Back in September 2020, I powered up Zoom and hopped on a video call with the wildly talented Will Power Design to get his thoughts on commercial graphic design and how businesses can do it right from the start.
We talked about his background in design, how to avoid mistakes in your design strategy and how to spot the right designer for your brand.
T Clarke Freelance: First of all, thank you for joining me!
Will Power Design: That’s alright, thank you for having me!
So let’s start at the beginning: how did you get into design?
WPD: I got into design when I went to an open day at my sixth form, I’d never really considered it before but I dipped my head into the graphics room and I was like ‘oh my god, this is it, this is what I want to do.
What specifically drew you to design?
WPD: It was probably the creation process because in secondary school I did art which was cool and everything but I personally never really felt like it had any intent - almost like it was art for the sake of art. Graphics is kind of like art with a purpose if you get what I mean.
Where do you take inspiration from?
WPD: I feel like I’m inspired by everything! I’d say my current design style is very much that of our collab, like photo montage kind of thing, but I’m always looking for inspiration for the next one because I get bored doing the same thing over and over again.
Even now with my current designs, I’m sure I’ll look back in the future and think “I hate that, it’s awful, it’s not me anymore.” I look back on designs I only did a couple of years ago and I’m like "yeah the primary colour aesthetic was cute but we’re growing past that now."
But yeah I look for inspiration everywhere, I’m always on Pinterest looking for new things to try or put my spin on. At the moment I feel like I’m very much inspired by album covers and the music industry.
Can you name a few brands that you think are nailing design?
WPD: Nike’s recent advert where they did the split screen thing, blew my mind. Then another one that I love is Karma Kola, they’re an ethical drinks company that does some cool stuff online. I always keep up with them because their website, visuals and brand journey is aesthetically pleasing.
What are some no-nos when it comes to branding?
WPD: I’d say that when it comes to human rights movements, avoid performance activism. It’s one thing to genuinely support a cause, but some brands say “yes we support this, we’re progressive,” with lots of pretty graphics... when behind the scenes their behaviour and employment policies don’t back it up.
A company can use design to preach about anything, but if that business doesn’t fundamentally support the message of the designs, that’s isn't successful design in my opinion. At the end of the day, your design and branding exist to show who you are as a business, not to give you a cover to make it look like you’re doing the right thing.
Several brands have been called out in the wake of the recent Black Lives Matter movement for claiming to support the cause, but have a history of doing the opposite, so... don’t be those guys.
Why should small businesses pay attention to design?
WPD: I would say that if you don’t have a brand identity, good visuals or anything to back it up then you’re just forgettable. When you’re such a small business being memorable and sticking in peoples’ heads is vital to progressing and growing your company. Because for example at the end of the day, if you strip away everything are you going to remember Nike or their swoosh?
I’m very much a visual learner and I know a lot of other people are so I’m not going to remember what it was called, I’m way more likely to remember the shapes or colours.
Having strong brand design as a small company is vital, and I’d say a fundamental foundation you need to grow the company because people need to remember you.
What should people consider when hiring a designer?
WPD: I would recommend doing a lot of research into your designer - anyone can slap their name on an Instagram profile and claim to be a graphic designer. They don’t even necessarily need to have a degree in graphic design, but you’re looking for people that have a really strong portfolio to showcase their skills and strong reviews to back it up. Yes, they might be a little more pricey but at the end of the day, you’re investing money and time into a brand and designs that could potentially take your business global.
Always look at portfolios before reaching out to possible designers, or at least initially reach out to designers and ask to see some of their work - most designers will be happy to show you their work. Talk to people as much as you can, because when you hire a designer you kind of have to get along with them. If you’re both on the same page it makes the process so much easier because you can have good back and forth dialogue with them.
Also, let the designer do what the designer needs to do! Once you’ve provided a good brief and outlined everything you want from them, just let them get on with creating. Then, once they’re finished you can give them feedback and critiques. It can be a real pain to have someone constantly looking over your shoulder and it always ends up slowing the process down.
Do your research and remember that you get what you pay for.
Why is consistency so important in branding?
WPD: Because if you’re consistent, people can recognise your brand anywhere. I was once taught that if your logo and brand identity could have all the colours in the world but if you strip away all the colours and design and it’s still recognisable in black and white, then you’ve got a good identity.
Once you’ve got that, then it’ll be easy to keep everything consistent everywhere else.
Thank you so much for chatting! Where can people find you online?
WPD: Thanks again for having me! You can find me on Instagram, TikTok and you can check out my portfolio here.
You can also take a look at my latest project, Under the Influence, below.
