Communications, positioning, and PR are elements without which it will be too difficult for a designer to develop, reach new levels and conquer new markets. That is why a designer must understand some marketing features. But which exactly?
Design is part of marketing communication; it conveys the product’s value, evokes emotions, and demonstrates functionality. Therefore, the understanding of marketing mechanisms will provide a designer with more opportunities to develop a compelling product and establish a constructive dialogue with the customer.
CJM
Every designer should research how the user gets first contact with the product. It allows you to understand the needs, emotions, obstacles, habits, etc. Marketers and designers use CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAPS (CJM) – such maps reflect the typical behavior of the target audience on the way to a specific product, service, or company.
On the CJM, the marketer and the designer will see the preliminary information that will allow them to start the marketing funnel and the ways to distribute messages effectively. For example, you have determined that the first contact with the brand is a business card. So, it will be easier for the graphic designer who develops it to decide how much focus it should keep, how bright and clear should it be, what should be the result of interaction with it, and what the following materials should emphasize. But CJM will be needed not only for a graphic designer but also, for example, for an interior designer who is independently engaged in developing his brand.
Information noise and StoryBrand
Understanding the concept of “information noise” will help the designer make many decisions. It may seem like it’s only useful to graphic or web designers, but clutter can happen in any project. You need to be able to filter it before starting work. It will help if you analyze the target audience, competitors, and your own experience and expectations. If it seems to you that you have already seen something somewhere, then you did. It is better to look for new product presentations or implementation methods.
Sometimes the StoryBrand method can help to search for uniqueness and brevity. The way is based on the client being in the very center of the story so that his problems inspire the company to create a solution. The designer has to recognize that the client’s request caused the product or service to appear. The design has to necessarily evoke an emotion of heroism and involvement.
