Effective Graphic Design for Websites

First off I want to make clear that if you are a novice attempting Graphic Design for a legitimate website then please take my advice and stop. Hire a professional graphic design agency as this is not something you should take lightly at all. The design of a site needs to be right in every possible or it will have a very negative impact on rankings. Do not mistake graphic design and print design to be the same, both are very different and requires knowledge of different technologies to get it right.

There are a number of technologies out there that are used by professionals to get the correct effect. Adobe is one of the biggest players in software for design work i.e. Photoshop, Illustrator and Adobe Fireworks. OK so to the point, why is graphic design important? Well imagine this you have been invited to a ball which requires you to be elegant, smart and have some professionalism about. Instead you turn up in a hoodie and gym shorts. Immediately you have just created the wrong impression about yourself and potentially damaged your reputation.

Graphic design when done correctly adds value to your business via marketing materials and branding. It also sends a message to your client / customers about you, your business and the kind of audience you appeal. All this needs to be correct or you can safely assume that your name and reputation will be destroyed in a very small amount of time.

There are so many aspects to consider when dealing with graphic design like:

• Colours

• Typefaces

• Sizes of text

• Imagery

• Layout

• Messages

• Branding

• Audience

• Usability

• Typography

If you are looking to hire a professional then here are some questions that you could ask:

• How long have you been in the industry?

• Have you worked with similar clients?

• Do you have a portfolio available?

• How many design reviews do you have?

• Have you won many awards?

Graphic design will allow your business to stand out from all your competitors. You have to look at the different elements of your website as your way of being unique. Also as well as being unique something a number of larger brands work hard to ensure is too not make it obvious that graphic design work has taken place (take it as a secret formula).

We have talked a lot of graphic design but what about print design? Well ultimately the same principals apply but the difference is that with the print design this may well include business, brochures and any other business materials that you pass on to clients. Be very wary here, these are materials that will be passed on a lot and each time need to make the correct impression of your business and also need to ensure that no one immediately discards your material. I hope this article helps and I look forward to seeing some talented design work from people out there.