Graphic Design Services - London, UK

"When you want graphic design services such as logo design, web design, annual report design, etc. appointing the right design company to carry out the work will be a big decision". 

What kind of design company?

Design companies vary in the provision of services and variety of design disciplines available to clients.

Design companies broadly fall under four categories: those which provide services specific to certain industry sectors, e.g. for charities or financial institutions; those providing a limited specialist range of services, e.g. web design or corporate identities only; freelance designers often specialise their design work to a particular style, e.g. they may use a particular style of illustration which they would utilise for all design projects they are assigned to, and finally multidisciplinary companies provide a host of services for a wide range of industries.

If your company is launching a campaign, for instance, that requires a particular approach then you may work with a company that specialises in that approach i.e. illustration. Many large companies tend to follow design trends and commission a particular designer or company to apply their style to a specified campaign. This is common with companies like Nike who have so many products and like to stay in touch with trends as this helps them reach their specific target audience.

There may be benefits to commissioning a design brief with specific requirements to a specialist design company due to the experience and knowledge they possess in their field. There are also disadvantages due to the risk of narrowing your project brief to a pre-determined solution and not having explored all the possible avenues available to it.

Can just anyone come up with a graphic design suitable for purpose? After all, doesn't everyone have some art skills, to varying degrees? Graphic design is not a profession as such - its just a hobby someone is making money out of, isn't it? (by the way the answer is no, it isn't)

How many times have you seen a [small] business with a brand image designed by their spouse, nephew or [insert suitable relative with pretensions to artistic granduer here]?

Is it right?

Of course, if they have the necessary training or experience - no problem,

But if they don't - then the person who has trusted their brand image to them is either a huge gambler, or simply not that bothered...

The adage - if you want a job done properly, then get a professional to do it, is normally a pretty safe bet. 

The right place to start off exploring what makes good graphic design - would be to first restate what we mean by graphic design.

 So here goes with a defination as written by Jacci Howard Bear -

"Graphic design is the process and art of combining text and graphics and communicating an effective message in the design of logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual communication. "

As you can see - the definition pretty much encompasses the graphic design services put down in the last post.

The key issue to take from the definition would be "communicating an effective message" - the be all and end all of any design project.

Graphic Design is not simply an art form, created for aesthetic pleasure or simply for people to stare at and wonder whether their 3 year old could do any better and also make millions by having a drawing of a pink square on a blue background hung up in the Tate - it is not just about any type of communication.

No successful business owner  would commision a new brand identity simply to look pretty or impress the neighbours (note the keyword "successful"). Rather, the brand would be created in order to effectively communicate the service/ product/ added value being provided.

In other words, the message must be received at the other end.

So most definately - the first rule of Good Graphic Design - it has to communicate an effective message.

Graphic design services as a category covers a whole range of activities - from logo design to design of a report to packaging design, poster design and all other types of materials.

So first we have a range of activities, and a second problem would be effort versus quality. Graphic Design is definately not simply about putting the hours of effort in. Nor can it be measured by quantity.

End results are another issue - one persons favourite brand could be an eye-sore to another person. In this case - beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

How can you quantify great ides? 

Who decides the price of someone elses imagination, and capability to express that through whatever medium, whether pen, keyboard, saw or even body parts.

So putting a price on "good graphic design" is .... well, pretty much impossible.

But is it a free for all?

Surely there have to be some rules - standards - some universal way of deciding what is good graphic design, and what simply ... isn't

Something worth exploring....which we'll be trying to do in future blog entries

ICONIC LOGO DESIGN

You know what I am talking about - that special logo design that has defined a brand....immediate association, brand recognition, sometimes even a cult following

Like the tick  -

Or the geeks favourite -

Of course, not ALL logos or straplines fairly or accurately portray what they are supposed to represent.

Some can be downright misleading :)