We cannot seem to go a day without noticing the orange ‘S’ that is Safe Boda or the goddess of Café Javas. These are just a few of the Ugandan logos and designs behind strong brands. Often time’s people think of graphic design as the icing on top of the cake, but it’s really the bread and butter of your company.
It takes only a few seconds for individuals to feel a sense of connection to a brand, logo, or design which makes the creative elements highly crucial to your business and its objectives. Ultimately, your design allows individuals to know who you are and can either identify with you or run from you. It’s always imperative to have a strong design and a little time and effort spent on that design.
Patrick Massa, a graphic artist, interior designer and photographer works with graphics almost half of the time on the job. He believes that Graphics Design is an avenue for communication and visual impact. In his creative process, he seeks to understand the audience and the product to create ideal solutions and credits good team work and flexibility for the success he has attained in the field thus far.
He has worked with Kampala Design Week, Milege Inc, DFCU bank Uganda, The Lantern Meet of Poets, and The Africa Strategist Leadership Centre among other brands. Today, he shares a few wisdom nuggets on how graphic designers can get to do more: from the best resources, customer feedback and why he chooses to do Graphic design.
In his opinion, the resources for designers are vast. However, the ones that really stick out for him are:
1. The mind and ability to stretch it
2. The Design problems presented
3. Research
4. Online design resources like shutter stock and others (These help speed up delivery time)
5. Brainstorming sessions or group involvement. (Only if necessary)
He is of the view that designers can turn customer feedback into better designs by listening and adjusting Art based on whatever feedback they have received. ‘’Back and forth is part of the trade.’’ He is also quick to add that since work is a partnership between client and service provider, it is also just fine to carefully advise the client on better solutions but adds a disclaimer saying, ‘’only if necessary.’’
'’I do graphic design because it is an avenue for communication and visual impact.’’
Massa seeks to understand the audience and the product in his process to create ideal solutions. ‘’It also generally comes fairly easy for me. I enjoy it and enjoy seeing growth of ideas and brands.’’