Graphic Design Myths: #4. One Size Fits All “If it’s good for one company it should work for me too.

Four Graphic Design Myths Busted

Welcome to a short four-part series of advice tidbits that can help guide you through the graphic design process. The last three months we covered three different myths, “More is More,” “It’s Too Expansive to Hire a Graphic Designer,” and “Web Site Horror Stories,” which you can see in the media tab on my web site http://www.kristalcleargraphics.com. Whether you’re a small repair business with a marketing plan or the VP of an amateur golf league with an annual membership booklet to design, there are some basic art, business and communication principles, that everyone should understand. It might be easier than you think to believe these myths because in the short run it appears to be the cheaper, quicker and overall, easier decision. However, make yourself aware of these pitfalls and trust me, you’ll be better off and more likely to avoid these mistakes.

Graphic Design Myths: #4. One Size Fits All “If it’s good for one company it should work for me too.

One idea of thought when starting up a new business is to have your logo on everything that your client's hand touches. While there is nothing wrong with this strategy, it might not be necessary for everyone. Sometimes beginning entrepreneurs get caught up in the staging process of their new business; they get their logo designed, they need a business card, letterhead, brochure, flyers, post cards, e-mail blasts, web site, company pens and hats ... oh, and don't forget those fun stress balls with the logo on it.

While there is nothing wrong with getting your name out in the market in a professional manner, you want to be careful on where you spend your marketing dollars. Just because ABC company orders 10,000 sheets of letterhead at a time, doesn't mean you have to do the same. Maybe it makes more sense for you to promote your "green" side and have a letterhead designed that you can print out for yourself on an as needed basis. Help the environment, show your caring side to your clients and customers and save some money all at the same time. Freeing up some cash could also allow you to try some guerilla marketing ideas to really set your business apart from the competition.

Overall, not EVERY company needs EVERY type of marketing piece despite what some agencies may want you to believe. If you look at your marketing plan from an "a la carte" view point, you might be surprised how many items you truly don't need. But how do you know which to invest in and what to pass on? You guessed it. The answer is unique to every company so do your homework. Find an experienced individual in the marketing world you can trust and ask for their opinion. I'd be more than happy to share my design/marketing experience with you. Plus, for more specialized needs like overall marketing help, writing, photography, etc, I have my pockets filled with other trusted professionals that I've worked with on past projects. Just tell me how Kristal Clear Graphics can help you find the solution that fits your company best.

Kristal Young, owner and graphic designer of Kristal Clear Graphics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offers creative services in print, web and beyond. Now specializing in social media design for business identity, you can visit online at http://www.kristalcleargraphics.com or like Kristal Clear Graphics on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kristalcleargraphicsllc.

Graphic Design Myths: #3. Web Sites Horror Stories

Four Graphic Design Myths Busted

Welcome to a short four-part series of advice tidbits that can help guide you through the graphic design process. The last two months we covered two different myths, “More is More” and “It’s Too Expansive to Hire a Graphic Designer” which you can see in the media tab on my web site http://www.kristalcleargraphics.com. Whether you’re a small repair business with a marketing plan or the VP of an amateur golf league with an annual membership booklet to design, there are some basic art, business and communication principles, that everyone should understand. It might be easier than you think to believe these myths because in the short run it appears to be the cheaper, quicker and overall, easier decision. However, make yourself aware of these pitfalls and trust me, you’ll be better off and more likely to avoid these mistakes.

Graphic Design Myths: #3. Web Sites Horror Stories:

"If I have a bad web site experience, it’s best to stick it out. I’ve already spent so much money with the bad company, and I don’t want to lose my investment. They said they'd fix it this time."

Some other trusted web site designers and I have heard this too many times. Sometimes it’s fun to get spooked, but the horror stories about bad web site companies are nothing to smile about.

Here are some classic signs (and unfortunately true stories I've been told and/or experienced) you might be in a web site horror story:

1) You tell the company you need a web site built, but have a very small budget, actually less than $500. They tell you, "No problem" and with some information and money exchanged you find yourself with what seems to be a great deal for a web site. What they didn't tell you was with such a low budget, they only had time to build you a landing page (home page) with no links or if they include links it's just a pdf they uploaded to look like a web page. This means they uploaded one big picture instead of text and code, which is what search engines use to find your page. I'm not saying you have to spend $10,000 on a site, but you do get what you pay for. At first glance it looks nice, but no one will be able to find it or use it.

2) You've been asking your web guy to make changes for months/years. They keep saying they'll get to it, but obviously they never do. In two different cases, I was the "other" company brought in to make the changes the original company was slacking on. That kicked them into gear at least for awhile, but even that wore off eventually. Not a way to treat your clients, if you ask me.

3. Some companies are more template-do-it yourself web sites allowing the customer to save some money. While they promise and do technically deliver customer service, it's very low quality. I have spent literally hours on the phone with these people who are either uneducated in their own software or poorly educated in a general knowledge of web design, and I really got nowhere ... aside from teaching them some new things.

Now I'm not trying to scare you or use this as a place to vent my horror stories that have been shared with me over the years. But instead, I don't want this to end up in a court case somewhere (yes, I've seen that happen too) and give you some tools to fight the bad web site company villains.

Tools of Advice:

1) Shop around for web design companies, and I don't just mean for price. If one sounds too good to be true, I'm sure it is. The more people you talk with, the more you'll start to understand what you need and what they're offering. My experience with the average entrepreneur is they greatly under estimate what a web site should cost. The more interactivity you want (shopping carts, user accounts, or the ability to make your own changes down the road) drastically bumps up the cost.

2) Use your networking connections for recommendations. Ask about the whole process and what they liked and didn't like about it. Even if you don't go with their recommendation, you'll gain some valuable advice on what pot holes to look out for that are probably common in any web site building project.

3) The web site jargon out there can be tricky and confusing when you're hearing it for the first or even 100th time. Maybe some things I wrote in this article went over your head, but don't feel singled out. You're probably not the only one out there and I would always be happy to explain anything further. In fact, anyone you're working with should be willing to make you feel comfortable in this very large, important purchase you're going to make that could make your business sink or swim.

Kristal Young, owner and graphic designer of Kristal Clear Graphics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offers creative services in print, web and beyond. Now specializing in social media design for business identity, you can visit online at http://www.kristalcleargraphics.com or like Kristal Clear Graphics on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kristalcleargraphicsllc.

Graphic Design Myths: #2. It's Too Expensive to Hire a Graphic Designer

Four Graphic Design Myths Busted

Welcome to a short four-part series of advice tidbits that can help guide you through the graphic design process. Last month we covered the first myth, “More is More" which you can see in the media tab on my web site http://www.kristalcleargraphics.com. Whether you’re a small repair business with a marketing plan or the VP of an amateur golf league with an annual membership booklet to design, there are some basic art, business and communication principles, that everyone should understand. It might be easier than you think to believe these myths because in the short run it appears to be the cheaper, quicker and overall, easier decision. However, make yourself aware of these pitfalls and trust me, you’ll be better off and more likely to avoid these mistakes.

Graphic Design Myths: #2. It's Too Expensive to Hire a Graphic Designer

“I can do it myself on Word or Publisher.” This is a common thought for some companies when brainstorming on ways to cut their budgets and save money. Well, I'd also like to throw in the phrase, "You get what you pay for."

For most entrepreneurs, if they're not trained in design and/or marketing, I would definitely not recommend creating business marketing pieces on their own, and I would never recommend designing them in the above mentioned programs. While people can do it, they won't be fooling anyone. Often this amateur design, while cheap to produce, can make a poor first impression of a business that looks less than professional and/or untrustworthy. The outcome: the company loses that new business and extra revenue.

Still think it's cheaper to do your own graphic design? Let's crunch the numbers. As the owner of a company, what does "Joe Smith" pay himself an hour? Whether he finds a graphic designer who charges $20/hr or $120/hr, it will still cost him more to do it himself because it will take him much longer than a graphic artist. Usually a designer's rate is based on their experience: The higher the rate, the more experience, and often the quicker they work. The professional designer will be able to throw out a stellar brochure design in a fraction of the time it will take Joe to figure out his program and create his design. Plus because this is his first or second attempt, the design will reflect that experience level.

But budgets are still tight, and you need to watch what you spend. Well, try some non-traditional ways of dealing with a graphic designer. I have clients who tell me their budget for a project and I often can design them something according to that allotted amount of time. Because of the time restraints, it might not have all the bells and whistles or revision opportunities of a larger budget, but they still have a professional looking piece. I have lots of ideas of how to make it work with your budget. Just ask!

Kristal Young, owner and graphic designer of Kristal Clear Graphics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offers creative services in print, web and beyond. Now specializing in social media design for business identity, you can visit online at http://www.kristalcleargraphics.com or like Kristal Clear Graphics on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kristalcleargraphicsllc.

Four Graphic Design Myths Busted

Welcome to a short four-part series of advice tidbits that can help guide you through the graphic design process. Whether you’re a small repair business with a marketing plan or the VP of an amateur golf league with an annual membership booklet to design, there are some basic art, business and communication principles, that everyone should understand. It might be easier than you think to believe these myths because in the short run it appears to be the cheaper, quicker and overall, easier decision. However, make yourself aware of these pitfalls and trust me, you’ll be better off and more likely to avoid these mistakes.

#1. More is More

“I get more for my dollar if I put as much information as possible on this direct mail postcard.” So often it's tempting to cram too much text, graphics and special offers on a marketing piece, whether it's a brochure, advertisement, or even business card. You might think, “After all, I'm spending so much money on this project for design time and paper costs, my customer needs to know everything they can about my business.”

While I will admit there is a time and place for this way of thinking, and believe me, I've had my share of clients to practice with on making a crowded ad work, more often than not, YOU WILL GET MORE OF YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS IF IT CAN STAND ALONE. It needs to pop off the page, and the most efficient way to do this is limiting your information to the most critical facts.

Think of advertising pieces you've looked at that were over crowded. There is so much information, pictures and text that you can't tell what the advertiser wants you to come away with. These often give the impression of cluttered, cheap, and maybe even lower quality. On the contrary, if you see an ad with one dynamic picture, a few words and the company name, there is no confusion as to what the message is, and it leaves you with a much higher impression of a dependable company with high quality products.

So next time you're charged with getting a marketing piece designed, I challenge you to create your company's message using LESS IS MORE and find much better results. If you have any questions about how this works or you're interested in learning more about how you can simplify your marketing message through graphic design please contact me at Kristal@kristalcleargraphics.com.

Kristal Young, owner and graphic designer of Kristal Clear Graphics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offers creative services in print, web and beyond. Now specializing in social media design for business identity, you can visit online at www.kristalcleargraphics.com or like Kristal Clear Graphics on facebook at www.facebook.com/kristalcleargraphicsllc.