Where's the design?

With all this talk about branding, design is being left out in the cold. Brrr, it's chilly out there! Design, really good design, can only help your identity and brand. I've seen some really great design work and some really trashy design work. Let's face it, even trashy design can uphold your brand. Or worse, boring design. Boring design can uphold your brand if you have all your pieces playing nicely together.

So you have your logo, you have your colors, you have your website, you have your business cards and stationary. They are all being produced according to your brand formula. But what's missing? Probably something really memorable that speaks directly to your niche market. The "wow factor." Creating a wow design is a really difficult task, but it's one that I strive for in each design that comes out of my head, onto paper and into the computer. It can be done. You should consider hiring a professional designer that understands the branding process and can understand your brand.

Effective design boils down to effective communication. You need to communicate with your audience (your existing and future clients.) You want your logo, colors and all pieces in your corporate identity to have a life. You want them jump off the paper and land into the lap of the viewer. You need your business card to work for you after you've left your client meeting. How can this possibly be done? Easy, that's my job! That's where I come into the picture. I can help you create that business card that will be jump off the table and into the hands of a client that will hire you. How do I do this? I use my training and experience in the design field (it's closing in on over 10 years now) to work with your corporate colors and your logo and recreate you (you = you and your company).

I'm a firm believer in putting your mug on your business card. But you need a good picture. Not just any crap that's from 15 years ago. Use a current, professionally photographed image. Your investment in the photography and design will pay for itself with the first business card you hand out. If you don't believe me, here is an example.

What are you going to remember from my business card at the top of this blog? I walked into a room in November with 15 people and 40 business cards in my pocket. I left the room without a single business card and 4 requests for more to hand out to others.

My business card works for me while I'm sleeping, eating lunch, meeting with clients, etc. I pick up at least one new client per week and can directly attribute that to my use of branding, but in particular my business card.

How much does all this cost, you ask?
Design: $500 (includes 3 revisions, 3 sketches)
Photography: $75-200 (depends on the photographer)
Printing: $99 for 1,000 cards, full color on both sides, glossy or matte finish
Works while you sleep: Priceless