Read It, Understand It, Design It
Author of this post: Sheri L Koetting | About Blog Authors »
Surprisingly this principle is often overlooked in design curriculums. Graphic design is ultimately your interpretation of information, and in order to design something you must understand it. In most cases the target audience knows as much or even less about the brand than you do. How can you communicate to this audience if you don’t know what you are communicating?
When you first sit down to tackle a project , try reading the copy as the end user would. If the copy is particularly long or if time and budget simply won’t allow for reading the entire piece, try skimming the copy and pay close attention to the headlines and captions. Does the copy make sense? Is the message clear and consistent? If not, you must speak to the client and ask them to clarify it before you begin the design. This may seem like a hassle to you and your client, however, it may also alert them to confusing, redundant, and misleading parts of the content. By going through this process you are doing a service to the client and the end user as well. Being an accountable designer means more than just prettying up a piece—communicate. And don’t just communicate, advocate on your client’s behalf.
This responsibility expands into more subjective decisions as well. Utilizing your favorite typeface and color may be the expression of your personal style that clients are looking for, but try to work within a palette that represents the brand. Gratuitous design elements can create personality where none previously existed, but these elements aren’t so great it if they position the company as something it is not.
Remember, as the designer it is your job to understand the information and design it in a way that makes sense to your audience. If the copy isn’t clear, speak up. Take a close look at the style you’ve chosen to represent the piece. Ultimately, your goal should be to create a voice for the piece that is visually and verbally cohesive.
