Differentiate Yourself!
I’m amazed with the recent issue of Concept Magazine. An Indonesia Graphic Design printed magazine. The cover that they made is using laser cutting in accordance to their theme for the issues, “Urban Art”.
Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and is usually used in industrial manufacturing. Laser cutting works by directing the output of a high power laser, by computer, at the material to be cut. The material then either melts, burns or vaporizes away leaving an edge with a high quality surface finish. Industrial laser cutters are used to cut flat-sheet material as well as structural and piping materials. Some 6-axis lasers can perform cutting operations on parts that have been pre-formed by casting or machining. Wikipedia
I’m still new about this “laser cutting” thing. Let’s see the portfolios taken from gustosign.
As you have seen, we can give a unique touch to our printed artworks. Let it be in materials that we request. All we have to do is to make a collaboration with our printers. Many designers neglect things like this nowadays. Forgetting the importance of ‘final results’ from the printing.
I’m not too fond of marketing theories but one thing I know from marketing ourselves is that, the more we differentiate ourselves from our competitors, the more chance of customers choosing us. But take note that not all customer are receptive to changes. They might dislikes this method that you introduce. Your being different than others might have create the customer perception that you aren’t in the competition.
Let’s taken an example from this laser cutting things. Let say you include this ‘laser cutting’ feature into your portfolios. This might have turned out the idea that you are not a design specialist but a printing workshop. Don’t put up something that out of your main business, make it as an additional feature. Or if you create a join-venture with your printers, this is not a matter at all. Customer might have choose you even more, because your main business is in ‘complete’ procedures, from design to print.
Other ideas that related to this: using different materials and shapes. Using free acid papers for producing material promotion might also increase the customer awareness of your environmental care. In addition to that, by using unique shapes, people will be more interested to read rather than using cheap and monotone color to produce brochure that contains only texts.
So, what’s your idea to differentiate yourself? Don’t be shame to share it, because ideas never runs out, just like people needs and wants.