Graphic design is an essential part of your company’s growth and expansion. Whatever your business size is, branding and marketing graphics will get your brand up and running. Branding visuals, for one, need the expertise of professionals to ensure they look timeless and memorable. On the other hand, marketing visuals also need proper competitor analysis, market research, best practices, and psychology to impact prospects. You need a professional graphic designer’s creative and detailed eye for these visual assets. This is where graphic design consulting services come in.
This article delves into what graphic design consulting agencies do and some examples of innovation and design firms.
What is a graphic design consulting company?
A graphic design consultant is a position that entails communicating with clients to ensure their brand message gets across to target audiences. This designation requires an experienced graphic designer to complete all the client’s design requests.
Graphic design consulting firms or services will hire art directors, digital marketers, writers, or graphic designers and work as a team. On top of working with brands, graphic design consultants also work with schools, agencies, government organizations, and brands. Some consultants also advise how your business can master visual communication without doing the graphics themselves.
However, you can search for a full-service design agency if you want to entrust this time-consuming creative process.
Job responsibilities of a graphic design consultant
A graphic design consultant must be trained and experienced enough to deliver visual messages for any industry. Design agencies may also assign a client to particular graphic designers with similar expertise, experience, and clientele.
Here are some graphic design consultant responsibilities:
- Brainstorm with clients about their brand identity, and branding
- Offer concepts and ideas through print materials
- Discuss internal projects with clients
- Offer advice or create a brand style guide
- Determine the best color palettes that fit the client’s business
- Select suitable typography
- Using computer software to compile files and projects
- Delivering graphic design, animations, illustrations, or videos, in some cases
- Reviewing the finished design
- Conducting regular meetings with clients to meet their expectations
Graphic design consultant education and training
Formal training is necessary to become a successful graphic design consultant, as graphic design is complicated. If graphic designers want to join graphic design consulting companies, they need ample courses and training to get accepted. They must also build their reputation and gather as many samples to showcase in their portfolio.
Most formal vocational training for graphic design consultants that involve technical courses lasts two to three years. Getting a bachelor’s degree in graphic design is preferable and would look good on a consultant’s resume. This could offer graphic designers better job opportunities. So if you’re looking to hire a graphic designer, tick formal education and training of the requirement list.
Here are some courses offered in a graphic design bachelor’s program:
- Color theory
- Digital illustration
- Typography
- Graphic design history
- Digital videos and animations
- Graphic design software
- Advertising
- Digital imaging
- Illustration
- Printmaking
It also helps if your chosen graphic design consultant is an expert on popular graphic design software. Additionally, ask about their platforms, such as web design tools, writing tools, and graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop.
Graphic design consultation services
If you’re looking for a graphic design consultation company, here are three services you can start with.
Illuminating Consulting provides essential services to clients, such as website design, company branding, marketing and advertising, sales and promotion, etc. They are a full-service design consulting agency that does more than just graphic design. The company ensures quality-driven results that meet every client’s needs and requirements. The design process starts with meeting with clients to get information about their business, followed by a research phase.
Next is to discuss and plan all relevant details, such as goals and objectives. Both client and agency review the plan and outline. The next phase is the longest step, which is graphic design execution. After revisions are made, the outcome is prepared for the client.
R/GA is another famous graphic design consultation firm combining design and media thinking. The company offers services such as brand design and consulting, connected communications, products and experiences, media and connections, brand relationship design, and more. They also possess specialized practices in R/GA Health and R/GA Ventures. The company culture is founded on a shared respect for every team member’s perspectives and skills.
R/GA has become one of the go-to full-service design agencies to date. The jump from being a pioneering computer-assisted filmmaking business to a graphic design agency was an intelligent leap. R/GA creates new solutions for business and brand building through multiple discipline collaboration.
Siegel+Gale’s mantra is believing in the “power of simplicity.” The company strives to “own it, defend it, and live by it.” The company believes that “simple is smart.” Through concept and design simplicity, brands can cut through the clutter and embark on better experiences. The company created the iconic NBA logo and works with leading corporations worldwide.
Siegel+Gale also partners with nonprofits and government organizations so that they can build unique and memorable brand experiences. The firm is a strong advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion. They ensure that their members reflect their communities and other communities their clients engage with.
The Bottomline
Working with a graphic design consultation service is a convenient and efficient way to craft an impactful brand. If you’re a neophyte in your industry, having experts’ perspectives will open up unique ideas and concepts to make your brand stand out. If you want to build a brand that people can recognize, entrusting the branding to experts is your path to success.
