How’s Your Business Image? May 21, 2008

Analysing the way your business is perceived can be a difficult task. It’s hard to be objective about your own business, and often the people around us (family, friends, associates, long term clients) also have a “rosy” view of your business. Or they may not feel comfortable giving you critical feedback.

But there are some things you can do to check on your business image:
1. Compare your logo to well known companies. Does it project the image you want it to? 
2. Imagine you are a potential customer. What do they “see” (literally or figuratively) when they come into contact with your business?
3. How consistent is your brand across your business? Look at everything from business cards to website to the message on your voicemail.

How does your business measure up?

Design: good or not-so-good? September 18, 2007

What is ‘good’ design? As a graphic designer I am constantly faced with this question. Of course this is not a new question – it’s one that has been faced by artists since the beginning of time. There is the classic ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ view, which definitely holds true. However, from a graphic design point of view, is a design ‘good’ when it appeals to the senses (positively or negatively) or is it ‘good’ when it achieves another purpose?

This question was highlighted for me when I recently attended the Business Mums Network Conference in Melbourne. One of the workshops was on marketing. The speaker put a picture on the screen of an ad on a shopfront window that appeared to have little ‘good design’ and to most workshop participants appeared quite unattractive. The speaker informed us that the ad cost the business owner $150 and brought a 30% increase in profits – not a bad investment!!

As a graphic designer, I would never have designed this business an advertisement that looked like this one did. My reactions to it were ‘tacky’ and other negatives. BUT…it definitely achieved it’s purpose – it got people looking and increased sales for the business.

So what does this mean for graphic designers and others in similar professions? Does it mean we throw out the snazzy designs and focus more on attention grabbing (no matter how tacky)? Is there a balance between the two? Or a time and place for snazzy and tacky?

Yours in Design
Michelle
http://www.sheldesign.com.au