‘Fishing’ for customers
Years ago, I used to go bass fishing with a friend of mine. It was always both enjoyable and frustrating. He was a very good fisherman. He would always catch fish—and big ones! So I tried to learn from him. I would use the same bait, cast to the same areas, and come up with—usually nothing! After some time I found out what the big difference was. Presentation! He knew how to maneuver his rubber worm, crankbait, or spinner so that the fish were not only attracted, but they actively pursued it. So I watched and learned.
Graphic Design, like fishing, can achieve great results, or come up with nothing. It’s all about presentation. Not every fish, at any point in a day or season, will be tempted by a particular bait. A good fisherman needs to know what to use at any given time, accounting for weather, time of day, time of year, condition and depth of water, and many other factors. I’ve seen a lot of incredibly visually pleasing designs by very talented and creative designers that miss the mark completely. They won’t catch any fish!
Good design must appeal to the right ‘fish.’ There is always a target audience to whom we want to appeal. They will be attracted to a particular kind of look and, as importantly, message. When done right, they will ‘bite’ ( a little Cochoranesque, I know). When done wrong, no matter how pretty or colorful your bait is, they will treat it like just another piece of something in the flow of information and then promptly forget about it.
If your message is not hooking any new customers, contact us for some help.