Have you ever visited a super store, with your family, lately? If yes, then you must have observed the flashy flyers and the glittery posters shining in the aisles of the product stacked racks. The purpose of these posters being obvious, to grab the attention of its customer, these posters still fail to capture the interest of all. More precisely, these posters are not meant to capture the interest of all rather they are there to be deciphered and admired by the ones that fall in the eligibility criteria of the business’s target audience. A living proof of the same is that it is not unlikely for kid’s, in the superstore, to run towards the kids section as a result of the pull caused by the cartoon embedded posters. Similarly, women are most likely to be drawn towards the cosmetics section cause of the posters studded with fair women, considered to be ideal for many. Thus, design plays a major role in tapping the right target audience with the right feature.
Undifferentiated markets are out of fashion these days while bringing in the concept of concentration. Companies have now concentrated their efforts on a market of their interest. All the activities that take place within the domain of a company are directed towards the audience that the company feels is best suited to be the users of the brand. Since the design is a vital factor in the functioning of a brand, therefore; it has to be designed as per the liking of the audience. How could a company make sure of the same? Here are a few steps that can lead a company to create a perfect design while keeping in mind the audience they wish to target.
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I. Conducting a research
Research is the most productive activity that a company can conduct for the sake of clarity. It gives the company’s idea an endorsement and hence, proves to be a helpful tool for the business. For the research, the company first needs to look into the segments that its competitors are targeting. By looking into these segments, one can get sound insight with respect to the response of the target over the activities of the competitors.
In the case of designing, a company can dig into the tactics that competitors are using for attracting their target audience through their designs. Every business has a strategy built solely for the sake of attaining success, which in terms of design is the rate of attention received. Hence, research helps businesses gather information related to the activities and actions of the competitors in the domain of designing.
Moreover; the purpose of research is not to look for design ideas that the company can imitate and use for its own sake, rather it is to build a pathway, considering the activities of the competitors, for the benefit of the brand.
II. Knowing customer interests
The second phase of the design process is to extend the research to the pre-decided target audience of the company. Designing as per the interest of the company is not the deal here. Designing as per the liking of the customers is the right thing to do. It is of high importance that the business, particularly the marketing department, knows the direction in which the work is to be conducted, for which who could be a better guide than the customers themselves. Hence, the liking of the customers should be kept as the baseline in this case.
After knowing the preferences of the customers, the marketing department can then brainstorm ideas while giving them a shape based on which the design department can perform their piece of work. Such a design is guaranteed to make an impression on its customers since it has been created after a compelling research with strong data backing the decision.
By emphasizing over the idea of research, I do not mean to stress over the fact that all designs created after a research turn out to be a hit. Chances of failure always remain and a 100% surety can never be given in this regards. However; research definitely helps a company in getting the customers closer to making a purchase.
III. Finding out the new trends
It is highly likely for the competitors, of a business, to be relying on out dated ideas. Designs though are not very volatile, however; are prone to change at a moderate pace. There is hence, high probability that the designs that your competitors are using have been outdated. Therefore; benchmarking them may not prove to be of much help. There is also a possibility that a new design trend has just entered the market, which the competitors can not follow since their design has already been made. Here, a company has an opportunity to cash on a new trend that could set it apart from others. Since the likelihood of the competitors using that design is low, a business can always make the first move while marking its identity as distinct.
The elements as mentioned here are in perfect link with one another and hence, should be taken in to account in exactly the same manner. Therefore; following a new trend though is a good opportunity, however; this should be implemented only if the characteristics of the design match the preferences of the target audience. In case if the match is not present, going for the trend would mean a waste of the business’s resources and time.
IV. Making the right tradeoffs
In order to gain something, something has to be sacrificed as well. This philosophical quote applies to the world of designing as well. A business cannot delight its customers by adding everything to the design that they feel can attract the potential target towards the offering. The decision of what to design should be more about what not to add to the design. Since cluttering it with all glitters and gold will never work in favor of a brand hence; the decision of making a trade off is vital and critical.
Deciding upon what elements to add to the design can be difficult, but if you have followed the steps as mentioned in this article, you are at the safer end. The research that you have conducted in the very beginning of the process can help you in identifying the elements that your customers like along with the ones that they dislike, making the tradeoff easy and effective.
Also, it is to be noted that tradeoffs are necessary but making the right tradeoff is the key to a successful design. If a company, without research or prior knowledge of the customers, tends to tradeoff an element that the customers of the business admire, the technique would fail in giving the business a boost. Hence, the right decision with the right element is significant to be made.
V. Incorporating the core elements of the brand
Though it is highly important for a company to look into the likes and dislikes of its target market for the sake of creating a popular design, however; it is also significant to make sure that the elements of the customer’s choice go well with the overall image of the brand. A brand’s design should always contain in it the core elements that make up the basic structure of a brand. Since these are the elements that help the customers relate to the brand, therefore; neglecting them in the design won’t help in creating a connection between the brand and its audience. No matter how flashy or stylish the design maybe, if it lacks its core, it won’t create an impact.
The core elements of the brand may include the following:
• Color: The color of the design should always match the color scheme of the brand. Colors help stimulate feelings in the customers and hence, only the use of the right colors can allow the customers to feel the right emotions when they come across the design. Also, using the same colors as of the brand, a company can help the customers recognize the design as a part of the brand while building the right connection.
• Content: The use of the right content, in the design, is also a necessary feature. In content, the buzz words and slogans that the brand is known for are vital to be used. If a brand fails to incorporate these words, they will simultaneously fail to build a connection.
• Prioritizing: By prioritizing we mean that the elements, in the design, should be organized in the right manner. This means that the elements, especially words, which are the most important, should be the most visible in the design. In this manner, it is fine if the least important elements are not kept at a visible location or are completely eliminated from the design.
Brands Design, a branding service provider uses the same template along with its icon-based logo, patched in its designs, to build a connection between the brand and its customers.
Conclusion
The design that is done keeping in mind the target of the business is designing done right. Since the target is the audience for whom the design campaigns are initiated, therefore; neglecting them is equivalent to letting the company’s investment go down the drain. All the successful designs that the world has known are the ones that have been successful in capturing the attention of its customers for the maximum amount of time. These are the designs that get embedded in the minds of the customers even after the customers stop viewing them. Hence, the benchmark has already been set by some great designers.
If you too have an initiative which needs a good design, follow the above steps and your design is sure to outshine the rest.