Communication by Design
I love using Wordpress, Photoshop, XHTML, and CSS. I study principles of marketing and communications to complement my design skills. I am passionate about communication. Design is objective art put into context, with a common mean of interpretation. Web design combines marketing and branding principles with design. The purpose of Web design is to communicate an idea.
Design
As a graphic designer for the web I bring together a combination of design skills in order to provide the best possible user experience. The design of the site — in style, content, and layout — should reflect the brand it represents. These three elements combine to create the user experience. With a successful design, the quality of the experience improves, and thus, customer satisfaction, as well as conversion rates.
Style
refers to tone, attitude, and presence. A site should reflect the voice of the brand. It should complement and emphasize the outstanding characteristics of the product or service. Without shouting too loudly, the style of the site should complement and reflect the feelings of both the brand and the customer. The targeted audience should be drawn by the design, but sold by the content.
Content
is king. This phrase is often overused, and not even entirely true. However, content is the heart of your brand. A product is nothing if it’s value cannot be articulated. A service will never spread as widely as it’s value would permit, if the brand cannot present the services to the right audience, in a persuasive way. There is no king in business, there is not king of design, or of a website. But content is the heart of any website. If content is the heart, then the layout is the backbone.
Layout
supports the entire site like scaffolding during construction. Without a functional layout, great content and a beautiful design will crumble at your audiences feet. The user experience is centered around the functionality of the the layout. Louis Sullivan was a pioneer of architectural layout. His core principle was that “form follows function.” The layout must give structure and order, based on the intended function.
Communication
There are three levels of communication a brand can participate in. A brand’s ultimate goal is to touch their audience. Whether a product, service, or idea, a brand is a marketing tool designed to communicate value to their audience. Touch is about leaving a lasting impression. When a brand touches their audience, it produces their best marketing asset: promoters, evangelists, and fans.
Talking
is the simplest method of communication. Talk is traditional marketing. Television, radio, and print advertising are static, long-term, and one-way. Many brands look to the Internet for new tools for talking; however, the possibilities extend much farther.
Listening
is more engaging than talking. This is traditionally done through surveys and focus groups. Now, listening is becoming much easier. Tools like Google Analytics allowed brands to understand site visitor behavior. Social media tools are allowing brands to listen to their audience in real-time, and respond directly.
Conversation
is the paradigm of brand communication. Conversations are two-way and happen in real-time. It is essential that brand conversations are authentic and consistent with their message. That is how brands touch their audience.
It is my goal to improve the way brands communicate with their audience.
I provide many services that can support your brand’s message. A Web site re-design, or a new logo, or maybe a plan for starting a Twitter account are just some of the ways we can work together to improve the way your brand communicates with it’s audience.
If it sounds like I could be a good fit for your next project, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Thank you,
