Graphic design is all about communication, which is why when it comes to finding high quality graphic design, Norwich seems to be saying a good deal.
It's easy to think that graphic design is all about visual art, pretty pictures, snazzy little logos and bright colours that seem as exciting as your first box of crayons. But surprisingly, graphic design doesn't tend to be much about crayons.
For professional graphic design, Norfolk is home to a team of designers who may well appreciate being given a big box of crayons for Christmas, but who also understand that graphic design isn't just about graphics and pictures.
Because graphic design is about communication.
But what do we really mean by that, and how does the graphic design Norwich based team do things differently?
Communication is a grossly understated word, and one which actually means a good deal more than most people consider. In business communication is almost everything - very little else has as much impact on the success of a business. Communication is both within the businesses and between its various departments and bases, between businesses, between a business and its customers, and between a business and its potential customers.
Each of these examples of communication needs to be entirely suited to the individual needs, but consistent. It is that consistency which is sometimes flawed, causing a range of issues. When it comes to graphic design, Norwich based 'Special Design' understand that consistency is key - but so is standing out and being unique.
That might appear to be a contradiction of terms, but the fact is that whilst a business's communication needs to be consistent in terms of values, principles, professionalism and tone, the overall style, messages, themes and impression have to stand out, to enable the business brand to be instantly recognisable.
Hopefully the brand will be recognisable for the right things, and a good deal of that is down to how effective its communication is, and that in turn is reliant upon effective graphic design.
Much of what a business communicates will be through words, but in most cases these words will be delivered remotely, either over the telephone, through the post, by email, flier or other form of media. But as people we have grown accustomed over thousands of years to being visual creatures, reading body language, looking at faces and communicating in a visual way.
We haven't changed that much, and that's why when it comes to graphic design, Norfolk is able to stand head and shoulders above most places. They've realised that to communicate remotely you need a face, a visual way of giving the right impression, because words alone rarely convey everything you want to say, or everything you need to say.
A letter will include words, but the tone, level of professionalism, and many business messages, values and principles may be hard to determine, and the overall brand identity lost. That's why when it has come to thinking about graphic design, Norwich based companies and organisations have been turning to the team who have built a reputation on building reputations.
By providing businesses and organisations with a visual means of communicating to other business, within the business, to customers or to potential customers, the overall impact is significantly improved.
When you look at a poster, a letter, a business card or a brochure, it is often the choice of colours, layout, the choice of font, size of font, use of space, inclusion of certain images, colours, symbols and implied movement which create the first impression.
Within a very short space of time a great deal of information has been communicated, before even a single word has been read.
It's just the same in face to face communications - we often sum up a person, prejudging them in a fraction of a second based solely on their face, age, makeup, hairstyle, clothes, physical manner, way of walking, talking or looking, and all of this information is used to make a range of decisions about the person.
Imagine if your business or organisation was to be judged in the same way, with assumptions and prejudices being made in a fraction of a second, before you've even had the chance to communicate a single word. If you're looking for help with graphic design, Norwich based team Special Design know what it takes to make a first impression, first time round, and make sure that your company speaks volumes before it's even said a word.