The other day, I was asked, “Why is graphic design so important anyway?” I didn’t immediately draw out my scroll – “400 Reasons Why Design Is Awesome” (they pass those out in design school) – but I wanted to. When that question was later followed with, “It’s not like you’re saving lives or anything”, I had no choice – I pulled out that scroll and read every single line aloud.
Jokes aside, sometimes it’s difficult (and frustrating) to defend your brand’s value on the spot. I often find the best way to respond to loaded questions about the services you provide, is to give a scenario – a little “picture this”, if you will. It’s an effective way to help people answer their own questions – if can you depict a clear scenario, you can create a world of enlightenment.
For example, here are a few scenarios I could have used in my conversation about why graphic design matters:
- Without infographics, you’d be left with pages of straight stats, and few people are bored or patient enough to read through them. Ignoring data leads to poor business decisions, which leads to a poor economy, and so on.
- You know that big, welcoming McDonald’s “M” that makes you feel at home (and, therefore, drives sales) in every country? There you go.
- Without carefully crafted labels, how would the Kombucha trend survive?
My livelihood revolves around the design world, so I see its value every day. My job (and the jobs of hundreds of thousands of others in the U.S.) is to turn my “designs” into returns on investments for clients. And while I know that everyone, at least subconsciously, encounters the value of my industry at every turn, not everyone is invested in it. That’s where scenarios come heavily into play.
It’s easy to dodge or get annoyed at questions that challenge your brand’s offerings. But remember that these daunting, “What’s the point?”, questions come from potential customers. So, paint them a picture. Work your magic. Invite them into your world.
Show them why you’re worth it.