The rise of Instagram is a testament to how visual branding for either corporate or personal purposes, has become an integral part of business. It only seems natural; after all, humans are very graphic creatures. This revolutionary change is evident in the way more and more companies are changing how they market what they can offer. Gone are the days of websites looking like dissertation papers, filled with text-only content; now, it’s all about big images and full-width videos that showcase how the brand will fit into their client’s story.
But the real question remains- is design really important in business?
YES. We may sound a little biased here, but hear us out. Design is essential, but it should NOT be the only thing that matters. You see, the mistake most design agencies make is they look at design in terms of aesthetics. We don’t necessarily disagree with that, ultimately, the design is about making concepts more visual and easy to the eyes; but it’s not just that. Design serves a purpose that extends to just prettifying things; there shouldn’t even be a debate on where a brand should focus its efforts, design or content, because, at the end of the day, those are just supporting roles to who should be the lead artist- your client.
Let’s back it up a little- stop focusing on what colours and fonts complement each other, or what images would work on any device, or how to make your social media feed more attractive. Everything you’re doing for design should answer this: how does it serve your market? Will the new web design make it easier for users to navigate through your site? Will your proposed Instagram palette be an apt representation of your brand? Your company should never be led by any division, it should be led by your customers because meeting their needs is your company’s (and everyone that makes it) end goal. This idea is eloquently summed up by Kai Ritcher, SAP Design’s Chief Designer when he said:
If there is anyone who leads, it is the customer. Engineering, product management, design, as well as any other role all are just supporting roles to the customer. Successful companies intuitively get this and stop wasting energy in discussing dominance of one role over the other. The success of the product relies on all three parties contributing their best in collaboration, each role providing their unique and valuable perspective and advocating for it.
This is the very mantra we live by here at BrandStrong. Our team of talented designers are trained to draw concepts that tell tales; that’s why we call them visual storytellers. Every output we deliver to our clients are tools they can use to further their brand message. We are a design company, not led by design, but led by you–our clients–the agencies who want their productivity to be at the optimum level, who desire to be known for design that has a heart. This is the reason we implemented unlimited revisions- you are asking for design to convey a message, and it’s only you who can really know what needs to be said and we’re just here to put it into graphics and offer you our expertise on how to make it as visually-appealing and easily digestible to your market as possible.
Not ready to commit yet? We offer a free trial package, so you can test the waters and see how our team of visual storytellers can work with and for your agency. But if you’re ready to get the show going, now is the perfect time to choose a plan and jump onboard!
