A graphic designer uses dozens of skills daily. These include software knowledge, layout design, color skills, drawing, file organization, and more. But there are two skills used daily that aren’t talked about often. These are writing and editing.
Not all graphic designers are trained in these areas. They may graduate with knowledge and skill in visual arts, only to discover that in many positions writing and editing are essential for graphic design. If you are an employer looking to to hire your next designer (or a designer looking to stand out from other designers) here are four reasons being a quality writer and editor should be a job requirement.
You need to communicate your message effectively to a client or coworker
Yes, there are advertisements without text. But most advertising involves some form of writing and editing. And even if writing the text isn’t part of the graphic designer’s job description, he or she is often expected to give input on the content and the message.
This is even more important if you work as a freelance designer. As a freelance designer, you take on the role of an entire design firm. You are the marketing director, communication manager, project manager, copywriter, copyeditor, graphic designer, and more. Several of these roles involve writing and editing.
You want to improve your client’s SEO
You need to think about more than just how something looks when designing. This includes designing a website. Search engine optimization (SEO) is fundamental to designing a website and should be at the front of a designer’s mind while they work on it. A good designer edits the content and titles to improve the SEO even if they are already created. Without editing and writing skills, a designer won’t accomplish this important piece of work.
Writing helps you describe your design
Anyone who has watched the show Mad Men knows the importance of selling an advertisement to a client. The first lesson of the show is to explain the advertisement in the client’s language. Your advertising manager or freelance client won’t be on board if you can’t explain your design clearly.
Drafts of designs should be explained and laid out in a way that other people understand. This is regardless of how cool or eye-catching your design is. You need to clearly explain how your design communicates the client’s message to its audience.
Writing is important in this process. You are forced to evaluate more than just how your design looks when you write down the ways your design accomplishes its goals. It causes you to assess its strengths and correct flaws or areas that don’t make sense.
Grammar errors are crippling
Most designs contain words. A misspelling or a grammar error takes away your advertisement’s power—no matter how incredible, captivating, or moving your design looks. Your audience no longer takes the advertisement seriously. This is especially an issue with printed ads. You can’t undo the error once it is printed.
In a large company your design is passed through many hands before it is published. Your editing and writing skills are important but not essential in this case. But many designers are the last person who sees an item before it is published. Having the training and skills to catch errors is more than important in this case. It is essential.
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If you have questions for us or are in need of brand redesign assistance, feel free to reach out to Exploring Creative, LLC, and we will be happy to help you find your answers or complete your project. Or schedule a time to talk on the phone here.