Reflections on design: Brand identity in the digital world 

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Hi there, I’m Silvia Miralles, designer, web developer and passionate about Internet right from the start.  And now I’m also a Zyncro fan!

Last Wednesday 27th was world graphic design day, thanks to the ICOGRADA (International Council of Graphic Design Associations) initiative founded in London on this day in 1963.  There is a day for everything and we designers could not be anything less.

Nonetheless, could we be talking about the same concept as we were 48 years ago?  Has the designer profile changed?  What is the 2.0 era designer like?  I often find myself with workmates exclusively dedicated to design support on paper, terribly fearful of digital design support. Everything has been changing since a while back, the economical crisis is forcing us to see things from different perspectives and it could not be any other way in this sector.

I tell these workmates to recycle themselves, to venture into the digital world and learn the basics about HTML, CSS, usability, to lose their ‘respect’ for banners or e-mailing.  It is clear that some personal willpower and the design world can take on many disciplines but if we consider the Internet 2.0 boom, we must be ready for the changing employment market that is evermore pleading for “digital designers”.

As professionals we must be prepared, be capable of applying our art to all kinds of support the client may require.  But how much importance do businesses give design?  Are they prepared to invest in design?  Or do they undervalue it thinking it is unnecessary?

Let us consider that design is not indispensable, that a brand or a business can live (survive) without it.  OK, but we want our brand to be the leader and for that we must convey a positive message.  Yes, we are talking about colour print, colours, our logo, catalogues, leaflets etc… but overall this IS our identity that the world WILL see.

For this reason I would like to stand up for designers, we can help you with your brands, projects, PowerPoint presentations that are crying out for the design touch!  Thanks to initiatives such as World Graphic Design Day, we can obtain recognition for this discipline and make it more accessible to all audiences.

Put a bit of design into your life, you’ll appreciate it.