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How Graphic Design Helps Communicate Your Message

December 15, 2016

We can all probably agree that well-executed graphic design ― whether for digital or print ― should be pleasing to the eye. But there’s much more to good graphic design than just looking pretty. At PMD, we’re firm believers that a primary function of graphic design is to facilitate communication.

Think about it this way: Just like concrete provides a firm foundation for your house, graphic design provides a firm foundation for your message. Without it, things can get a little shaky and unstable!

So, what are some ways that graphic design helps communicate your message more clearly?

Use of color. In addition to reinforcing your brand, color can also provide visual cues for navigation, calls-to-action, and general organization. While it may be tempting to use flashy colors, this isn’t always be the best choice for legibility. The proper color contrast of background and text will make print and digital pieces easier to read.
Use of layout. Whether it’s arranging elements on a brochure or a website, the layout is critical to a positive user experience. For example, the right flow will keep someone focused on your website longer ― and ultimately lead him to take some kind of action. If the layout is confusing in any way, he’ll likely give up and go elsewhere to find what he wants.
Use of imagery. Visuals help to convey thoughts and ideas. They should always serve a purpose to help reinforce your message, not detract from it. Beyond photos, this also includes illustrations, icons, or charts/graphs.

Graphic design isn’t an afterthought! It should go hand-in-hand with your content to help organize, prioritize, and emphasize. The result is clear communication that’s more easily understood by your audience ― and that will lead to increased conversions. Need some help laying the graphic design groundwork for your marketing pieces? Give us a call!

Looking Ahead: 2017 Web Design Trends

December 1, 2016

As another year comes to a close, we find ourselves looking ahead to what the next year will bring in the world of web design trends. And really, sometimes these aren’t even so much “trends” that come and go, but rather the continuing evolution of websites and the user experience. Here are a few things we expect to see taking center stage for web design in 2017:

Eye-catching and effective imagery. To stand out from the ever-growing crowd, websites must feature authentic and genuine imagery. What does this mean? No impersonal stock photos, for one thing. By now, most web users can spot a staged stock photo from a mile away. (If you need help with professional photos that showcase your business, we’ve worked with some pretty awesome photographers in Wichita!) Aside from using real photos, illustrations that have a hand-drawn or “sketched” quality continue to be a popular choice of visual. Cinemagraphs (photos that have a single, subtle moving element) and animated gifs are also effective at catching the viewer’s eye.

Grids & modular framework. When you open up a novel to read, you expect the pages to be filled with words. You want to get lost in the story and be transported to the imaginary world created by the author. Websites, on the other hand, serve a much different purpose. The user goes to a website to find information–and find it fast. A grid-style or modular framework features bite-sized blocks of content which are easier to skim and digest. WordPress offers many modular types of themes which we can customize for our clients.

Simplified navigation. Website design continues to lean toward minimalism, and this includes the primary navigation. Some major websites have gone as far as reducing their visible menu to a bare minimum of three items. Keep in mind that even if you condense your navigation into just a handful of primary funnels, these can still be expanded into larger drop-down menus with more specific options. We’ll also continue to see more websites using sticky navigation, which comes in handy for pages that require a lot of scrolling. Why is it called sticky? Because the primary navigation menu is locked or fixed in place, so it can still be accessed no matter how far the user has scrolled down the page.

It’s always fun to stay on top of web design trends and share what the future looks like. But in all truthfulness, we’re not here to create purely “trendy” websites. It’s not about forcing every newfangled design trend on your website, unless it makes sense and serves a purpose.

We want to listen to you. We want to learn about your needs and goals, in order to design a beautiful and functional web presence that best represents your business. So if a new or overhauled website is in your plan for 2017, let’s chat!

Maximize Event Exposure with Effective Design

November 14, 2016

Trade shows, exhibitions, expos… Whatever you call them, these types of events can bring big potential for your business. They offer the opportunity for valuable face-to-face interaction with a captive audience of potential customers. In fact, many trade shows have an admission charge just to get in, so you know the attendees really want to be there!

On the flip side, there’s always a fee for vendors to participate–and it can sometimes be a hefty one. So how do you maximize your investment and your event exposure? It’s a combination of advance planning, effective graphic design, and friendly follow-up!

Plan your booth several months in advance. How much space do you have? Do you need table covers, backdrops, or stand-up banners? The lead time for ordering such custom items can be several weeks. Large, branded display pieces like these also need to be designed at the highest possible resolution to produce the best printed quality. They should be professional and eye-catching to increase visibility and draw people into your booth. Remember, you’re competing for attention with tens or even hundreds of other vendors!
Start promoting several weeks in advance. This includes your website and social media, as well as email campaigns to announce your participation as a vendor. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, display signage or fliers to let customers know about the event. All of these promotional pieces should have a cohesive design that reflects your brand.
Provide take-along pieces. Attendees are likely to be provided with a big bag to collect all their “goodies,” so make sure you have something to add to it. Having plenty of business cards on hand is obvious, but what about other literature? Consider fliers or brochures detailing your products/services, or even a special coupon that customers can redeem on their first purchase. (Don’t forget to include your social media profiles on all printed pieces.) Promotional items like pens, magnets, or sport bottles can also be a cost-effective way to keep your brand in front of people on a daily basis.
Capture leads. Success isn’t always measured by sales you actually make on-site, but rather by lead acquisition. This can be in the form of a simple sign-up form for your email newsletter, or even a drawing where people provide their contact info to win a small prize. (Just be sure to include the fine print about opting in for your newsletter and their information won’t be shared with third parties, etc.)
Follow up. Now that you have some new leads, use them! Send out an email within a few days to thank attendees who visited your booth. Remind them what your business has to offer and how your products/services can help them. Encourage people to follow you on social media and contact you with any questions they might have.

Do you have a trade show or other event coming up? We’d love to hear about it! And if you need help designing professional-quality display pieces, branded promotional items, or email/web campaigns, let us take the burden off your shoulders. We’ll make you look good, so you can focus on everything else.

Holiday Promotions for Small Business Success

November 2, 2016

We’re not sure how it happened either, but the holidays are all of a sudden upon us once again. Between decorating, hosting the family get-togethers, and Christmas shopping, there’s a lot to think about. And for small business owners, the holiday to-do list is even longer! Are you hosting an open house at your store? Do you sell products or services that would make great gift ideas? Are you running special promotions for Black Friday or Small Business Saturday? These are all great ways to increase holiday sales―and they need to be communicated through your website design and other marketing efforts.

Put a holiday twist on your website’s homepage with festive fonts and imagery. Don’t go overboard though; keep it clean, professional, and focused.
Create an email campaign to promote your special offers, gift ideas, open house, etc. Your emails should be consistently branded and well-designed with a specific call-to-action.
Post holiday-themed graphics on your social media. This includes replacing your profile and cover photo for the season, as well as regular posts related to your promotions.
Mail a fun postcard to your customers to wish them a happy holiday season. This is a great opportunity to invite them to your holiday open house or include a coupon to redeem in store or online.
Set up a unique landing page designed specifically for your holiday campaign. This makes it easier for you to track visits and will help increase conversions.
Decorate your storefront for the holidays, including festive window displays and coordinating signage.

It’s getting down to the wire, but there’s still time to get your promotions in front of customers to increase holiday sales. Need help creating eye-catching graphics and marketing materials for online or print campaigns? We’re just a phone call away.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and successful holiday season!

6 Ways to Scare People Away from Your Business Website

October 17, 2016

With Halloween just around the corner, our minds are on all things spooky this month―from ghosts and goblins, to witches and… websites? Yes, it’s true. An outdated or unprofessional website design can have a frightening effect on your clicks and conversions. That’s why we’re putting a twist on this week’s blog post and sharing six surefire ways to scare people away from your business website:

Bury your contact information or the business location deep on your website. (Or, don’t include it at all.) People don’t need to know where they’re buying from or whom they’re trusting anyway, right?

Include plenty of low-quality graphics and impersonal stock photos. Even better, have an outdated Flash intro page that’s distracting or doesn’t load properly.
Make visitors wait at least five seconds for your website to load. (Doesn’t sound that long? According to this Kissmetrics article, most web users expect a site to load in less than two seconds!)
Don’t organize your content into manageable sections or include a handy navigation menu. You wouldn’t want to make it too easy for people to find what they’re looking for.
Overwhelm visitors with lots of text in long paragraphs―everyone loves scrolling until their fingers cramp up! Bonus points if the text is small or hard to read against the background color.
Make sure you’re one of the estimated 91% of small businesses that doesn’t have a Responsive Web Design (which takes into consideration the device on which your website is being viewed). In other words, pay no attention to the fact that the number of mobile users accessing the internet has surpassed the number of desktop users. Or the fact that responsive design is Google’s #1 recommended design pattern and can actually improve your search rankings.

In all seriousness, your Halloween costume should be hair-raising―not your website! If you need help transforming your site from scary to stunning, give us a call and let’s talk about how to make that happen.