Whether you’re a Canva beginner or an InDesign expert, learn a few design essentials from our in-house designer.
B2B design is difficult. In the B2C world, designers have a world of advertising and marketing materials to source inspiration, follow trends, and hunt for the next big thing. In B2B, you’re designing creative for an audience that has likely seen it all before and very much wants you to lay out the information for them as efficiently as possible.
But how do you balance the artistry of design with the pragmatism of the B2B world? We spoke to our in-house designer, Kyra, to source four conceptual design tips for B2B audiences.
1) Match your tone to your audience
In copywriting, writers have to carefully select their words to match the tone of their perceived audience. Let’s say you’re writing an eBook advertising a communication platform for physicians—it’d be more appropriate to refer to your customers as “healthcare professionals” than “docs.” Although the language is visible rather than written, designers have to do the same thing: match their visual style to speak the “language” of their readers.
No rule is set in stone, but most B2B creative requires designers to cut the fluff and get to the point. A B2B audience is often made up of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and C-Suite executives. These folks either 1) know more about the material than the average customer or 2) don’t have the kind of time to read between the lines. To reach these individuals with your message, your design needs to be highly intentional, the kind of work that supports your copy to tell your client’s overall story.
2) Establish a consistent style
In art, repetition is often considered lazy or uninspired. In B2B design, repetition creates shortcuts for your audience so they can more easily understand your story. That’s a good thing.
When designers create templates, formats, and other design molds for their team’s marketing touchpoints, they’re doing more than saving themselves time for the next deliverable. A template creates an implicit expectation in your audience. Books are read left to right, movies are watched start to end, and, given enough time, your unique design language becomes an easy-to-consume genre all its own that will save your audience valuable reading time. When you create and repeat a strong template, it teaches your audience where to find specific information callouts, making your future work increasingly scannable and useful and, at the end of the day, makes your unique style even more valuable to your clients.
3) Use icons sparingly
The digital world is one of clutter: pop-up ads, heavy amounts of on-page copy, and useless photographs or images abound. As a designer, you are the person in charge of reducing this clutter, not adding to it. With that role in mind, let’s think about images and icons.
As a visual tool, icons and images work to both draw the eye and give your audience a rest. 500 words of block text can be daunting to read, but the right use of icons can split those 500 words into easy-to-digest chunks.
Unfortunately, the wrong use of icons and images can add to your audience’s exhaustion. A copywriter may overwrite, but they can always blame the audience for not reading closely enough. If a designer tacks on too many photographs, the piece instantly becomes cluttered and confusing, and everyone knows where to point the blame. As a professional de-clutterer, remember to be sparing.
4) Simplify
If one idea unifies B2B design, it’s to simplify.
B2B designs often introduce technical, industry-specific information. When creating graphics to represent complex subjects, it’s best to create clean, concise graphics that don’t overwhelm the concept or distract your audience from your intended takeaway. Every time you introduce a new visual element, ask yourself: does this help the reader? If the answer isn’t an obvious yes, you’re likely over-designing.
Want to see Kyra’s tips in practice? At Weber Associates, Kyra and our team of designers have brought their keen eye to all kinds of deliverables. Whether an eBook, animated video, or blog post, follow Weber Associates on LinkedIn and check out our website to see how our designers have told our client’s stories with clean, effective creative.
