easier to produce professional work when all of the content is available from the beginning--so make sure you have all of your copy, photos, logos, etc. ready before you start working with a designer. If a designer creates a design first and tries to plug your content in later it may not mesh well and that can mean a lengthy and possibly frustrating process for both parties.
So give your designer as much information up front as possible. Not only do they need all of the content that's going into the design--it also helps to have as much background information (and inspiration) for the project as you can provide as well.
Function is #1
While a designer's goal is to come up with a design that is creative, cool, and eye-catching the main goal is to make a design that's functional. People should learn something about your organization by viewing your design. Just because you like a font or a color personally, doesn't mean it's right for your design. For example, a design firm probably wouldn't be taken too seriously if all of their content was presented in comic sans. And if you want people to know you're an environmentally friendly company--it might make sense to stick with a more "earthy" palette for your designs. There's more than just cool fonts and crazy colors - if the design isn't functional then it's not effective.
About Libby
Libby is our Lead Graphic Designer and also has the task of managing a family consisting of her high school sweetheart, 2 dogs, a toddler, and another baby on the way. If you see someone wandering aimlessly through Target with a smile on her face--it might just be Libby.
