10 Nov Does Design Matter?
Are first impressions everything? YES.
Has “dressed for success” been a generational cliche for a reason? YES.
Do you judge a book by its cover? YES.
You probably get the idea at this point. Yes, looks can be persuasive, not to mention, the hook to keep a reader going. Can you picture (yes, that word was strategically selected) a human dedicating any length of time to a corporate “face-piece” that was nothing but gobs of copy?
DON'T GET US WRONG. WE ARE HUGE PROPONENTS OF WELL CRAFTED COPY AND FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE IT IS DESIGN'S BEST FRIEND. DESIGN AND COPY ARE LIKE MICKEY & MINNIE OR GILLIGAN & THE SKIPPER - YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.
Here’s the stark reality of 2020 and beyond. We are what one80 design will coin as “GEN-S”. We’re the Scanner Generation. Teens scan social media at incredible speeds, barely letting their fingers rest from scrolling. Working adults feel an ever-increasing pressure to tackle an unreasonable to-do list. Parents spend exorbitant time shuttling kids to mindblowing extracurricular gigs. And the #1 speed bump for marketers…. The wealth of information, media outlets, and brand options is beyond our scope to process.
Design is therefore the hook to keep a consumer digging, and in many ways, is our primary information delivery mechanism. If you’re toying with the idea that design may not warrant the investment, consider the following reasons a visually appealing brochure / annual report / advertisement / display / banner is important.
1. Solid design projects professionalism
2. Enhances readability
3. Builds credibility
4. A unique and well executed design helps your marketing stand out from the competition
5. Strengthens brand identity and/or recognition
6. Sustains (i.e., elongates) engagement
7. Simplifies complex data (e.g., infographic to depict financial data)
8. Communicates a brand’s personality
9. Improves retention (humans process visual data much faster than text)
IF THERE IS A MOMENT THAT DESIGN SEEMS LIKE A "NICE TO HAVE" RATHER THAN A "MUST HAVE", WE iMPLORE DECISION MAKERS TO CONSIDER THE LIST ABOVE AND REACH OUT TO US.