Not Just Pretty: How to Make Design Effective

Design and Communication

Today, we can easily see millions of beautiful designs from an innumerable amount of designers from all over the world, but we rarely stop to see if the works presented have met their goal. Here, let's take a look at this reality of design that we sometimes forget.

A brief introduction

A very common deviation that has undergone the design of these last years has been the excessive concern of some designers for the intrinsic values of each design piece, without taking into account that its main function is the communicative one.

Although this deviation has been present since the origin of design, with the proliferation of portfolio exhibition sites, lately it seems to be repeated much more frequently. Some works are beautiful, no doubt, but do they really take into account the message that the client wants to convey to their audience?

Something to remember

A designer conceives the features of the final piece as a response to the requirements that the client proposes and is always looking for a way to expose the message to achieve the maximum communicational effectiveness. That design may include their own aesthetic values, but it must always consider that the message must be understood by the intended audience.

To achieve this, the designer must take time to get to know the customer, his business idea (which he usually represents), and interpret what the client wants, which he always knows but is not always able to convey clearly. But he/she should also consider the conditions and circumstances in which the recipients will receive that message, and to the same extent. 

When designing for a client, whatever the client and whatever the piece to be designed, not only we must listen carefully to the client's requirements, but we must also be able to find the way to interpret his needs. What the client wants, where he is, and what he thinks, is the starting point that designers must take to create the argument, the vision, motivate the client and persuade (rather than convince) the target audience with the message that the client wants.

That is why we must also take into account the entire research process that is required in these cases to find similarities and differences with their peers and competitors, the channels they use to communicate with their clients, circumstances, etc.

Not just eye candy

All of these conditions will make the process of choosing the appropriate graphic language easier, and therefore, more accurate and effective. And it is here, with the greater or lesser degree of arbitrariness that we give to the final piece, where the communicational effectiveness will be present.

Items to Consider As You Design

To prevent yourself from making designs that are gorgeous, but ineffective, consider the following before you start your designs:

• What does my design need to communicate?
• Who will be viewing this design?
• Could this design be perceived differently or in a negative light?
• Are the specifications of this project accurate? Is the font size readable? Is the design delivered in the right format for the project? 
• Who are the competitors? Will my design be similar or different?
• Does this design change help meet the project goals? Or is it only for aesthetic purposes (which is ok as long as it doesn't distract from the project goals)?
• Is there too much information in the design, or not enough?

How do you ensure that your designs are as effective as possible while maintaining a good design balance? Let us know or show us some examples in the comments.