GRAPHIC DESIGN IS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE AND BEING UNDERSTOOD
My own name isn’t exactly the most inspiring so I elected to work under a more visual pseudonym. Goodjolt is derived from the idea of the creative spark and is also a small statement about how Graphic Design can really boost a brand or enliven visual communications. As much of an old cartoon cliché as it may be, the symbol of the spark goes far beyond a ghostly lightbulb hovering above someone’s head. This plasmic catalyst culminates an invisible, yet atom-splitting flash of inspiration. Illuminating every single neural fiber-optic in your skull – to the extent your hair could spontaneously combust. When a shuddering jolt launches you in head first – transfixed by infinite possibilities. Your inner workings negotiate an arterial tangle of thought.
Ideas develop and flow in new (sometimes unexpected) directions. Mesmerically morphing new limbs, wings, heads or hell knows what. Intracranial reactions: a contained explosion. Pushing the confines of convention, knowing fine well, no matter how far the imagination is stretched, it’ll never break. Concepts branch out like pulsing veins of molten lava. Gathering momentum… covering new territory. While others are torn apart or collide cataclysmically – burgeoning electrically charged circuitry worth exploring. New-found logic ventures down the path of least resistance. The challenge is filtering out the unnecessary, to achieve the most efficient means of visual communication, through striving for concise simplicity in even the most complex of client design briefs.
So the work is unveiled. The freakish monster’s let loose to wreak havoc – touching hearts or rattling cages. Meticulously engineered for engaging minds with thought processes alien to our own. Optimally formulated to strike a chord with the relevant target audience(s), by building and demonstrating a good degree of understanding. Published work is exposed and free to be noticed, perceived, informative, helpful, supportive, advisory, directional, interactive, persuasive, enticing or indeed endearing. Captivating discerning eyes. Stimulating minds into action.
Often the result rigidly follows a set blueprint, or the magic happens spontaneously. Either by getting the best from even the strictest of a brand’s corporate guidelines, or decanting creative juice freshly squeezed. Striking the perfect balance between the technical, the intentional and the accidental. It’s usually less contrived and more organic that way. Not settling for simply blending in, when the aim should be to distinguish what makes you different. Drawing attention to the overall proposition / unique selling point and projecting a professional and distinctive image and feel, echoing all the right qualities. Otherwise, what’s the point of creating anything at all? Good design is important in terms of positioning, and greatly determines how customers perceive any given company. Professional design also offers much greater longevity, originality and essentially makes for a sound business investment.
Ultimately the ideal tone you set in Graphic Design is achieved with careful consideration to word AND image. There’s no set scientific formula to abide by. Devising creative solutions is more spontaneous than that, and fundamentally about interpreting the people your communications are designed for. It’s actually a very human way of perceiving the world. Whether you strategise marketing that is bold, direct and to-the-point or conversely, if your marketing materials maybe demand enlisting an altogether more sophisticated, elegantly refined and understated approach. It all depends on the specific aims or audience. Good Graphic Design & Advertising’s much more than simply making things look nice – it’s vitally about having the insight to understand any demographic or industry, to achieve the perfect balance. Translating coherent visual language. Sometimes all your branding or marketing needs, is a good jolt.
