In the latest blog as part of our design series, Tom Walker, Design Manager at Napier, shares ways he goes the extra mile to provide our clients with engaging, and creative design.
Going the extra mile. No, I’m not referring to adding an extra 1,760 yards to your next marathon run, although I’d be hugely impressed if you did, what I mean is keeping your client happy by going that bit further and really trying to bring their campaign to life. As designers it is our role to interpret a brief and come up with a solution that combines words and images in an imaginative, informative and visually effective way. The whole reason a client would ever come to an agency is to seek their expertise, you would never go to an estate agent if you didn’t think they could sell your house, would you?
Human beings are visual creatures, we appreciate the way things look, our homes have beautiful furniture, colour co-ordinated interiors and manicured gardens. It creates a feeling of well-being, of inner contentment when we are surrounded by beautiful things. None of this is rocket science really, the same is true of design, if we can use a bit of imagination, creativity and visual flair in a campaign, then it will have much more impact. Designs need to look good, be clear and communicate the message effectively.
For example, let’s say you were producing a web banner to promote a new solar panel. You have an image, a line of text, a logo, then all you need to do is size it to the dimensions and job done! All well and good, yes you could just make do with what you have, but why not make it an animated banner? You could then include far more information, the product on one frame, the benefits on another and a call to action on the final one perhaps? Or maybe show different products on different frames, with a call to action at the end. All of these make the user experience much more dynamic and interactive, and you have also found a way to highlight several different features.
Brochures are another tactic that offers an opportunity to go the extra mile. When we are asked to design a brochure, we often suggest the option of an online version as well.
In addition to a printed document, we are able to adapt design so it works as a PDF file with navigation. They can feature forward and backward buttons, chapter headings at the top or side of the page which are navigation tools. “Click here to find out more” buttons could be introduced as well as call-out boxes where more detailed information can be highlighted. We could even embed video links. Although it’s great to suggest these things, we understand that budgets can be restrained, but find this kind of input and expertise is appreciated, even if our clients decide not to go ahead with the extra work.
In a recent survey it was shown social media posts with moving images were 6 times more effective in generating a response than static ones. There is still a place for static posts, but for a better return on investment, then an animation or video can be a much more effective alternative. We work closely with our clients to understand their needs, and how we can generate ads like this to improve engagement.
Good design will attract, inspire and motivate people to respond to our messages and ultimately drive sales. Design is an ever-changing process, we always need to be pushing the boundaries. New software is constantly being released which enables us to do more exciting things. The Adobe Creative Cloud has an ever-growing list of specialist programs for animation, video, and web. At Napier we are looking at the latest software and seeing how we can use it to help our clients, as the Napier approach is all about going the extra mile!
Interested in how we can help your designs go the extra mile? Why not get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.