Graphic design is problem solving.
Businesses hire graphic designers to solve marketing problems, including corporate identity, brand development, and overall image. This leads many to believe that graphic design is simply cosmetic, “making something pretty.” On the contrary, it is solving real communication needs through visual solutions.
For example…
PROBLEM: “I need a logo to communicate that our dance studio is a friendly, fun, and at the same time, a classy place.”
The designer creates solutions for that problem, making sure each decision made meets the objectives of presenting the business as “friendly, fun, and at the same time, classy.”
There can be several different acceptable solutions to a problem.
It is up to the designer and client to agree on what solution does it in the most effective way. Two things are at play here: taste and values.
- Taste becomes important when look and feel of a design either connects or disconnects with a business owner’s personal sensibilities. This is tricky, as most of the time, business owners think along the lines of what they LIKE instead of what will be best for their image in the marketplace.
- Values are also a tricky area. Perhaps one design satisfies two business objectives really well, but another design satisfies two other objectives well. How the business owner sets priorities will come down to his or her values.
In the examples below, Logo 1 makes the dance studio appear friendly and fun. Logo 2 touts the sense of class and quality that the studio brings its customers. The business owner needs to decide which is of more value.
