Design agencies are abundant in the business world for the simple reason that if selected carefully, they help you improve your business. There are plenty of companies offering graphic design, and most of them may seem the same on the face of it. So how do you choose which is the best company for you? What do you look for and what should you be wary of? Below are some tips on how to choose a company which is right for you and your business.

Please remember that not all designers are experienced in marketing and strategy. Designers are not employed to be business advisers so if you say you want a brochure then quite often that’s exactly what the designer will enthusiastically start on. However if what you really need is a new image and brand identity before you start producing collateral then you may be wasting your time and money. So before you commission any design be sure your marketing strategy is clear, who you are targeting and what your marketing goals are.

1.     Where do you start? Personal recommendations from people you know, like and trust are obviously excellent ways of finding suppliers. Printers, marketing professionals, members of your networking group – will often know of, or have worked with designers. However, beware the printer (or anyone) who offers the design for next to nothing. This could be a ploy to get the printing part from you and your design may not be as professional as it should be for obvious reasons.

2.    Designer’s expertise. Now you have identified a graphic design company or two what should you look for? Designers can be experienced in a number of areas, be it packaging, printed collateral, advertising, POS or web. They can be even more specialised, such as solely producing annual reports and financial documents or perhaps alcoholic drink packaging where technical knowledge of the bottle manufacturing process would be beneficial, for example. Often, however, designers have worked across a number of areas and can design an identity, brochure, pack and exhibition stand and call upon expert advice for the technical specifications if necessary.

3.    Philosophy and approach. Does the design company have an understanding of business and reality? Are they more interested in computer graphics and fancy effects? As you are in business and presumably there to make a profit, you want the communication to be effective and brand building. However small, your company should think about building itself as a brand and not just as a supplier of products. Successful communication will ensure all items build the brand – from the stationery to the signage to the web site – and be consistent in the message they deliver.

4.    Portfolio. Does your graphic design agency have a portfolio of work that they have done for other clients? (If not, then the discussions should probably stop there – you don’t want to be the guinea pig for a new start up!) Is it up to date, extensive and more than just pretty pictures? Do the examples look creative, exciting and stand out? Are they nicely produced and printed or delivered on screen? A designer should be good at ideas and problem solving so you don’t necessarily have to find a designer with experience in your sector. All of us are constantly bombarded with advertising messages and imagery so ideas need to be simple and be memorable. A design may look good in isolation but will it stand out in a crowd?

5.    Does size matter? For a small to medium size company, you should only ever need to deal with one or two designers for your communication needs. Too many designers working on your brand can lead to dilution and misunderstanding. Working with a designer is a two way process where both parties can ‘bounce’ ideas off each other and form an understanding which goes beyond the contractual relationship. So whatever size, make sure you speak to the designers who will be working on your material.

6.    The brief. It is important that designers understand a brief and can think laterally with an open mind. As mentioned above, the marketing strategy is fundamental in influencing any communication but often there is a missing link between the marketing brief and a ‘spark’ which gives the creative real substance. It is often very useful for the designer to delve deeper and understand what motivates the end user to buy a product or service and if possible to experience it. By drinking the beverage, visiting the establishment, driving the car – whatever product you want to promote, the designer should want to know why it is appealing or different.

7.    The stages. A design project is usually broken down into stages. Each stage should be itemised, explained and costed so that you, the client can see what is involved and how much time will be allocated to the project. Typically this may include research or an audit on current material – which may influence the creative brief – design concepts, development of the concepts and artwork suitable for reproduction. There may be the need for bespoke photography – which will probably need ‘art directing’ – and/or liaison with suppliers such as printers or web developers. A project management fee may be charged to cover meetings, travel etc which are not covered under the design stages. Transparency is the key here to avoid unexpected costs or hidden charges.

8.     Print quality. Ask your designer if they can give you advice on the printing of your project. There are many different options and processes available, for example digital printing and lithographic printing. These are ideally suited to different types of projects. A designer should be able to advise the best solution for you, based on their experience. Ask if they can recommend printers and obtain quotes without obligation if need be.

9.     Tools of the trade. As a client, you shouldn’t have to worry that the finished result is technically correct. That is the responsibilty of the designer. Whether it is produced in Adobe’s InDesign or Quark XPress makes no difference to you. However, you often see adverts where the font is jagged or the image pixellated. This could be due to the incorrect format file or a low resolution pdf being supplied. Ensure your designer has sufficient knowledge of the production process otherwise any creativity will be wasted.

10.    Passion. Finally ask yourself, “will they understand what it is we do, our vision and are they really interested in my product? And are they truly passionate about what they do?” At the end of the day if they fulfil the criteria above, are passionate and enthusiastic about working with you, then you are more likely to get the results you are looking for.

By following these principles you should be able to find the right person or company to work with. A bit of research, due diligence and ‘a good gut feeling’ will all help you in your final choice.

For any further advice or information please contact:
Paul Holden
Creative Director
PRH Design
T: +44 (0)1684 291658, +44 (0)7870 737450, E: paul@79.170.44.76/prhdesign.co.uk
or visit www.79.170.44.76/prhdesign.co.uk

Did you receive a card or gift this Valentine’s Day? If you did that’s great, but why not take advantage of the occasion to send a communication from your company? Easter’s just around the corner and perhaps a pertinent card or mailer could go out for a special Easter promotion or event. Or what about Diwali, St Patrick’s day or May Day? Don’t just send out Christmas cards along with everyone else - send out a happy 24th April message just for the heck of it! You’ll probably be the only one and guaranteed to be noticed.

COMPANIES THAT INVEST IN DESIGN CAN AVOID COMPETING ON PRICE ALONE

Research has shown that design is a significant source of competitive advantage. Companies that invest in their design capability and develop a reputation for innovation can avoid competing on price alone. In the UK, 45 per cent of firms that don’t use design compete mainly on price compared to only 21 per cent of firms where design plays a significant role.

In UK businesses where design is integral to operations, 84 per cent say they’ve increased their competitiveness through design; and 79 per cent think that design’s importance to competitiveness has risen over the past decade. These trends look set to continue - a recent CBI survey showed that 55 per cent of manufacturing firms see design and development as one of their most important sources of competitive advantage in five years’ time.

If you’d like the complete article please go to
design council briefing 1 or email Paul Holden

“It isn’t just how you’ve done something, it’s why.”

Whenever you’ve commissioned marketing materials, has the brief really inspired the person creating them? Did it give amazing insights into what appeals to the target market? At PRH Design we use a tried and tested briefing form which really delves into what the end user thinks and how they behave. We give this back to the client for approval before work starts and then use it as a benchmark to judge the creative by. After working in one of the largest international advertising agencies - where huge emphasis was put on predicting customer behaviour - this big thinking can be applied by Paul to small projects as well as large. Pick up some free tips on the creative briefing process by clicking here.

FORGET TO BUY THAT SPECIAL VALENTINE GIFT?

Definitely better late than never to redeem yourself with this great range of luxury lotions, scrubs and creams. Janet Ginnings Hair and Beauty have a fantastic range of beauty products (packaging designed by Paul Holden of course!). Patronized by top models such as Caprice and Elle McPherson, Janet Ginnings has created products from Indian formulations passed down from generation to generation. Using natural ingredients and suitably named Indian Infusion these products are guaranteed to make you or your loved one stand out!

Have a look at Janet’s web site and view the range of Indian Infusion products.

Top Tips for successful design and communication

What makes ‘good design’ in business-to-business communication?

For design to be considered successful in B2B communication, it needs to fulfil one main criteria – to have communicated a message and produced a response, whether emotional or physical. Ideally there will be feedback, such as a phone call or attendance, that confirms the message has been conveyed and the new service, product or event has aroused some interest. However, with a plethora of items vying for your attention, if the look and feel of the design is wrong then the message won’t even see the light of day.

Below are the key principles that businesses should consider when creating marketing materials to ensure the communication gets noticed.

1. The creative brief. Often overlooked, the creative brief to the designer is the single most important part of the creative process. Comprising more than just a few facts and figures, it should contain insights into the target market’s behaviour and how you want them to think about your brand or product. The proposition needs to be clear and steer the creative thinking, giving a benchmark for judging the creative concepts. The designer should be able to help write the brief or at least question it if they feel it doesn’t correctly define the proposition.

2. Think laterally. If your product has a hundred imitators or you are in a sector with many competitors you may need to think of ways of saying the same thing but in an unusual way.

3. Consider humour. People always appreciate a bit of humour – whether images or copy –and this can make communication memorable and effective.

4. Don’t underestimate your audience’s intelligence. A business client will be intelligent and knowledgeable about their profession or sector, so consider unusual or unexpected imagery.

5. Don’t forget the words. Headlines should go hand in hand. If the image is dull the copy won’t be read and if the headline is uninteresting the viewer may lose interest straight away. Whether you or a copywriter writes the headline, make sure it strengthens the concept.

6. Be honest in your presentation. How many times have you seen gorgeous models in a brochure for the local accountancy or law firm? Obviously from a photo library, they could appear in hundreds of brochures around the world. What’s wrong with pictures of the actual people who work there? After all, it’s those people that clients will meet if ever they do business with that company.

7. Size & formats. With unusual formats the designer can use imagery or typography to greater effect and create impact. For example, A1, A2 and A3 are all multiples of A4 and can be used in creative applications for newsletters and brochures. An enthusiastic printer will help in planning jobs economically.

8. Build the brand. If the brand is strong, it should be an intuitive process to use this to communicate products or services and build on your brand values – as well as promote the product. But remember, the work is only as good as the brief.

9. Plan ahead. To avoid miscommunication, plan ahead for changes of address, telephone codes, staff, prices or postal charge increases. Your designer should have good supplier contacts built up over time and feel confident in discussing options around the table. Also, short print runs with direct-to-press machines can help reduce wastage and expensive reprints.

10. Keep the idea simple. Generally, complex idea equals expensive production. The viewer will remember simpler ideas in years to come which helps to build the brand. Of the great TV ad campaigns from the past, think of the Cadbury’s Smash or Hamlet ads. Very simple and relatively cheap to produce but unforgettable – although of course they did benefit from a huge media spend.

By following these principles you should be able to create eye-catching and memorable creative communication. A good brief, open mind and daring to be different – even if just outside your comfort zone – will help your communication and successfully get your message across.

Paul Holden
Creative Director and founder
PRH Design
T: +44 (0)1684 291658/07870 737450
W: www.79.170.44.76/prhdesign.co.uk
E: paul@79.170.44.76/prhdesign.co.uk