After 20 years of creative services in the Durham Region and Greater Toronto Area, the time had come for Graphic a la Design to expand. Sounds easy, right? After all, change is good. Why not make like Nike and ‘Just Do It’?
Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. Great things don’t happen overnight and this was no exception. It took time to pull together the right team, all of whom I have had the pleasure of working with closely for the past three to 24 years. Next came branding: the Graphic a la Design logo, slogan, and symbols are all established and familiar; so our main task was to re-design graphicaladesign.com.
The process was just as rewarding as the end result.
There was much to consider throughout our re-design. Today, if you want your business or brand to be successful, you need to demonstrate your value. For most people, the roadblock comes down to the means of production—not being confident with their own creativity or computer skills, or simply not having the resources to bring great ideas to fruition.
Experienced graphic designers can produce creative content as well as establish an impressionable and appealing identity for their client’s brand or business. They can help a client stand out from the competition. Whether the graphic designer is building or reviving a brand or a business, they can create materials to best showcase the client’s brand or business values, approach, or style.
But, what happens when a graphic designer needs to demonstrate their value, approach, or style? When the tables are turned, how do they do it?
My roadblock was staying neutral; Graphic a la Design needed to speak to a broad audience, while demonstrating our value to multi-sectors. I needed to do more than solely build a presence on the Internet or social media. We needed to tell my story without giving away the recipe for 20 years of success — some ingredients are meant to be kept a secret! After several brainstorming sessions, a great deal of research, and many edits, the Graphic a la Design website went live and several social media outlets were launched.
In the end, the overall process of expanding Graphic a la Design and re-launching the website took a little longer than originally anticipated, but it was well worth the wait. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I now have an amazing team working along side me, the launch was successful, and graphicaladesign.com has been extremely effective in its outreach and has attracted new work for the Graphic a la Design team.
Lori Thompson, Creative Director
Graphic a la Design
graphicaladesign.com
