Graphic artists: building your business power

"A picture tells a thousand words." It's a cliche, but it's utterly true. And it's why businesses spend so much time and energy trying to create powerful images for their promotional material. The services of a graphic artist or designer can be imperative to ensuring your images are professional and have both impact and appeal.

"The images you use in your promotions should position your products or services within the market," says Andrew Baker of Seamer Design. "And they should appeal to your target market."

From art to commerce

Graphic artists are usually defined as people who focus on creating images that are visually pleasing in their eyes but do not necessarily exist for commercial purposes. Graphic designers, on the other hand, create images specifically as business or product brands for commercial use.

Many graphic artists end up working in graphic design firms as designers, bringing their skills to bear on the requirements of creating images that communicate the aims and aspirations of businesses.

Technical wizardry

Graphic design agencies are able to create images from scratch, using computer and digital software. These images might be representations of real objects or ideas, or they may be abstract but designed to convey a feeling or mood.

Image sourcing

Graphic designers also have access to pre-existing images of:

• people
• products
• objects - whether hamburgers, ice-creams or lawn-mowers.

"The technical element of using a pre-existing image as part of a brand or commercial image is actually quite complex," says Andrew. "You need someone who has the skills to do it to best effect. This is also true if you are altering the image so it takes on a different meaning." 

The power of images 

Engaging a graphic artist or designer to create effective images to promote your business can have a number of benefits. These images will:

• communicate the message that you're hoping to convey
• be consistent in communicating that message over a variety of design media
• position your product or service in the marketplace by appealing to a particular demographic
• create a 'personality' for your business
• entice people to your products or services.

A good package

A great deal of graphic design, as it is understood in a commercial sense, is about packaging your business in a way to make it more appealing.

"Everything created in design is a package," says Andrew. "It doesn't matter if it's a website or a box of tissues or a business card."

With the right skills and advice, your images will communicate the strengths of your business.

So talk to a graphic artist or designer today and discuss how you can create the perfect package for your business.