It’s more than graphic design. Graphic design scratches the surface of what PR design truly is. In my opinion, PR design is the marriage of PR and graphic design elements. You use and apply the knowledge you possess from being a PR practitioner and create art with it that entices and engages your target audience even more.
When I designed in this course, I put myself in the mind of my target audience. I reflected on all the times I got a handout or read a newsletter where I wasn’t impressed or frustrated by them really helped me this semester. I got to make something I was proud of, but also got to be creative with how I could improve one’s experience in receiving PR publications. I think putting myself in the mind of the receiver rather than the designer before I created my designs worked in my favor. For example, when designing my business cards and stationery, I imagined myself as a colleague and future employer looking at the business card and remembering what they would want to see on a small business card or stationery.
Looking at examples and reflection also helped me. I would look at a newsletter or something and think to myself “here’s where I can make this better or improve it in my work” a lot during this course. I think looking back at some of the worst things I’ve received was something that made me a better designer and more efficient in my work.
Another tip I have is to find a passion or something exciting in your designs. For my final project, I had a lot of creative freedom with what I designed for my newsletter. I decided to create a newsletter for a sports team since my end goal is to work in sports. I used my favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs, as my muse which made my design process a lot easier and more exciting for me. I was able to use color theory with two unlikely complimentary colors and also see what writing and working for a sports team in the sense of community relations (since my newsletter is directed to the fans of KC) and fan engagement.
Knowing your audience and what they like to see or what you think they’d like to see is so important to design. When I designed, I had to quiet the voice inside of me that said “this looks cool, do it” rather than thinking of practicality and how to get your message across in art rather than a press release. I used that philosophy when designing my handouts and my newsletter.
Overall, I would say to find the beauty in your design process. Using certain softwares and programs are annoying and sometimes it takes a lot longer to make something, but the end product is what matters. For me, I noticed that I was always happier with my end product when designing with Adobe (even though I have personal beef with that software) due to the quality and my understanding of what goes into making “simple” things like a handout or newsletter. I got an appreciation for the hard work that goes into public relations design and the parts in the background that no one ever really sees. I also learned that the journey to your end project helps make your project what it is.
