How can communication design help impact businesses?

Three red and yellow McDonalds happy meal boxes
Fun fact: Lisa was a crew trainer at McDonald’s as a teenager which is probably why she’s such a systems nerd! / Photo by Meghan Hessler on Unsplash

iilo Creative Alliance is an impact business that provides communication design services to other values-based businesses. But… what exactly is communication design, and why is it important for our clients? We’re glad you asked!

Impact & the power of design

What’s the difference between communication design and graphic design?

Close your eyes and picture the logo for McDonalds. Easy right? Those golden arches popped right into your head as you heard, “I’m lovin’ it,” playing in the background. Even if you haven’t eaten there in years, the McDonalds tagline, colours, and imagery have carved out a piece of your memory bank. 

When starting out, many businesses attribute that kind of power to graphic design. Create a memorable logo and you create a memorable brand. That’s only one piece of the puzzle. Any graphic designer can make you a pretty logo — a communication designer creates a strategic plan that uses visual elements and words to communicate your message to a broader audience.

Communication design is the container that houses everything from copywriting, social media, branding, and yes, logos and graphics. Our goal is to make sure whenever your target audience encounters your brand, they receive the message you intended in a consistent way.

With effective communication design, you can stand out amongst the heavy hitters and activate your desired target audiences. The right strategy and visual elements will build credibility and establish you as an authority.

Why is communication design important for impact businesses?

We get it, you’re busy trying to save the world. You’ve got climate change to battle, social injustices to make right, and species to save from extinction. All your energy (and budget) is going into furthering your mission. Surely your work will speak for itself?

Like any worthy cause, you need champions to spread the word, advocate for your goals, and fund your work. You want the rest of the world to care as much as you do — and so do we!

You can write 100 reports to raise awareness, but if nobody reads them, what good are they? 

This is where communication design (and iilo) comes into play. We can translate something that seems mundane into something people will understand and engage with. We make the invisible work you’re doing visible, so people can see the changes that are happening and the changes that need to happen. Good communication design is as important as the financials in your annual report, because it enhances and complements all the impactful work you’re doing. 

If you’d like to learn more about how iilo can help you create a cohesive communication design strategy for your business, fill out our inquiry form to get in touch.

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