Confessions of a copywriter...
15/10/2009

It's time to come clean.

While I love words, live for them, work for them, get paid by them, I have something to admit: the value and meaning of words can be lost without good design.

Just today I've been reminded yet again that all the care, detail and witty little asides in the world pale into insignificance if the design and execution of the content is weak.

Good visual design + strong copy = power. Together they have the ability to inspire, engage, develop and define.

But one without the other creates hollow, uninspiring results that often smack as disingenuous or insincere. This poses major problems for many business communications - both internal or external. At the moment the pressure is on. We all feel it. Do more with less la, la la. The mantra is unending. But unless you're convinced that the very thing you are working for is worth it, everything starts to taste, well, a little sour.

I've written about the need for boutique brands to create a little character behind their communications - express themselves freely, beyond jargon and hyperbole. The need has never been greater. For many marketing and communications professionals, as well as business owners, this is most obviously delivered through visual communications, but never forget the written word. Your choice of phrase, countenance, and delivery through words, when combined with a consistent message delivered through visual design has the potential to capture the imagination of your audience.