Why pay for graphic design?

You might think that hiring a professional graphic designer is one more expense you could do without, especially when your computer (or a mate’s) has all the software you need to do the job at a fraction of the cost.

If only life were this simple!

Rather than being an expense you can do without, employing the services of a professional graphic design studio should be seen as an essential investment that will reap rewards. It will save you time and money, as well as helping you to meet your marketing objectives, boost sales and income.

Whether you require design for corporate identity, branding, print, point of sale, websites, sales presentations, exhibitions or signage, a professional graphic design studio will assure you of outstanding results.

Graphic design studio saves time and money

You know your job and you do it well. Graphic designers are no different. They will quickly turn ideas into reality, leaving you free to get on with what you do best.

The best graphic designers are fully trained professionals with years of experience. They are experts in visual communications, interpreting your requirements and translating them into visuals that convey your message in a way that is eye-catching and memorable, whilst respecting the sensibilities of your needs and those of the markets in which you operate.

At the start of your project the graphic design studio will know what questions to ask and, more importantly, how to react to your answers in order to pinpoint your needs and give the brief a clear direction.

The graphic designer will offer a fresh approach to your requirements and its challenges, taking an objective view of the situation and challenging any preconceptions and conventions that may exist to ensure that all angles are covered.

You should expect the graphic design studio you hire to be highly creative, offering new ideas and inspiration to help you grow your business.

The graphic designer will know what works and what doesn’t, and can offer lots of different approaches so that you get the one that’s right for you and your target audiences, as well as being as individual as your company.

You can expect good graphic design studios to look after the detail, making sure that all the right messages are there and that they have the right priority. They are experts in making stuff readable, logical and easy to navigate so your customers won’t be left feeling frustrated and confused. They will know how to make things stand out, whether it’s an advert, a mailer, a leaflet or a banner.

A professional design studio will know how to use colour to the best effect and how to make things look contemporary or classic, informal or professional, promotional or informational and many other things besides.

They will know when to take a shortcut and when only a carefully crafted solution will do.

They’ll also know how to keep your image consistent, whilst achieving your objectives.

Graphic design studios know the technical stuff

When it comes to producing the final item (brochure, website, banner, signage, advertisement, etc.), unless your files are prepared in the right way, you may find it costs more to correct mistakes than it would if you had employed a designer from the start.

A good graphic design studio will have the right hardware and software to assure compatibility with industry standards. It will also be familiar with the different technologies and processes used, whether lithographic or digital printing, large format, vinyl, paper, plastics, etc.

The designer will know the difference between bitmap and vector-based files, ideal image formats and resolutions, whether it should be CMYK or RGB, what to do about bleed, trapping and imposition.

They know how to avoid font ‘issues’ and a whole host of other potential pitfalls.

They can produce the right origination for the project and will know how to get the best from photographers and printers. They can advise on the most cost-effective sizes and formats of literature and they know good print from bad.

Graphic design studios give you the best image

We’ve all seen logos that have been bought online for £25 and those off-the-shelf, generic stationery or website designs that leave such a poor or, at best, forgettable impression.

Professionally designed and produced graphics will convey an image to your customers of expertise that they can trust and add credibility to your business.

It’s going to be difficult to stand out from another organisation that has bought its design from the same cheap online source.

Large organisations invest a great deal of time, effort and resources in maintaining their image and identity, and they are doing it for a good reason. Every day we’re bombarded by thousands of marketing messages, all competing for our attention.

Your best way to avoid becoming part of the noise is through great design that captures your audience’s attention and conveys your message quickly and effectively.

The best way to achieve this is through eye-catching designs, and more often than not, these will be created by a professional graphic designer.