Design plays a pivotal role in business growth. After all, 97% of people say that visual design influences their perception of a brand’s credibility. In addition, designs communicate ideas in a memorable manner. For example, your company’s values, vision and unique selling points can all be incorporated into an excellent design. It’s advisable to know exactly how design affects various industries. 

And every industry is different. They have different target audiences, products, markets and strategies for lead generation. Therefore, graphic designers must convey key information in a way that is on-brand and makes sense for each industry. Nevertheless, one thing is clear. Investing in good graphic design improves engagement rates and builds your reputation over time across all industries. This results in better sales revenue and customer loyalty. We are all visual beings and our attention is drawn to designs that we find creative and stimulating. Whether you’re an e-commerce shop or a restaurant, this is a key factor to always keep in mind. If you want to strengthen your market position, it’s important to shine the best possible light on your brand through powerful visual communications. 

On that note, here is our guide to how design affects various industries. 

Graphic Design 101: How Graphic Design Affects Various Industries

1.) E-commerce

Graphic design is essential for e-commerce branding. There are many online shops that are accessible with a click of a mouse button. And as the internet grows, so do the numbers of shops and online shoppers. Therefore, it’s critical that your e-commerce store stands out from the crowd. In addition, it helps build trust- vitally important when purchasing products online. If a customer visits your online shop and sees that it looks sloppy, they will be less willing to part with their cash.

Excellent e-commerce visuals can also help guide potential shoppers to the right point of sale. By minimizing time spent navigating to the right web page, it increases the likelihood of a purchase event. In addition, the right ads and social media graphics can effectively let people know what products you are selling and why they are important to have. 

2.) Restaurants

Graphic design in the F&B industry should draw attention to appealing features. For example, a colorful acai bowl or a juicy steak. If the menu looks aesthetically pleasing and enticing, it can increase the number of customers. This should come as a no-brainer to foodies everywhere! You don’t want your menu to take the focus away from the food itself. However, it must not be overwhelmed with graphics otherwise customers won’t know where to focus. It’s a subtle balancing act between showing what you can offer and persuading people to sit down at the table to discover more.

Finally, the menu should give a feel for the restaurant’s vibe. This way, customers know what type of experience they can expect. A menu that is elegantly designed can let people know that they’re in for a fine-dining experience. On the other hand, if you’re after a more low-key and friendly neighborhood vibe, your menu is an ideal place to express that. 

3.) Education

The design of educational materials can be critical in learning.  In fact, 94% of learning is visual, which means that thoughtfully designed information is absorbed much faster and retained. Just think back to the last time you were in a classroom. Did you learn better when text was accompanied by images? Or a concise bullet-point summary? Everyone learns differently and it’s important that graphics are correctly used to stimulate learning. Too much text, and the key bits of information can get lost. It takes a trained graphic designer’s eye to identify how to strategically place different elements on a surface. 

Furthermore, the design affects how teachers distribute the material. If the information is digital, such as an online infographic, the teacher can conveniently distribute the material without having to rely on a copy machine. 

4.) Healthcare

Many of us struggle to understand scientific jargon. Yet, we all understand the importance of accurate communication of healthcare information. This is where graphic design bridges the gap. Visual elements help healthcare providers and workers give the correct information to patients. Instead of costly miscommunication, having the right graphics can help medical workers and patients make quick decisions for a treatment plan. 

Furthermore, they help readers better digest information in scientific papers. This is important when your work is accompanied by huge chunks of text. Diagrams assist with visualizing experiments and processes. 

Finally, infographics are an incredibly effective way to communication large chunks of information in a concise manner. They help connect problems with solutions and overall, facilitate faster decision making in a structured framework. 

5.) Arts and Entertainment

It goes without saying that graphic design is crucial to arts and entertainment. When studios and theater companies want to advertise an upcoming production, they rely on powerful advertising to generate excitement. On the other hand, the wrong design can miscommunicate the theme and lower anticipation levels. Graphic designers are vital to these marketing campaigns. They produce collaterals that raise awareness across all platforms- offline, online and social media.

Perhaps the most relevant example of this is movie posters. They’re far from being a poster that was randomly put together. Movie poster design requires careful selection and coordination of different elements. From the actors to the main themes of the movie, it’s important that the audience has an idea of what to expect when they sit down in the cinema. If you make the actor’s image too big, then the plot of the movie gets lost. On the other hand, if there are too many elements on the poster then it’s overwhelming. 

6.) Media

Media companies increasingly rely on graphic design to help them better connect with their viewers. For example, through attention-grabbing graphics that make the viewer stop scrolling through channels. Without these, media risks becoming boring. Furthermore, media companies are increasingly building stronger brands through branded content. Think of CNN or BBC. Their brands are incredibly strong and go much further than the news stories they are reporting on. We immediately trust them with presenting well-researched facts. Their brand is built firmly on trust which is why we go to them when we want to hear what’s happening in all corners of the world. 

Moreover, engaging video content helps communicate complex information. The news cycle moves fast and there always seems to be a lot going on. How can media companies ensure that the viewer gets enough relevant information without losing interest. Producing videos that concisely summarize key points with accurate supporting collaterals is key here. Additionally, it’s important to edit the videos so that they look professional. 

7.) Government

Graphic design is important for government public relations. If the design is subpar, it can miscommunicate a message and result in loss of voter support. In fact, you can argue that correct messaging is the lifeline of a successful campaign. Not only does it raise awareness of political goals but it drums up support for a vision. It’s important that this vision is powerfully communicate to resonate with as many people as possible. 

Many of us are familiar with campaigns that tug at our heart strings or that evoke strong emotions. These spur voters into action. However, such a response can only be achieved through strategic design that conveys information and persuades you to go vote. The visuals can align with our ideals, make us remember what we’re striving for or point out gaps in government. Either way, graphic design helps get voters to the voting box.

On the other hand, if you get it wrong, the results can be disastrous. For example, the UK Labour Party once used an iPod theme for their campaign. However, it was interpreted as childish. As a result, many voters were left unimpressed.

8.) Travel

Those in the travel industry know the impact of excellent design. This is because the customer is influenced by images of the destination. In the age of social media, we all want the perfect Insta-worthy shot. There’s no better way to give potential travelers something to look forward to than beautiful destination photos. These have to be strategically arranged to put the travel agency front and center. In other words, you can have a stunning collage of travel images but ultimately you want customers to remember your brand!

Furthermore, good design affects how the travel company is perceived. Low quality design could imply that the business may not offer excellent value for money. If you’re not willing to invest in your marketing collaterals then why should customers invest in a holiday organized by your team? Holidays are certainly an expensive experience and travel agencies have to build a lot of trust with their target audience. This is true because customers are expected to pay for some if not all of the holiday before they’ve even departed! Excellent graphic design will help you communicate trip highlights and strengthen your reputation.

9.) Real Estate

The design of a property can definitely affect its market value. When buyers are deciding whether or not to purchase a home, they will pay careful attention to how it looks. A beautiful design will drive up price. On the other hand, a design that feels out of place will have lower buyer interest. Architects and interior designers all rely on graphic design to help them visualize the final product. Graphic designers are regarded as an essential part of the property team! They coordinate with teams to bring an idea to life and ensure that it meets specifications.

Afterwards, they assist with marketing campaigns to raise awareness of enticing property deals. They produce marketing collaterals for real estate agencies that capture attention and results in high value leads. In fact, graphic designers add tremendous value by helping properties sell at the desired value.

Conclusion

Powerful graphic design has a significant impact on business growth, regardless of what industry you are in. This is because it focusses on the common aspects of communication. Everyone wants to be delighted by creative design that speaks to us. Boring, cookie-cutter designs are quickly passed over. The more creative your branding and marketing, the more you stand out in today’s fast paced world. This results in higher conversions and higher sales.

Nevertheless, it’s important to work with designers who do more than just churn out deliverables. The best graphic designers understand your target audience and market. They can accurately interpret your briefing and references to produce work that elevates your campaigns, but is still true to your style. They are strategic in their approach but their creativity is unmatched. In fact, they should balance the graphic elements in a way that sticks in the mind of your target audience and is still recognizable. 

If you are interested in unlimited graphic design services, our designers are experts at supercharging creative assets for diverse clients. Book a demo with one of our experts today. Our affordable graphic designer teams scale with your business growth. This means you can easily match your creative capacity with your actual projects. In addition, our plans come with a 14 days money back guarantee. Come see what graphic design can do for your KPIs!