What is good graphic design?

What makes a good graphic designer, and how can you be sure of getting good graphic design? The graphic design market can be confusing. At first sight, inexpensive graphic design looks readily obtainable, because there are a lot of good people out there eager to get some references. But for the customer, getting the right graphic design is not easy. In fact it's a problem. Because what is the right graphic design?

Just because someone can work with Photoshop or has a graphic design qualification does not necessarily mean they are a good designer. An able designer needs far more qualities than just a good eye for colour, form and detail. Design is an entity.

Good graphic design tells a visual story. Good graphic design employs succinct psychological tools, such as reactions to and associations with forms and colours. But above all, good graphic design is a visual expression that functions in optimised interaction with communication and strategy. This makes heavy demands on the designer's ability to integrate design into the whole. It also calls for considerable insight into the customer's firm, the purpose of the message and the underlying strategic thinking. Because like communication, design must reflect the customer's profile, appeal to the customer's buyers/partners, and also distance the customer from his competitors.

A good designer must therefore be able to be creative within the framework laid down by the customer. Bubbling creativity is of no use without a sense of context and economic realism. A designer must be capable of focused working within financial and time limitations. This is the challenge, and it is one of the areas a good designer gets paid to master.

That the designer must work within the framework of the customer's situation and market can surprise no one. But this does not mean it is the customer who sets the limits. The customer possesses an in-depth insight into the circumstances of his business. But precisely because he is so deeply involved it is important that fresh eyes should be brought to bear.

Innovation is a word commonly used in the value sets of many companies. But being innovative means being willing to move boundaries – not least within oneself. There is a difference between being creative and being innovative. Being creative means getting the best out of the given framework. This can be done by any good designer. Being innovative means thinking beyond the given boundaries to take a fresh look and set new boundaries. This takes courage and trust – on the part of both customer and designer. The best graphic design is therefore produced by a designer who knows the key questions to ask the customer and who transcends the conventional, and by a customer who has confidence in the end-result, dares to break limits – and to invest in the future.

Creativity, inspiration and above all motivation must never be forgotten. Because being a good graphic designer means being thoroughly tuned in, finding inspiration in the oddest things, and preferably also having access to exactly the right sources. An awareness of current and future trends is thus an integral part of a graphic designer's toolbox. This awareness provides the source of the inspiration that the designer passes on to the customer, but is also enables the designer himself to achieve self-renewal and find fresh creativity.

It should be clearly understood that a professional graphic designer does not necessarily have his own style. This is because the designer's job is to supply a message that has to fit the company's view of itself, the company's strategy, and the company's desired market position. Another reason is that the design must appeal to the values of the users. Good design must be design that works: design that helps generate revenue and optimise the understanding of the message. Such design can only result from thorough preparation, an analytical appreciation of the company's message and market, and naturally a creative mind.

By Jan Nielsen, Creative Manager, and Mette Falk, Graphic Designer, Kühl+co