The Value of Design: Your No-BS Guide to Getting Started with a Graphic Designer
Ever heard of the seven per cent rule? Also, known as the Mehrabian theory, this simple rule states that, more or less, nobody gives a… shih tzu about what you’re saying. When people walk away from a conversation with you, their impressions are largely based on what psychologist Albert Mehrabian calls “silent messages.”
He says, 38 per cent of judgments are based on your tone of voice, accent, way of speaking, and other verbal factors. The remaining 55 per cent? Well, that’s just about how you look.
Feeling self-conscious about those sweatpants yet? Let’s dive into the world of aesthetics (and talk about why they matter for your brand too!).
Looks Are (Almost) Everything
In case you missed the memo, appearance is a pretty huge deal at work. You might have heard some of those mad stats on how much your appearance impacts your professional life (smile, ladies, or you’ll be frowning all the way to the unemployment office). *Rolls eyes.
While it would be fabulous to be judged only by the merit of our brilliant ideas, it ain’t happening. We, and the brands we are pushing, are judged on how they look. Every visual component, from your logo to your business card, creates a face that represents your ideas.
So, yes, looks matters. This message is brought to you by your friendly local designer.
Illustration: Holly @design_hungry
Hiring a Graphic Designer
By the time people start talking to me, they are generally already hip to the fact that professional design is crucial. Like a little kid pulling out a dress-up kit, they know they want to look good but aren’t really sure how to pull it off.
Entrepreneurs, brand managers, and everybody else looking to sell something to somebody asks me the same question: how does this all work? What’s the design process? Let’s dig into it and take a quick walk behind the stage curtain.
What Do Graphic Designers Do?
My mother would tell you that I colour in (but mostly outside of) the lines but really our goal as graphic designers is to create visual content to communicate your brands story. Whether it’s your brand or that packaging you just ripped off with your teeth, our job is to create effective visual concepts. We tell the visual story of your brand, online and off. We think about the big idea and experiment with typography, colour, imagery, layouts, and all of those other elements you might not even consciously notice.
Brands tell us how they want customers to feel. Our mission then is to find a way to tug at those heartstrings, bring a bead of sweat to the brow, or manifest whatever kind of provocative experience you want to put out there.
Illustration: Holly @design_hungry
What Design-Hungry Does
We start the process by asking a barrage of questions. Like a first date from hell, we will interrogate you to the ends of the earth. What do you like? What do you hate? Serif or sans? Comte or camembert? What are your ambitions? Can we meet your mum?
Once we get our head around what you’re into, we whet your appetite with creative mood boards. These serve as a map to the world of your brand. It will get us started with visualising your brand. We look at it together. We laugh. We cry. We refine it until it’s unmistakably you.
The Process of Creation
The refinement process is the side you only get a glimpse of during the whole affair. In the early stages, behind closed doors, it’s no holds barred. In our team, we always have an eye toward working with fearless creativity. We throw a proprietary blend of rubbish and priceless jewels at the wall and see what sticks. We look at what’s worked in the past, daydream about what’s never been done, and find a way to put a face to your dreams.
Finally, we start creating. We design your brand, building iteratively on the work to date. We create everything you need and nothing you don’t. Essentially, we add colour to your blueprint.
We balance rigorous simplicity with boundless ambition. Above all, we break category codes on a mission to transcend category constraints. At every stage, we talk, debate, and tweak so you’re able to oversee the ship as it glides into its beautiful harbour.
The End Result
Something unstoppable? With your brains and our good looks, there’s no telling what the future might bring. Let’s see how far we can push it. Just know that you’ll have a stunningly sophisticated brand with meaning, personality, and beautiful design to play and grow old with.
Illustration: Holly @design_hungry