Design done right is crucial. It can make or break a business. The role of visual designers got broader with the rise of social media platforms. In this post, my goal is to help you understand better the role of a visual designer when it comes to online presence. What is their job and how exactly are they important for you?
Visual Designer helps you reach the right audience
Designers know the psychology of colors. We study the human subconscious mind extensively in order to know what it responds to. This way we soft sell your product/service. Visual designers study each individual sector and the colors that are appropriate for each type of product. When choosing your brand colors, it’s crucial to have in mind the type of industry you are in. Sounds bizarre, right?! There are thousands of DOs & DON’Ts when it comes to design – all this with one and only purpose – to make products sell.
Let’s take packaging design for example. Did you know that choosing purple for your meat products is a bad idea? Why you ask. Customers would avoid the product, because subconsciously their minds associate the purple color with old, rotten meat.
Here’s another example, this time from interior design. I remember the exam in uni – our interior could look amazing, but we wouldn’t pass the exam if we did a purple wall in the living room. Most people don’t understand why. Purple is a likeable color, we love it. It’s so pretty, especially if you combine a few different shades of it.
The answer hides in people’s psychology. Studies about how our minds get affected by colours were made and published. Those studies conclude that spending long hours in a purple room puts us in depression.
Visual designer sees in perspective – that gives you a long-term strategy
In marketing, perspective is crucial. In its core, that’s actually what sells. It’s again all about people’s psychology. When made right, every photo, video, graphics or a movie, uses multiple tricks. Every single detail is there for a reason – to trigger the desired reaction in people’s minds.
I’ll share a couple of tricks with you.
Want to inspire trust? – a professional visual designer would use a man for your ad and would take a photo while shooting up to the subject. We’d do that because studies show this inspires trust in people.
You need to promote a donation campaign? – If we shoot a video ad, we’d make sure the camera is from a higher perspective. We’d use plenty of light and focus on pink hue. Light pink color provokes a feeling of protection in people. This type of video subconsciously makes the viewer feel bigger and stronger. If this sounds like a manipulation to you, I’d make it clear for you that in uni we called it psychological effect.AQ
Myths and Fairytales – how to use them in marketing
Yes, you read that well. We study myths and fairytales to get a BA in Arts. But we go about them differently. We actually analyze the brain. Our strongest neural pathways are formed during childhood. Subconsciously we still believe in that happy ending and in Prince Charming. Our brain just clicks when we watch that ad where a pretty lady applies a hydration cream and a few seconds later a handsome man notices her. Just like Cinderella! Poof – here is the magic!
We know we “deserve” the best. Just like in the fairytales that we were raised with. Society forms our brains early on and having control over that is … well, out of the window already.
To sum up, a visual designer is a professional, trained for years to manipulate customers’ choices. To do that, we use colors, images and storylines. Read more about design concepts and use professional tricks to take your branding to the next level.
If you are interested in using social media to sell or raise awareness, read Di’s thoughts on Influencer Marketing.
