More than just printing…

What may seem so simple can turn into being so complex. Design is one of those areas that can go either way, depending on how well it is planned out in the beginning.

According to the article “Designing Success,” Frank Napolitano reshaped one of Albert Einstein’s quotes to say something along the lines of “If you have an hour to create a product or service, spend 59 minutes figuring out how it will elegantly solve a customer’s problem, then spend a minute designing it.” To make a simple solution for your customers, be it a product or new service, it requires creativity.

There are four essential qualities noted by Frank Napolitano required for design creativity:

1. Empathy
2. Intuition
3. Imagination
4. Idealism

A great design is about how simply it solves the customer’s need – the same goes for graphic design in the sense of how easy you portray your marketing message to your target audience. Clearly getting your message across to your audience requires the same four essential qualities, noted by Mr. Napolitano, in addition to creativity. Without them, a not-so-great design can lose your message and audience very easily.

Here are some great tips on “How to Improve your next Graphic Design Project”

Here are some great graphic design examples for packaging: ‘Oh Beautiful Beer’ Collects Great Graphic Design by Brewers — ADWEEK

Do you have any tips you use when creating a great design?

Every good marketing campaign is backed by a strategy. The question is what do you hope to achieve from a customer or prospect? Many print, web and media designers hope to create an impression from a slick marketing campaign.

Come’on, you remember the neat campaigns by VW, Coke, Pepsi and the purveyors of alcohol. Of course they want you to ultimately buy their product/service, but to have their brand resonate is also equally important. Using the medium of direct mail is often more copy-intensive than its image counterparts of media.

Who is your target? What are you seeking? What repeat business do you hope to gain?

Start With Your Reply Card on Your Direct Mail Piece

Remember the intimate aspects of knowing your customer? Knowing your customer or target audience more intimately is always a plus. It allows you the opportunity to achieve a better response to your offer. Relevant questions can be strategically asked on a reply card, regarding areas of interest for this audience. Obtaining information about their personal habits and enjoyments will allow a more successful, repeat targeted campaign.

Start with your reply card or return mechanism and work backwards. Think objectively about your theme. Elicit the help of a creative designer to help drive your message in an appealing and balanced way, perhaps a copywriter to help enhance the theme as well. A nicely designed direct mail package with a poignant message is a good first step.

Paper Choices: It’s all in the details

Paper is the substrate that carries your message and offer. Don’t ignore this important detail. A coated bright-blueish white reproduces a sharp image and lends itself to crisp products and brilliant color copy. A warmer-reddish coated paper fits better with flesh tones and delicate copy themes. An uncoated paper can also have a pleasing effect of warmth, write-ability and is also available in a wide variety of colors, hues and textures.

Does Your Copy Sell Your Incentive?

Don’t obscure your offer with many lines of small type or heavy body-copy. Feature the offer outright with brilliant photos and inviting headline copy. The offer is the “incentive to act” that you’re seeking. Don’t be afraid to pursue this behavior repetitively.

Direct Mail Ideas to Consider

• Using Variable Image Print (VDP) or personalizing your offer can give you a far better return.
• Let’s not skip other details at the print stage however. Full color printing or black & white? Color printing can boost results!
• Rich, lush and broad photographs of a black and white nature can have a very positive impact but can be diminished in their tonal range, if not printed in 4 color process application.

Overwhelmed by the details? Remember that direct mail is not an exact science, but marketing campaigns that follow a regimen tend to be more successful than most others.

You get what you plan for!