Images and designs have such power! And maybe you are not even aware of it!
I am sure: at the end of this article you will see why illustrations and surface pattern designs, especially those created for you, move you ahead of your competition and strengthen your business!
1. Unique designs underline your character and attract your favorite customers!
People buy from people.
This statement is already common in the field of personal branding. But what does personal branding have to do with you and your designs?
The better you know yourself, the more authentic you appear to the outside world. And part of that appearance is your way of communicating with pictures.
Let me give you an example:
- Do you mainly use pink tones in various shades and do you like to show pictures of cute cats?
- Or do you prefer minimalism and simplicity, and everything is best in black and white?
Then you will see that you are communicating and talking to your target audience in a completely different way!
So if Pink is the absolute "turn off" for you, then you will run from my homepage as fast as you can! But if you like cute things and pictures of cats, then you will feel right at home here!
And this is your super power!
If you always stand 100% behind your designs, a uniform line of imagery will emerge and your customers will notice. Almost nothing can go wrong this way! Because your target audience knows that they are on the same wavelength as you are. So your customers will wait for your next product launch because they know that the next design will also exactly meet their taste! And that builds trust.
This way, customers always know what to expect next. Surprises are nice in many areas, but unclear imagery only confuses your customers. So stay consistent and stand behind your brand - visually as well!
2. Unique designs create a unique selling point - even in saturated markets!
How often have you bought something which was only available at a certain company? Only because you liked the look and design so much? I myself am guilty as charged!
I still use analogue technology, at least when it comes to calendars and my appointments. It's also because I like cute motifs and you can also get them on calendars. For a few years now, I've been loyal to one company because they have beautiful motifs and of course I also like the calendar layout. And although they change their range every year, I know that I will find a new, beautiful motif every single time.
Boom - customer loyalty!
This happens, even though there are plenty of other calenders out there. So obviously there is no reason to just buy this one calendar, because all other companies' ones serve the same purpose. But I can only get the one design from this one manufacturer.
It also has other advantages: I don't have to look for a calendar every year. That saves me time and I think that's great.
And yes, the quality has to be alright, of course, but we'll assume it is!
Is it the cheapest calendar? No, but that's irrelevant to me because I don't want a cheap calendar if I don't like it!
Which brings us to point number 3.
3. Unique designs justify a higher price!
A unique design means: one of a kind.
And unique items are of course more expensive than standard goods. This also makes sense to customers and the price isn't at the forefront of their minds anymore.
Exploitation or fair production? Here, too, it is clear that the former will probably be cheaper. But if I value goods that are produced fairly and under good working conditions, then I have to accept the higher price.
And that's also the way it is with unique designs.
In addition, you are less comparable in price due to your individual design.
4. The customer MUST buy from you if they want YOUR design!
Perhaps you are considering starting your business in an already saturated market? Maybe you'd like to sew handmade organic baby clothes?
There are already plenty of them out there ...
So does this mean you should come up with a different concept?
No, definitely not! First you should do what you enjoy! And you can stand out from the crowd with smaller things - an individual design or even an entire collection that only you offer.
What will happen?
Quite clearly: if the product is only available once in the world, and that's at your company, then the customer must also buy it from YOU!
Isn't that awesome?! So here we have your unique selling proposition again!
5. Unique designs increase brand recognition!
If you offer different designs or collections over time which stay true to your visual language, your customers will recognize you. Of course, this doesn't happen over night, but gradually your target audience will remember your style and your products. At some point they will become your trademark.
So you can see your designs as an extension of your corporate design (such as logo, colours, ...) And if everything fits together well, then your customers will feel comfortable with you! Because you have the same taste and the same values. It will also be easier for you to reach your customers and market your products accordingly, because you know what they all have in common and who will like them.
One company that has perfected this is Desigual. So when I see clothes with large, colourful and wild patterns that may even look a bit quirky, then I know immediately - this is from Desigual. I don't even need to see the logo anymore because the company's imagery runs like a red thread through all products.
6. You can work independently from manufacturers!
Have you ever had the problem that you bought goods for your company because it was essential for manufacturing your own products? And suddenly the item is no longer available….
If you sew jackets and the needed items are buttons, then that could still be manageable. Because buttons can also be obtained from other manufacturers.
But what if it is an essential design element? And on top of that, this element was the reason your customers bought it! Imagine it is the fabric itself that is no longer available and will never be again. And it was the absolute top seller at your store!
Now you don't know what to do, because you can not make your product anymore...
This can no longer happen to you with your own designs! Because you decide who produces it. And if a manufacturer is no longer available, you switch to a different manufacturer.
This way your design remains. Your customers can still have their favorite piece. And you can sleep peacefully because you know that you have it in your own hands.
7. You can control the duration of availability!
Certain things become particularly interesting if they are only available for a certain amount of time.
So if you have your designs produced yourself, you can determine when and for how long they will be available.
Viola - And you already have your own Limited Edition!
A limited edition is another unique selling point of yours. But you can also use it to encourage customers to buy.
Because if a product is not available around the clock, the incentive to want it increases. Because you don't want to miss out on it and in retrospect get annoyed not having bought it!
This method is called "scarcity" and is often used for marketing purposes. It gives your customers a period of time in which to make a decision! Because if your offer is always available, many people postpone on acting on it. They think they can still buy it later. (You have probably done that yourself, because I have too!)
Of course you don't have to do a one-time limited edition. You could also link those offers to a month/season and then offer them again for a certain period of time the following year.
And because you have full control over the design, you and only you decide how long your product will be around for.
8. Your design can be adapted to different products!
Especially when it comes to cups, I often get annoyed because a design only exists as a cup, but I would also like to have the matching bowl for breakfast. And then I don't buy the cup.
If you get a design from an online stock site, then you have a design, but how do you get it onto different surfaces?
Or maybe it is suitable for one of your products, but you would also like to place it onto others to create a small collection?
Well, with generic images you quickly run into problems here.
Motifs and graphics created specifically for you can be adapted to all circumstances.
So if you plan to produce a tableware set, I can adapt your design to the needed shapes. Suddenly you have a cup, a glass, cutlery, plates and even place mats! They all have the same design and fit together perfectly. Your own collection!
And you didn't even have to spend hours looking for the right graphics. Because that's the advantage of having something especially designed for you.
It just fits. Exactly how you need it. Without any extra work on your part.
And your customers can enjoy their tableware set.
9. Your design can be tailored to a manufacturers guidelines!
Perhaps you have already established relationships with manufacturers and enjoy working with them because you can rely on them?
Does this manufacturer need the files for production in a very specific way that your purchased template does not meet? It might be difficult to adapt something without your own in-house designer.
If you decide to have your motifs created from scratch, then of course you have all the freedom!
The manufactory can only work with a maximum of 6 colors?
No problem!
The file needs to be exactly 5000 pixels wide?
No problem!
Does the graphic have to be in vectors?
No problem!
Because everything can be taken into account. No matter if it's colours, dimensions, file type, size, placement, and so on...
Because you are not a slave to your design templates!
You are free to choose who you want to work with.
10. You can do what you enjoy!
Existing imagery often limits you, because you don't want a run-of-the-mill motif or maybe your taste is quite unique?
How many times have you searched for a particular picture and have not found it? Did you have to accept something even though it didn't really fit?
And wouldn't it be great to be able to turn your own visions into pictures?
If you have your own designs made, you get a say in the outcome! So you can be sure that the end result is what you want and meets your requirements.
Do you think that an individual design would be just right for you?
Contact me and let's talk about your project!
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