According to Wikipedia, “The mind is an important graphic design tool. Aside from technology, graphic design requires judgment and creativity. Critical, observational, quantitative and analytic thinking are required for design layouts and rendering.”
There's true genius involved in becoming a great graphic designer. A unique mix of skills—a sort of ambidexterity of the mind, linking left brain and right brain. The best graphic designers are problem solvers.
A client arrives with needs, wants, goals, a budget, and a chaotic jumble of ideas. The graphic designer must be able to connect on a personal level. See the project through the client’s eyes. Get a feeling for the client’s business. And focus analytical talents to unravel the puzzle of words, slogans, and pictures swirling through the client’s head. This takes empathy and people skills. A few courses in psychology couldn’t hurt.
Once the designer understands the client’s goal, the artistic side takes the lead. Using a toolbox of design principles, color theory, graphics, and typography, the masterful graphic designer fuses disparate elements of the client’s vision into a cohesive message—one that conveys the unique character of the client’s brand through compelling visuals, memorable words, and a dynamic logo.
Logos are a vehicle for getting your message across without words. They don’t have to be pretty, just effective. Some logos use subliminal techniques and hidden messages, like the FedEx arrow between E and X that symbolizes speed and accuracy. A deceptively simple design, it might not look like art, but it’s a stroke of graphic design genius. Even if you never noticed that arrow, chances are you got it. As Steve Jobs said, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” When your brand name morphs into a verb, like FedEx, you’ll know that your logo works!
Why hire a graphic designer to revamp your look, when there are so many do-it-yourself logos, freebees and website templates out there? Brand perception is integral to the success of a small business. Quality graphic design creates buzz, increases website traffic, and helps shape your customers’ experience. You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a striking image for your business, but your logo tells potential clients who you are, what you do, and how you do it. Your website is the face you show the world. When your brand identity is on the line, why would you risk sending the subliminal message that you’re unprofessional?
Aesthetics count when you’re living life in the fast lane. Too many choices beg for instant decisions. Boredom sets in early for people with short memory spans and high-speed connections. You have about 10 seconds to get your point across, then it’s a quick click to your competitor’s website.
A graphic designer can help you stand out from the rest of the pack. In the sage words of business management guru Tom Peters, “In a world loaded with stuff that looks like all the other stuff and performs like all the other stuff, design is a way to stand out.”
Ever notice how the FedEx logo sends its message? Look at the arrow in the negative space between the letters E and X.
(Logo courtesy this website: http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/popular-logos-with-hidden-symbolisms/
Quotes: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/steve_jobs.html
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