Design is the most important part when it comes to your brand, especially when we’re living in a world dominated by images and visual platforms. This doesn’t just mean designing your logo, there’s so much more than that. Your brand’s design is what will bring people to your website, your blog posts, social media, and any content you put out there for the world to see. In order for your brand to stand out among competitors, here are 5 of the best graphic design strategies for small businesses. 

With Momentum Digital, we focus on a certain color palette, logo, and branding around digital marketing for small businesses.

Before even beginning, it’s important to think about the objective of the particular design. What do you want the viewer to see and take away from it? Ask yourself WHY you are making it. Once you know the answer, make a few rough sketches so that when your hands hit the computer you will have a clear idea of what you want. Starting from nothing will end in frustration and more often than not, you will not be impressed with your results. Every objective has a completely different design! Have patience, you will get there. 

Simon Sinek says it best with his book, “Start with Why”.

This is the most important design tip out there: Keep It Simple. There’s nothing worse than an overwhelming design that strains the eyes. For example, think of brands like Microsoft or Apple, their designs are simple, yet eye-catching. Even though there aren’t a ton of elements used, the messages are clear and people remember them. 

The KISS Method is very important to follow when it comes to design and marketing.

It is extremely important to have a format for every piece of content that you design. This is where branding guidelines come in. Regardless of the size of your company, brand guidelines are a crucial tool to help guarantee brand consistency. Without guidelines, your brand won’t be as recognizable to your customers. 

If you already have brand colors, make sure to use them in all your designs. It is okay to add in a pop of color every now and then to match the season, but for the most part, stick with your brand colors. If you don’t have brand colors yet, no worries! Find colors that matches or communicates your message. For example

Red stands for passion, excitement and anger. It can signify importance and command attention.  

Orange stands for playfulness, vitality and friendliness. It is invigorating and evokes energy.  

Yellow evokes happiness, youth and optimism, but can also seem attention-grabbing or affordable. 

Social Media graphics are always needed, so there is no better way to save time than to use templates. You can create them from scratch or you can use free design software tools. Technology has opened up many solutions that allow beginners to use easy online graphic editors. One really awesome graphic editor is Canva, you can use it for free or get the premium version. However, most don’t find the premium version necessary. Canva allows you to use templates already made and you have the ability to add your own personal touch to it! 

Creativity is not a gift, we all have it! It is easy to get frustrated when creating a design so it is important to be patient with yourself. Another great personal tip is that if you find yourself getting frustrated, walk away from your computer and clear your head. When you come back, you will be able to see where you went wrong. Also, Don’t hesitate to experiment! Some of the best ideas come from experimenting, exploring and thinking outside the box! 

When considering Graphic Design Strategies For Small Businesses, always try to be unique while being considerate of your goals and target market. Stand out, but speak to your customers visually.