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Design: The Original Influencer

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Design: The Original Influencer

by Brian Fisher | June 8, 2020

Long before your favorite social media star added the word influencer to their bio, design has been used to communicate and to influence consumer decisions. Design has the power to make a lasting impact on a person and can even persuade them to become a new, loyal customer.

Everything in front of you has been purposefully designed, from the font used to write this sentence, to the device you are reading it with, to the piece of furniture that you are currently sitting on. Something that has been designed will have characteristics such as being cheap or luxurious, loud or quiet, durable or weak. Designers can use an array of colors, fonts, textures, shapes, patterns, and so much more to create a finished product with intention, that can evoke a certain feeling when experienced by the consumer.

Design can be straightforward and informative, used to direct people, such as the red, attention-grabbing STOP sign at the end of your street, written in loud, easy-to-read capital letters.

Design can have deeper meaning to hint and suggest an idea to the customer, like the subtle smile in the current Pepsi logo or the arrow built into the long-standing FedEx logo.

Whether or not you have ever noticed the two previous examples from Pepsi and FedEx, the carefully constructed designs have been there the entire time, quietly suggesting a happy smile if you reach for one of their beverages or an arrow hinting that if you use their services, they will move your parcel to its destination.

We use our senses to gather information from our surroundings, which leads to reactions, emotions, and opinions. If a company has designed their brand to speak directly to us, we are more likely to respond to it.

Once a customer demographic has been identified, everything the company creates (i.e. products, social media posts, retail stores) can be designed with that target customer in mind.

An organic, natural food company might base their visual branding around earth tones and handwritten-style fonts, while a technology company that focuses on creating iPhone apps might consider a sleek, modern approach to their branding to appear that they are on the cutting edge. Designing with intention can be used to help people identify with your brand or product or to make them perceive your brand in a specific way.

There is still an effort required to make your design stand out from the crowd, but it is important to take cues from the traits of your ideal customer and other established brands in your marketspace. Design can solve problems, communicate to consumers, spread information, and leave a lasting impression.

Vertical Compass has worked with dozens of brands, created unique solutions for several different industries, and designed specifically to identify with countless target demographics. Contact our team today to discuss how we can help you complete your next project!