From high flyers to flyers it’s more important than ever for design to be bold, beautiful, daring, and different. We take an upfront look at how this applies to communications.
The most brilliant high flyer of our times turned 40 this year. And, like most successful types, there was little time for fanfare or celebration. The high flyer in question simply got on with the day- to-day business of shrinking the world. The high flyer in question? The Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo Jet.’ Still the fastest way of getting from A to P (over 80% the speed of sound), the 747 is almost 4 times the sales success even Boeing predicted it would be and it’s been incredibly safe, iconic in stature and life-changing for billions to boot. All of which makes it indisputably one of the most important designs of our time, nay of all time, and living proof, if any were needed, of the endurance and resilience of great design.
Not that we’re claiming for one cotton-pickin’ second to be aviation experts (beyond knowing that it’s always best to order the vegetarian meal option). Nor are we claiming that our communications material has the power to move people across continents (except in the case of holiday companies, in which case we’d like to think our communications can do just that).
What we do know for sure is that, in our shrunken, overcrowded, sensory-overload world, the need for good design is greater than ever. Whatever your product, whatever your offering, you need to stand out from the crowd, even if only superficially. And, if you have few competitors in your sector, it’s of paramount importance to draw people’s attention to just how unique you are. Image, backed up by substance, is everything.
And that’s where our design skills come in.
For a layout to paint a thousand words, it needs to be eye- catching, immediate, relevant and, of course, well-designed. Which means bold, different and uncluttered. Countless communications designs these days are vying to have the most product shots per square inch, the biggest price listings, the first logo visible from outer space. None of which inspires consumer confidence, brand loyalty or the ultimate aim, increased sales. In fact, more often than not, a communications material that shouts and screams its prices
and its logos, that can’t seem to make up its mind which product it’s pushing, will leave the audience nonplussed: by not trusting its products, its prices or its logo to impress at normal scale, the company betrays a lack of trust in itself, its products and in the intelligence of its audience. Never a good idea, for a lack of trust in your audience will only ever be repaid in kind.
It’s safe to say that if certain marketing managers had overseen the Boeing 747 design, it would have been the first ever plane with logo-shaped wings bowed under the weight of engines the size of Chipping Sodbury, boasting 500 differently-shaped seats, just in case punters were unsure.
We, on the other hand, always design our material to fulfill its purpose: no shouting, screaming or pleading here, just facts displayed in a bold, confident, and compelling way, designed to boost confidence, recognition and, most importantly, sales. We don’t believe bigger is better. Rather that better makes you bigger.
To get an idea of how much better we could make your communications, feel free to check out some examples of our design work.
For although words can paint thousands of pictures, it’s probably quicker to see for yourself.
Meanwhile, if you’ve got designs on a meeting or more information, feel free to contact us.