Why is effective graphic design important for your company?

Have you ever considered design as a long-term investment? If you haven't already, this article will change your mind about design thinking. I'll show you why good graphic design is so important for your business.

According to research conducted by the Design Council, strong graphic designing can boost sales, earnings, turnover, and growth. Using and valuing design has a positive impact on the bottom line, and those that recognize and act on this knowledge have a competitive advantage over the competition.

Here are some facts:

• A company's turnover increases by £225 for every £100 spent on design.
• Over the last decade, shares in design-led enterprises have outperformed the FTSE 100 by more than 200 percent.
• Design is roughly six times more likely to be seen as important in rapidly growing businesses than it is in stagnant ones.

Source: Design Council

Rapidly growing startups and businesses value design much more than others. Their enthusiasm and appreciation are sometimes as much as three times greater. In comparison, businesses that have only grown moderately, stayed the same size or even shrunk all place less importance on design.

3 Reasons why good design matters

• Design is not about good looks
• Good design change customer’s perception
• Make a good first impression

Design is not about good looks

"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." -- Steve Jobs

There is a common misconception concerning design that it must be pleasing to the eye.
People often believe that design refers to the appearance of a product, a document, or an internet page.

There's no denying that a decent appearance is crucial, but it's not the only factor to consider when analyzing a design.

There's a lot more to design.
It's about the overall message that the product or brand is attempting to portray.

Design is primarily concerned with how something functions, with how a product or brand connects with its target audience.
A competent designer considers how something works before considering how it appears.
Not a tool for styling things and communications, design is a potent instrument for change.

Good design change customer’s perception

"You feast with your eyes," as the saying goes.
The same may be said for products.

A good example is a cookery show.
If you've ever watched a culinary programme, you'll recall that once the dish is prepared, chefs spend a lot of care into presentation. They do it because they understand that we consume first with our eyes.
If it doesn't look appealing, you are unlikely to attempt it.

It's the same with product packaging.
The package design simply influences the buyer's view of the goods before he purchases it.

The colors you choose, the message you send, the box design, and so on should all be based on the message you want your product to send.

Make a good first impression

You will never have another opportunity to make a positive first impression.

Only an excellent design is able to capture the viewer's attention in the initial few seconds.
Supermarkets, online stores, and catalogues all contain a lot of things, and yours only gets a few milliseconds of notice from the viewer. If the design of your product or package isn't good enough, the viewer will pass it by, and your chances of selling are slim.

So, what is the best technique to keep the viewer's attention? You guessed it: good design.

Visual attraction can be judged in roughly 50 milliseconds, according to studies.
This boils down to the fact that designers only have 50 seconds to make a decent first impression.