I’m sure you’ve heard about “Right-Brain” vs. “Left-Brain” thinking and learning. Most folks are dominant with one side or the other, but no one is totally left-brain or totally right-brained. Those who are right-brain dominant tend to focus on images and patterns, are intuitive, and are more likely to free-associate to make connections or lists. Those who are left-brain dominant tend to focus on words, are analytical, detailed and are likely to make logical deductions to accumulate information.
In tackling projects, right-brainers can visualize the whole project completed in their minds before they begin choosing the elements to build it, processing many ideas simultaneously. Left-brainers, on the other hand, process ideas sequentially, step by step, focusing on the details with a high degree of organization.
So, Am I Right-Brained, or Left-Brained?
Artists and creatives are commonly assumed to belong to the right-brain group, and probably most are. But not me. I tend to be left-brain dominant. I come from a family of scientists and engineers, and it rubbed off. Although I hold a graduate degree in design, and spent several years teaching design, I was always highly organized and sequential. Then I earned a computer programming certificate, and the logic of programming made perfect sense to me.
These days, when I work on graphic design projects, I can provide my clients with much more than a pretty final product. I can operate within deadlines that match their corporate schedules. I care about functionalities and processes, and I plan ahead for them. And, as I have a technical background, my most ideal clients are those in high-tech industries, because I think much like them.
How about you? If you’ve been skittish about hiring an “artistic type” because that doesn’t match your own style, look harder. Not all designers are right-brain dominant, and they do great work. Give me a call and let’s talk. You may be surprised at how creative a left-brainer can be!
The Left-Brained Designer
Attention-Getting Folding Patterns for Business Collateral
Standing out from the crowd is a great way to get noticed. I often work with small businesses, many of whom start out their marketing efforts by producing traditional tri-fold brochures. Those who are game to try something different have an advantage, for if they offer a different style, they may create a “user experience” that is memorable enough for the recipient to be more likely to become a prospect.
Sometimes all that’s needed to be different is to use a different size, weight, texture, or finish for the paper you use.
Sometimes simply changing the orientation from vertical to horizontal can be a good step in a new direction.
One of the more popular folding alternatives is the “accordion” fold with folds on alternating sides, zigzagging first forward, then backward. Another alternative is the “gatefold” where two side panels are folded in toward the center before a final vertical fold is made. A “roll” or “barrel” fold opens one edge again and again in the same directional sequence. Each of these three examples can all use the same size paper; they just take different planning for using the panels.
The most interesting folds are those that fold in more than one direction in the same piece, or that make use of “die cuts” that cut an edge into a particular shape or angle, rather than the traditional 90-degree corner angles. The die-cut edges may have an interesting look about them when used with a folding pattern, even a traditional folding pattern, so that the piece looks much different—and therefore more interesting.
As enthusiastic as I am about alternate folding patterns, I must mention that it’s very important to have a chat early on in the design process with your printer about what you’re planning. If your piece uses custom paper sizes, or folds must be scored, or there are die-cuts, or it requires hand assembly instead of machine automation, there can be increases in cost. Your printer will know how to guide you or make suggestions to help you keep costs down. But if the piece does indeed get more attention because of inspired design—and therefore brings you or your client more business—the investment can certainly be worth it. And you’ll be a hero!
Graphic Designer or Decorator?
I have a friend who is an Interior Designer. She has mentioned her frustration with people who call her an Interior Decorator. Many people don’t know the difference. After all, don’t both labels have to do with such things as paint, lighting, furniture and the like?
Well, yes. But there IS a difference.
A decorator is someone who decorates. And the definition of decorate is to bedeck, trim, garnish, festoon, furnish, adorn or embellish with something ornamental or becoming.
A designer is someone who designs. The definition of design (as a verb) is to make plans, drawings, or preliminary sketches to fashion the form and structure of an object, artistically or skillfully. The execution of the design is part of the definition.
In my friend’s profession, her skills include moving walls, installing plumbing and electrical wiring, and understanding the underlying architectural structure. She may add decoration as the final step in her design, but if she were only a decorator, she’d only be adding those final bits of trim and adornment.
Other designers make a related distinction. Graphic designers are sometimes seen as people who add the color, photography, and fancy fonts to the layout of an advertisement. The usual intent of those is “brand identity” or “brand awareness”—to make the brand of the item being offered more identifiable and memorable to the consumer.
But graphic designers are so much more than just people who decorate or embellish a print piece. We deal knowledgably with images and layout, yes, but we also understand much more. We learn about our client’s business and their intent or underlying purpose with the piece. When we design, we use our understanding about how a reader’s eye must flow across pages, and ways to make text more readable, and how to project the overall psychological “tone” behind the piece.
This understanding is even more important in designing Direct Mail lead generations and product promotions, since the graphic designer works closely with the copywriter to make the piece as persuasive as possible, so that the “call to action” is not lost, and the client gets the highest possible response with the piece. I’ve said it in a previous blog post that the design in this case “supports the copy” and is not the main event. It should not call attention to itself—it is not design for design’s sake.
All this is done using complex software that gives us far greater control over every tiny variable in the “look” of the piece. That’s worlds apart from only knowing how to make a colored border or insert a photo in Word or Publisher. Good graphic designers use Quark XPress, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. And their output is not just for print anymore; these days, it is also for the web.
So think beyond pretty pictures to the “next level” of talent for completing a promotional piece. I’d be happy to discuss your next project with you, whether for print or for the web.
Why Hire a Professional Graphic Designer?
Believe it or not, it’s more cost-effective in the long run. Professionals work more skillfully and generally faster than do-it-yourselfers. They make far fewer mistakes, saving you time and money. They use high-end feature-rich professional software packages and resources, and are trained in their use, rather than cheaper or low-end resources. The results always look better, and in the case of printed materials, are also much easier for a print house to handle the resulting graphics files for the project. In the case of web design, professionals don’t allow what we call “garbage code” to creep in and slow down your system, or make the code hard to read for other developers. Their code is “validated” to make sure it meets minimum standards for use on the web or in emails.
Put another way, here’s what you get with a professional: You will get more efficiencies. Efficiencies in asking the right questions. Efficiencies in proper training. Efficiencies in using more proven marketing tools and techniques. In the end, you will pay to do it right, instead of paying more to do it over.
On the list below are the elements to analyze when making your choice for a designer. Analyze these elements in light of the specific project, budget, and timeline you have in mind.
- Experience (not just years, but industries, teams, roles, and ability to ask the right questions) Paula Scher, principal at Pentagram Design was quoted once as putting it this way, “It took me a few seconds to draw it, but it took me 34 years to learn how to draw it in a few seconds.
- Design Style (impressionistic, web vs. print, bold vs. delicate)
- Disciplines (print, packaging, promotions, trade show collateral, logo design, illustration)
- Marketing (strategic vs. tactical, knowledge of target market, ability to suggest alternatives)
- Good Communication (follow-up, status re: timeline and budget progress, relationships)
- Professionalism (from the contract to handling problems to final product)
- Portfolio (what does it demonstrate/why included, and is there more to the story of each piece? Range of work presented? Consistent in quality?
- Price (don’t choose on price alone. Yes, you will likely pay more for an experienced designer, but what are you really paying for?)
So, do yourself a favor and hire a professional. You won't be sorry.
Posts
