Design is Credibility
February 11th, 2008 | Published in Design | 6 Comments
People know it is wrong to judge a book by its cover, but they still do. People know it is wrong to categorize by stereotypes, but they still do that too. By human nature, we are wired to judge things by their appearance.
That is why it is vital to have great design because those who know nothing about you will judge you by your appearance. Aesthetics are a powerful thing. Whether graphic design or product design, your appearance shapes how others perceive you.
Amateur design is not credible. It can come across as cheap or inexperienced or even as a scam. But great design gives its viewers a taste of what to expect. Great design communicates your brand. It is relevant to your target audience. It’s believable. It’s professional. And its style is appropriate. Not only does great design increase the credibility of first impressions, but it also adds value to your existing customers’ perceptions.
Your design is your credibility. You can’t stop people from making assumptions, but you can create an image that produces the right assumptions.
February 11th, 2008 at 6:38 pm (#)
[…] Musings Tags: blog link, communication, design, image Kent Shaffer had this great quote on his blog today: You can’t stop people from making assumptions, but you can create an image that produces […]
February 12th, 2008 at 6:31 am (#)
Great point. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. At the same time, it’s easy to place more stock in our image than our message. If a somewhat less-than-stellar design is still compelling, persuasive, and effective - in terms of someone making a connection to the life-altering truth of Jesus - I’d be all for it. BUT, who’d be willing to take that chance? I don’t believe we can afford it. Our message is too critical to life and salvation.
February 12th, 2008 at 6:40 pm (#)
Great to see your new blog up and running!
Perhaps we one can think of visual design as something like a door. Great design suggests there is something behind the door with exploring. Amateur design suggests that something less than worth exploring is behind the door.
So, is the investment into “great design” a form of stewardship? To have something of value worth offering to others and to hide it behind amateur design would be to wasteful…would it not?
Just thinking out loud.
Thanks for stirring the pot.
Keep creating…a daring adventure,
Mike
February 13th, 2008 at 9:16 am (#)
I like your door comparison, Michael. I definitely agree that hiding value behind amateur design is poor stewardship and limits a company’s potential.
February 18th, 2008 at 11:03 am (#)
I spoke some time ago for the Iowa AIGA chapter and found many designers struggling with how to make the case for good design.
Linking great design to stewardship is one way for designers to “have the conversation” and make the point.
Keep creating…a story worth repeating,
Mike
March 25th, 2008 at 7:19 am (#)
Great point, I’m a designer in England and trying to get people to understand the value of appearance is somewhat of a battle!
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” is often only used for it’s “The LORD looks at the heart” message, but we often miss the “Man looks at the outward appearance” part which is as important as the second half in my opinion.