How Can Graphic Design Enhance Written Content?
In the realm of content creation, the synergy between writers and designers is pivotal for producing compelling narratives. From the collaborative magic with graphic designers to synchronizing copy with design drafts, we've compiled the diverse experiences of ten writing professionals, including Copywriters and Content Marketers, on their successful partnerships with visual experts.
- Collaborative Magic with Graphic Designers
- Shared Questions Enhance Collaboration
- Multimedia Elevates Written Narratives
- Structured Content for Reader Action
- Complementary Skills for Storytelling
- Early Collaboration Saves Time and Money
- Joint Brand Strategy Development
- Quiz-Style Carousel Promotes E-Book
- Transforming Blogs into Visual Content
- Synchronize Copy with Design Drafts
Collaborative Magic with Graphic Designers
Magic happens when I collaborate with my graphic designer. Once I have a good draft of my copy ready, she fits it into her design. Then we hop on a Zoom call where we share her screen and both offer suggestions for design improvement and copy changes. We may realize a shorter headline or more bullets are necessary for a clean design, or that we may need to swap out images. The key to this magic is being open to suggestions and new insights. When we collaborate in this way, we always end up with an amazing piece for our client.
Shared Questions Enhance Collaboration
Oh, let me count how many times I've collaborated with graphic and web designers! Many of my copywriting projects have been with graphic and/or web designers/developers. The reason, I think, is that we ask similar questions of our clients. Who is your target client? What do you like/dislike about the current design and copy? How has your business changed? If we start by talking about copy, we identify a need to update the website design, leading to new images and graphics. We all work together to deliver marketing to businesses and nonprofits. I've found it is a collaborative environment in which we can all shine.
Multimedia Elevates Written Narratives
So, you know how a bad soundtrack can ruin a good movie? The same can be said about a piece of content with poor visuals—or lack thereof! I teamed up with a multimedia specialist on a project once, and their knack for visuals just elevated my words to another level. It was like they had an innate understanding of my audience, and together, we were enhancing the narrative in a more engaging way.
Structured Content for Reader Action
The best results happen when a writer and designer come together to identify which action(s) readers should take—and how to structure the content in such a way that it supports the goal. Sometimes, that means copy and imagery share equal responsibility in informing the reader, like in the case of product demonstrations or tutorials. Other times, it's about guiding the reader's attention through all the important and relevant information he or she needs to act (whether that means completing a sign-up form, making a purchase, or taking some other step that indicates interest in the product or service being discussed).
Complementary Skills for Storytelling
I created a survey of corporate sustainability professionals that I used as the basis for a white paper. While I could have made my own charts from the survey data, I wanted to focus on what I do best, which is analyzing and writing about the results. I also would have struggled to package everything together into a neatly designed report, so I worked with a graphic designer to create clear, visually appealing charts, and he organized the report in a way that made it easily digestible.
It's great to partner with others who have complementary skills. Writing is only one component of great storytelling.
Early Collaboration Saves Time and Money
For optimum results, writers and graphic designers should work together with the client from the very beginning. Graphic designers can share why or why not copy will work (space, readability, adherence to brand), and writers can adjust copy before the final draft, thus saving time and money, and providing the client with a professional product. For a website build, I worked with two insightful graphic designers who ensured our finished product suited not only the client but the audience as well, because we worked together from concepting to launch.
Joint Brand Strategy Development
The right visuals or multimedia elements always have the power to elevate great copy. However, I think it's especially important for designers and writers to collaborate on brand strategy projects. In those early stages of building a brand, or during that period of refreshing a brand, it's essential for designers and writers to research, brainstorm, and develop as a team. How might the copywriter's strategy inform design? What might design reveal, deepen, or clarify about the brand?
Quiz-Style Carousel Promotes E-Book
At Agorapulse, we regularly collaborate with our designers to create all sorts of content. Most recently, we came up with an idea for a carousel to promote our new e-book in the style of a quiz. Each slide had a multiple-choice question with insights from the e-book. This helped to pique curiosity and drive people to our website from social media to download the e-book.
Transforming Blogs into Visual Content
I work closely with my graphic design partners on transforming blogs and written content into eBooks and infographics. As designers, they bring the information and ideas to life while being open to my suggestions. They also make editorial suggestions to me. This approach always leads to successful collaboration.
Synchronize Copy with Design Drafts
Any kind of PDF-based content, whether it's an ebook, product catalog, or even a product carousel, requires synchronization with your graphic designer/multimedia specialist. Once finished, your copy needs to be adjusted properly so that it looks great when applied to the designer's draft. Therefore, it helps to always collaborate with your creative team in such cases.
