The Power of Layout and Design
Written by on December 2, 2009 @ 11:03 AM.
Most people think layout and design is all about making your marketing materials look pretty. That's not surprising. Most designers think the exact same thing. But, great layout and design does far more than that.
Using Visuals to Convey Your Message
We've all heard the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words." It's become such a well-known saying because it's so true.
Your sales message, whether online or print, needs to convey a great deal in a very confined space. There's often a lot you need to tell your prospective customers, but you just don't have room. Design can speak volumes literally in an instant.
At a glance, prospective customers get a sense of what your product or service can do for them. They get a feel for the type of company you are. They sense your company's quality standards, and more. And, they aren't even conscious of it because powerful design speaks volumes in a moment.
Good Design and Layout Captivates
Take the most incredible marketing copy ever and present it to your prospective customers with a shabby design. You'll absolutely ruin any marketing power the piece might have.
Ugly or mis-sized fonts, poor color choice, or clunky graphics can destroy the potential of a good marketing piece.
On the other hand, great design grabs attention. It stands out among the myriad of other marketing pieces flooding your prospective customers. Then, once its grabbed their attention, the design pulls them into the copy by catching their attention in micro-bursts.
Embedding in Long-Term Memory
Every Christmas one of the most popular commercials is Coca Cola's polar bear commercials. What stands out in our memory about those commercials is the polar bears. The message we get from that image is one of family spending time together during the holidays, enjoying each other's company, and having a lot of fun. And, Coke is a part of it all.
What words appear during the commercial? None. We get all those warm holiday feelings and associate them with Coca Cola, and the commercial doesn't actually use words to convey their message.
That's the power of great design. It can create, in a prospective customer, all kinds of feelings and desires. It can give your company the exact image you want, whether that's professional or family or fun. Invest in good design. It really pays off.
