Graphic Design: Branding Your Organization

Partner Service & Sales Training

What is Graphic Design

I. What is Graphic Design - A Basic Overview and Common Rules-of-Thumb.

II. Graphic Design and your Organization

III.Outlets and Branding Guidelines

IV.Our Design Process

What is Graphic Design

• The visual communication of an idea through a combination of words, images and symbols.

• A unique visual representation of an organization’s (or company, event, church group etc.) mission, product or platform.

• The artistic and creative use of letters, shapes, colors and layouts used to convey a message.

How and Where is it Used?

• Graphic Design is everywhere from gum wrappers and t-shirts to billboards and flying blimps. It is used to persuade, stimulate, organize, impact, identify and attract attention through a visual medium.

• Most organizations use graphic design in some way through:• brochures• logos• flyers • business cards

• websites • postcards• stationary • advertisements

Basic Rules of Thumb

• A creative logo or promotional flyer can support any organization’s branding strategies.

• Always keep in mind the following:

• The Audience: Age, Culture, Gender Etc.

• Layout: People often read left to right in a Z pattern

• Typography: Readability and correlation to message

• Image: Resolution and relation

• Color: Warm, bright, mellow, cool etc.

Why Use Graphic Design?

• Graphic design plays a huge role in an organization’s image and branding

• Unlike words that require a paragraph to convey a message, a logo, picture or advertisement can trigger a memorable emotion immediately after viewing.

• Graphic designers can take an idea and develop creative designs that are eye-catching and unique, that will help a company standout and attract attention.

Graphic Design and Your Organization

I. What is Graphic Design - A Basic Overview and Common Rules-of-Thumb.

II. Graphic Design and your Organization

III.Outlets and Branding Guidelines

IV.Our Design Process

Communicating Through Graphic Design

• Key questions to ask in preparing for graphic design work:• What does a company or organization want to

communicate through its logo, marketing material, website etc.?

• What messages, emotions and behaviors do you want to provoke?

• Who is the target audience?• Are there specific colors that relate to your organization?

• Depending on the organization, the intended message may not always be clear cut. The following examples show how different logos can change over time to keep up with an altering market and message.

Communicating Through Graphic Design

• The NBC Peacock was created in 1956 and designed to showcase NBC programming in (then a new medium) color TV.

• Since then, the Peacock has appeared on everything from coffee cups, beach towels and key chains, to playing cards, beanie babies and t-shirts.

• The Peacock's longevity in television and as a corporate logo for NBC has lasted for over 50 years.

I. The NBC Peacock

Communicating Through Graphic Design

• The Animal Planet channel recently revised its logo in order to match their new programs that now carry wild themes.

• The intention of the makeover was to attract more adult viewers with television shows that emphasize animals’ feral nature.

II. Animal Planet – New vs. Old Logo

• They eliminated the globe and the elephant, replacing them with an "animalistic boldness“.

Communicating Through Graphic Design

• Known as the top search engine online that offers up to date and valuable information to online ‘googlers’.

• The company uses various features of the logo which compliment and refer to birthdays of famous people like Leonardo Di Vinci and Dr. Martin Luther King; holidays like 4th of July and Christmas, and specific events such as The Olympics and World Cup.

III. Google – Changing with the seasons with ‘google-doodles’

Outlets and Branding Guidelines

I. What is Graphic Design - A Basic Overview and Common Rules-of-Thumb.

II. Graphic Design and the Organization

III.Outlets and Branding Guidelines

IV.Our Design Process

Where to Use Graphic Design

• Graphic design will apply to almost every aspect of an organization.• A new business logo

• A website layout

• Organization stationary

• Print and Digital Advertisements

• Tri-fold brochures

• Company promotional items

• Business Cards

• Event Flyers

• Email Signatures

• Corporate Folders

• Store Signs

Where to Use Graphic Design

Stationary

Promo Items

Advertisements

Websites

Email Signature

Store Signs

Branding Guidelines

• A Business does all the work of logo creation, coining a tagline and branding a website. Of course, they must register and copyright the brand, logo and all accompanying assets, but that’s not all!

• Create Branding Guidelines: There are many ways of branding a product or service and sometimes they're used the wrong way.

• What To Be Prepared For If You Don’t Have Branding Guidelines:• The risk of inconsistencies in your intended design and use of

message across a variety of mediums.• Wrong type fonts, colors, clarity, and positioning of your design on

stationary, ads, promotional material, etc. • Inconsistent messages possibly resulting in poor sales.

Our Design Process

I. What is Graphic Design - A Basic Overview and Common Rules-of-Thumb.

II. Graphic Design and the Organization

III.Outlets and Branding Guidelines

IV.Our Design Process

Custom Vs. Basic Designs

• Since our clients work on a variety of different budgets and require different levels of complexity in their graphic design work, we offer two levels of service to meet their needs:• Custom Design:

• Based on an hourly quote • Completely customizable design from scratch

• Basic Design:• A pre-determined price• Client can choose from a plethora of pre-

designed templates, in which they can add a minimized level of customization to the design

Printing

• While we do not print designs in-house, we have formed a partnership with a quality printing service in order to provide clients with a professional grade print job, at an affordable price.

• Additionally, if a client would prefer to use a printer in their local area we can find one that will meet the standards of their print job.

• Every client is provided with the electronic version of any graphic design work they have purchased through us. So, should additional printing be needed in the future, their designs are ready to print.

Our Graphic Design Process

• Step 1: Terms & Confirmation Agreement must be received and interview gets scheduled.

• Step 2: Interview takes place

• The following questions are asked:• Business/Organization Name• Describe in one sentence or two what your business is about.• Any specific colors needed or favorite colors?• Slogan (Example: “We are here to serve you”)• Any specific images, objects, or design ideas?• First two questions are mandatory. The rest are optional.• Timeframe and process is explained to client.

• Step 3: Client will receive two samples of logo concept via email and he/she is made aware that there is a 7-day timeframe to submit the logo of choice and/or revisions.

Our Graphic Design Process

• Step 4: Client emails logo of choice and/or submits changes needed to the logo.

• Step 5: Logo changes are made according to request(s) within a week from being received or less.

• Step 6:

• Pre-Designed Promo - Once changes are completed, if any, a final email is sent with final formats for web and printing services (PNG and JPEG files)

• Custom Logo - Once changes are completed, if any, a final email is sent with the final logo attached and a CD with about 10 different file formats is mailed to the client.

• Work is finalized

Conclusion

• The possibilities for how graphic design will help brand an organization are endless. One thing is for sure, whatever an organization chooses as their representation can leave a permanent impression on the audience.

7 Fundraising Tactics

• Seven ways to fund your business:

• Bootstrapping: Funding the business yourself: using your savings, your initial revenues, credit cards, equity pulled from your home, etc.

• Debt Financing: Requires that you qualify for a traditional bank loan or that you find a bank that can provide you a loan with an SBA guarantee.

• Friends and Family: Just like it sounds, raise money from people you know well, either in exchange for equity or as a loan to be repaid.

Continued…

7 Fundraising Tactics

• Seven ways to fund your business:• Grants: Special programs designed to fuel the

innovative fires of small businesses, and typically target specific groups or types of businesses, such as: technology businesses, veteran-owned businesses, women-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses. These are rare for for-profit ventures.

• Angel Investors: Individuals who invest in companies at an early stage in exchange for equity and the chance to help guide the company.

Continued…

7 Fundraising Tactics

• Seven ways to fund your business:

• Factoring: A financial institution (factor) advances the entrepreneur money against proceeds from the entrepreneur's outstanding accounts receivables.

• Venture Capitalists: Individuals or companies with large amounts of capital to invest; expect higher returns. They invest as a profession and generally on behalf of other investors.

Creating a Marketing plan

I. Introduction to Starting a BusinessII. Getting StartedIII. Legal FormationIV. Business FinancingV. Creating a Marketing PlanVI. How BizCentral USA Aides Entrepreneurs in

Starting a BusinessVII. Review

Marketing the Business

• Most small business owners view promotion and advertising as a “luxury” that they cannot afford.

• Unfortunately, this usually results in ineffective promotion and poor results.

• Marketing is key in discovering the needs from consumers and how the business will answer those needs.

4 P’s of Marketing

• The 4 P’s: Product, Promotion, Place & Price, are factors that a business can control.

• The goal is to base decisions on the 4 P’s around the consumers in the target market.

Consumer

Needs

Product

Promotion

Place

Price

Marketing Methods

• The best approach for a startup business is an integrated marketing strategy. This will combine multiple marketing and communication strategies based on the primary goals of the business and the needs of consumers.

• Some of the various types of marketing strategies include:

• Grassroots Marketing • Public Relations • Affiliate Marketing• Email Marketing

• Online Marketing • Traditional Advertising• Social Media • Strategic Alliances

How BizCentral USA Aids Entrepreneurs

I. Introduction to Starting a BusinessII. Getting StartedIII. Legal FormationIV. Business FinancingV. Creating a Marketing PlanVI. How BizCentral USA Aides Entrepreneurs in

Starting a BusinessVII. Review

How BizCentral USA Aids Entrepreneurs

• Starting a business can be very rewarding but very complex as well. In addition to providing your services, you must also hire, train & manage employees, maintain compliance with local government regulations and taxes, understand your competition and position your company to grow.

• BizCentral USA offers an array of services, tools and resources to accelerate the startup process, enabling entrepreneurs to spend less time on the paperwork and more time making money and growing their business!

Our Business Startup Services

• BizCentral USA offers a service for every step of the startup process:

• Business Plan Development

• Business Certifications

• Incorporation

• Graphic Design

• Website Development

• Marketing

• Accounting & Bookkeeping

• And Much More

Additional Startup Services

• We provide entrepreneurs with Articles, How To’s and Tips to help them start a business.• How to Obtain Free Publicity for your New Business

• How to have Thousands of Reps Marketing your Product

• Marketing with Trade Associations

• Tips on Raising Money for your Startup Business

• Attracting Investors or Venture Capitalist

• 9 Ways to Succeed at Growing Your Business on the Internet

• Secrets to Successfully Starting your Business

• Drive Traffic To Your Website to Grow a New Business

• And Much More

Additional Startup Services

• We provide access to Web Tools, Checklists and Reports to help with startup plans.

• Free Startup Checklist

• Free Business Counseling

• Free Assessment Tool

• Free Small Business Planner

• Free Startup Expense Tool

• Free Online Courses

• Free Research Tools

Review & Closing

I. Introduction to Starting a BusinessII. Getting StartedIII. Legal FormationIV. Business FinancingV. Creating a Marketing PlanVI. How BizCentral USA Aides Entrepreneurs in

Starting a BusinessVII. Review & Closing

Review & Closing

• Owning a business is the dream of many Americans. Managing one’s own business can be a personally and financially rewarding experience.

• In the serious process of starting a business, there are certain questions that must be asked and answered, research that must be conducted and finances that must be sought before certain steps can be taken.