Graphic Design
Graphic design is a form of visual communication. It is the articulation of ideas by means of how something LOOKS, as opposed to what it SAYS. People are naturally very visually oriented. Not only are their eyes very sophisticated, but the image processing centres of their brain are extremely adept at perceiving and interpreting even the most subtle visual patterns. This is why people have no problem looking at an abstract two-dimensional shape on a flat page and immediately recognizing it as representing some real world object. Graphic design depends upon this ability and takes advantage of the fact that visual experiences can elicit emotional reactions. People get "feelings" from colour and from form. This allows visual imagery to create impressions in peoples minds that effectively communicate ideas by nonverbal means. In this respect graphic design shares similarities with fine art. The line separating the two is sometimes a fuzzy one. The main difference being the type of message conveyed and the stylistic methods employed. Because of it's utility in commercial applications, graphic design plays a very important role in advertising and the conveyance of corporate identity.

What's the difference between Good Graphic Design and Bad Graphic Design?

Most people might have some trouble answering this question. They might be able to tell the difference, but have some trouble articulating it. Teachers of graphic design could probably give extensive and complex rules for distinguishing the difference. But for any of those sets of specific rules, numerous examples can be found of good graphic design that breaks these rules. The actual answer is really a simple one. Good graphic design conveys information in a more interesting way than bad graphic design. How does it do this? Lots of ways. Most importantly, it catches and arrests the viewers attention. By innovative use of dynamic imagery, good graphic design makes the ordinary into the extraordinary, into something that sparks the interest of the viewer. A simple bit of text can elicit the "Wow" response. Imaginative combination or juxtaposition of form, stylization, colour complementation or contrast, or simple stylistic elegance can all enhance the visual appeal, and hence interest level, of a graphic. Frequently, simplicity of form has greater appeal than complexity. In graphic design, Less is More.

In terms of utilitarian value, the ability of graphic design to create different impressions makes it extremely valuable in advertising and other fields where the effective conveyance of information is the goal. Corporate identity many times is conveyed exclusively through graphic design. A company's logo frequently being not only its identifying symbol, but the customer's sole source of information about the nature of who and what the company represents. For this reason it is in the best interest of any company to pay very strict attention to the use of graphic design in its printed materials. In our highly competitive market, a professional "look" can make all the difference.

Advertising
The power of advertising is undeniable. If advertising didn't work so well there wouldn't be so much of it about. Businesses use it because it DOES work. Most advertising is comprised of the simple conveyance of information about a company's products or services. After all, what chance do consumers have of buying a product if they aren't aware of its existence? Therefore, the key purpose of advertising is to bring consumers that awareness. Many advertisers go to extreme measures to get their message across, bludgeoning consumers with flash and hype in order to get their attention. This is mostly unnecessary. With some products, perhaps, because of the nature of their appeal and the fierce competition inherent in their particular market, it might be, but with most products, it isn't. With the vast majority of products, simply informing the consumer about the products good qualities is just as effective. Quite simply, the more familiar customers are with a company and its products, the more likely they will buy them. Advertising is a business' way of educating consumers about their products. Nothing more, nothing less.

One size does not fit all.

One of the most important considerations when designing an advertising strategy for a business is the type of market that is being sought. Clearly, for example, the same type of advertising isn't going to be effectual for both an automobile dealer and a computer company. The target market must be analyzed effectively if positive results are to be expected. Simply making the loudest noise doesn't ensure success. Many people don't like loud noises. Sometimes a more reasoned, rational or sophisticated approach is necessary to reach the people you are interested in reaching. At times a creative, innovative "with it" approach might be the most appropriate. At still other times a better tactic may be the more conservative "classic" approach. Whatever the strategy necessary, we at CMG understand the importance of learning everything we can about the nature of our clients' business and their customers. Only by doing so do we have a chance of reaching the right market for their products, and actually getting that market to respond.

Image is everything!

Keeping Track - A key factor to ensuring success in advertising endeavours is getting feedback on how your advertising is doing. This means tracking. There are many ways to do tracking. Sales representatives can ask new customers where they heard about the company. Questionnaires can be included with products. Survey polls can be conducted. If a direct mail piece has been sent out, accurate response numbers are easily tallied. Any time a major advertising piece is run, some form of tracking needs to be done in order to assess its effectiveness. This is most important in the initial phases of reaching a new market, but periodic monitoring is also very important. Markets change over time, what was effective at one time may not be effective now. Without tracking, a lot of time and money can be wasted. This seems obvious, but it's surprising how little tracking is generally done. Many businesses feel that money spent on tracking would be better spent on doing additional advertising, but this isn't really true. There are a lot of different ways to advertise, more and more every day, and only the right kind of advertising is going to produce any results at all. The only way to tell what is the right kind of advertising is to do tracking. It's more cost effective to spend what it takes to do adequate tracking than to just try to different kinds of ad campaigns in a hit or miss fashion.

Despite the claims of a certain leading soft drink company's ad campaign, image is very important. At least when it comes to corporate identity. Many companies suffer from the lack of a consistent corporate identity, not only in terms of visual imagery, but also in terms of corporate direction. They don't realize that the two are frequently correlated in many ways. We can tell this is true by the fact that many sagging corporations have been able to achieve a rejuvenation and upsurge in their business simply by giving their corporate image a face-lift. The face a company presents to the world determines, in many respects, not only how their customers perceive the likely quality and desirability of their products, but the overall professionalism with which they do business. Consistent professionalism in all areas, from quality of production, to corporate identity is what builds reputations. A company, no matter how tremendous its' products, will not be taken seriously if it makes a shabby presentation. Whether it be in the quality of their advertising, or their corporate identity. Many times business cards, letterheads, brochures, flyers, etc., give the people a company wants to reach their first (and sometimes only) impression. Literature with a professional look lends credibility to any company. Whether it be their corporate logo, or their latest ad campaign, anything that a company puts out there for public scrutiny says something about what kind of business they are. At CMG we guarantee that our talented graphic artists and creative staff will give your company a polished professional image that stands apart from the competition.

Print
The kind of brochure you design for your company should depend on its purpose, targeted audience, and method of distribution. If you have identified four groups who can use your product it is less expensive to print all four brochures at the same time, on the same press sheet, than to print them one at a time.