Why graphic designers are essential to all businesses

Nike, Louis Vuitton, Audi. What do they have in common? They all have very distinctive logo designs, that enable you to recognise them, even without their brand name – a dream for most businesses, but exceptionally difficult to execute. Whilst most businesses don’t have quite the same budgets as these brands, any business looking to advertise themselves can reap the rewards of good graphic design. 

Graphic designers are highly valued amongst UK business, with an estimated £33.5bn spent annually on design, according to The Creative Industries Council. They have the ability to communicate messages, help businesses stand out from the crowd and even turn design into profit. Keep reading to discover how. 

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A form of communication

Graphic design isn’t all about how something looks; it’s a way of communicating a message to an audience. It also tells the audience a lot about the business, so it’s important to get it right. Simple design elements, like the font and colour palette can be enough for people to want to know more or turn away. Good graphic designers usually have an artistic eye, for example, knowing whether that bright orange might look offensive or catch the audiences’ attention.

Design=Profit

Design, if done correctly, can have a direct impact on the success of a business. For every £1 invested in design, businesses can expect over £4 increase in profit, according to the Creative Industries. Businesses rely heavily on the judgement of their graphic designers, so it helps to have lots of experience to be able to make decisive decisions about a piece of artwork. 

Consistency is comforting 

Whilst it may be difficult for branding across an entire business to be completely consistent, it’s important for there to be some continuity- much like a film. Graphic designers often create a brand or style guides that can be helpful in ensuring many of the important design elements are kept the same. 

So what if there is inconsistent design? This might seem harmless, but often, it’s the irregularities that become more noticeable than the design.  

“Good design is invisible”, as the popular saying goes. This is certainly a skill in itself. We’ve all come across a design that’s made us look twice – and not for the right reasons, be it, pixelated images, the wrong font and size. But the chance of commenting on a great piece of design is rare – it’s enjoyed, not noticed. 

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Stand out from the crowd

“Human beings have an attractiveness bias; we perceive beautiful things as being better, regardless of whether they actually are better. All else being equal, we prefer beautiful things, and we believe beautiful things function better ”, according to writer, Steven Bradley. 

We’ve all been victim to buying a product simply because it looked nice. We might not part with extra money just because of how a product looks, but if we’re given a few options of the same value, we’ll usually lean toward the more pleasant-looking option, as noted by Canva. Similarly, when businesses are rivalled against their competition, usually, a well thought-out, understated design can help it stand out from the crowd. 

Businesses see a direct correlation between design and the success of their company. If you’re ready to take your designs to the next step, at Walsall College, we can help you make your mark in this industry with our state-of-the-art industry standard computers and software. 

You’ll also be able to take part in our annual design festival, where you have the opportunity to build your design portfolio. Here is some of the amazing artwork created by our talented students. 

Apply now to secure your place for September. See our graphic design courses.