Why I think of ‘the artist formally known as Prince’ when I see bad design.

When ‘the artist formally known as Prince’ turned his name into a symbol, no one really knew what to call him anymore. The edgy move caused all kinds of difficulty and awkwardness for the media and as a result, his record sales began to drop.

Why mention that now?

It’s because it’s a situation I’m reminded of when I see a logo or branding where I can’t work out what the name of the company is — something which seems to be happening remarkably often.

Design and creative thinking are amazing tools that all business, especially professional service firms, can use to set themselves apart — after all, an image says a thousand words. Yet design must not be at the expense of the overall marketing strategy, which is ultimately to raise either profile or sales.

When a potential customer sees your advert — in whatever format — they have just a few moments to decide what the product is, whether it appeals to them and to understand how to purchase the product if they want to. If they’re spending time deciding what your logo says, they may miss the rest of the message. Worse still, if they never figure out what you’re called, they won’t know what to search or ask for.

As I’ve said before, creatives can sometimes become so lost in making something look good, that we forget to go back and check on the practicalities. A font may look great on first sight, but if it’s difficult for your end-user to read it will just cause frustration for them.

I’m a firm believer in ‘value over vanity’. For me, this means taking a step back and asking whether what I’m creating genuinely leads to the right outcomes in the most efficient way. If something helps to achieve this while adding a touch of magic then great, but if it’s just there for the sake of it, stay clear.