Being a Rockstar in your Industry Is a Matter of Graphic Design
8 reasons why you need to know how to design to succeed. What the music industry or any other creative industry won’t tell you is that, unless you’re a big star or already a famous business professional — if you want to rock it in your industry as a solopreneur — you’re going to have to master some graphic design skills.
8 reasons why you need to know how to design to succeed
I graduated from Belmont University one of the first music business schools in the country. In fact I went to college with several famous musicians. Okay, they weren’t rockstars — they were country stars like Tricia Yearwood and famous music business professionals like Scott Borchetta (AKA American Idol).
Side note: one of my claim to fames is that Tricia’s first husband caught my panties in the Freshman panty raid. Just so you know. Belmont is also a Baptist University and I’m a preacher’s kid. It was rated G.
But I digress. What the music industry or any other creative industry won’t tell you is that, unless you’re a big star or already a famous business professional, if you want to rock it in your industry as a solopreneur, you’re going to have to master some graphic design skills. Here's why you should learn how to design ... with a professional.
1. Graphic design is the visual part of your brand.
What’s a brand without a logo and a website? But what’s a brand without all those other visuals you churn out to the world like your blog post graphics, invitations, newsletters, social media graphics, labels, presentations and on and on. If you don’t know how to design it or how to design it correctly, are you willing to jeopardize your brand’s reputation?
2. You can’t hire a designer to design every part of your communications.
My personal advice is to hire a professional to design the most important parts of your brand and in the worst case scenario at least your logo. Budgets usually don’t allow for much more than that so if you know how to design, you can save money.
3. You want to look professional so people will take you seriously.
Even if you’re just starting out, a well-designed brand can make it appear as though you’ve been in business for years which results in an audience that respects you and takes you seriously.
4. You will change your business a gazillion times over the years.
If you can’t design then it makes it hard for you to change things around in your business. Maybe you own a boutique and want to change the colors of your campaigns to reflect the seasons. Do you know how to do that and still stay cohesive. Learn how to design to feel more confident about making changes.
5. To keep your brand visuals cohesive.
With soooooooo many apps and software out there, it may make designing easier but usually what happens is that your brand starts to becomes hard for others to recognize. Remember each element of your brand helps your audience identify your business.
6. You’ll gain a new perspective on the world.
An understanding of the principles of good design means that you will look at everything differently, from posters and magazine covers, through to pieces of furniture, buildings and the gadgets you use every day. Designers (and yes, you too fellow creative entrepreneurs) are naturally curious animals and you'll find yourself thinking differently about the world around you and admiring the smaller details that go into beautifully designed products.
7. Designing will boost your problem-solving skills.
““It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing.””
Creativity is crucial for any business. Steve Jobs of Apple once said: “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing.”
It’s for this reason that graphic design enhances your problem-solving skills—not just because you’re overcoming common issues; but because you’re encouraged to consider the bigger picture. What will your design solve? How will it add value? How will it achieve your brand’s goals? Design will boost more skills than you realize and even if you're not a "real" designer you will start to use this methodology with your own brand visuals.
8. Trends change — basic graphic design skills don’t
Regardless of whether it’s ink on paper or pixels on a screen, the general principles of design don’t change. What changes is how quickly you can make something, how quickly you can send it into the culture, and how careful you have to be about how you do that. With a good foundation, you can stick to design that you can then use in other apps without losing quality.
In this day and age, graphic design should be synonymous with branding, marketing and communications because you can’t brand your creative business successfully without great design skills. Therefore to be a rockstar in your creative industry, you’re going to have to take your graphic design skills seriously.
Want to know what branding essentials you need for your communication needs:
Here’s a checklist that just tells it like it is and cuts out the ridiculous amount of time you can spend trying to figure out where to even begin and how to proceed on your own. GET IT HERE.
Why you should learn how to design your website
Even a professional designer makes 1000 edits on her own website. You should have that flexibility too.
(Re)launching my website 1000 edits later.
I've been a graphic designer for more than 15 years and almost a year and a half ago I decided to incorporate coaching and consulting into my business. I saw a need to help small business owners and creative entrepreneurs have access to professional graphic and web design services to help them achieve their marketing objectives. In this process I've designed and redesigned my website so many times I honestly can't even count.
What I discovered though was in designing my website I was actually working on my business structure. That's when it became even more clear how important it was that I know how to design, redesign, edit, make changes, develop a course, add packages, create freebies, graphics and incentives. The list is long. Here's why you need to learn how to design as well.
Learn how to design your website to have a cohesive brand.
Because I'm a professional graphic designer I understand the importance of good design and how it corresponds to great communication. Starting with basic knowledge in graphic design leads to much better web design and not visa versa. Once you have a guide for your brand, learn a few tips and tricks that pros use, and know how the technology works, you are better able to have a cohesive brand throughout your website. Cohesiveness means you'll have better brand recognition, be able to differentiate yourself from others, and most of all build trust. People will respect the attention you give to your brand and take you more seriously.
Learn how to design your website to grow your business.
I can tell you I have changed my website 1000 times and I'm still not finished. Actually every day I see something that I would like do try out or do differently. All small business owners and creative entrepreneurs need this kind of flexibility. If a designer designed your website for you, how are you able to change certain aspects of your business or add packages without reaching out to her to revise your website? My own business changes so much right now as I'm trying to figure out what works best, that I can't think of how you would be able to do that if you don't know how to design it yourself.
Learn how to design your website to save money.
Perhaps hiring a professional is not in your budget right now. I can relate. Trust me. And even if you have the money to hire someone to design your logo or your website, how the heck can you possibly make changes without spending more money. It's a vicious cycle that never ends. The best way is to learn basic graphic design skills and then learn how to design your own website. This combination ensures that your brand is not only cohesive, but saves you loads of money in the long-run. Of course, since I'm a professional, it's my duty to advise you that your ultimate goal should always be to get to a place where you can hire a professional either to teach you how to do it yourself or to do all or part of your designing for you.
Your website is your calling card.
First impressions are crucial to your business. They can make or break a sale or destroy trust and encourage or discourage engagement. Therefore your website's design is super important to creating a cohesive brand that will ultimately grow your business. It's the backbone of all of your marketing endeavors. Knowing how to design it (the right way) will make you look professional and give you all the flexibility you need to build a successful brand.
Take a peak at my website.
See it today and come back tomorrow because it will always be changing as my business grows and I see what works and what doesn't.