POSTED IN
Marketing
WRITTEN BY
Nay Madani
DATE
Copywriting and graphic design collaborations often lead to debates about who started first, copywriting or graphic design? The two are interrelated. However, the answer to that question is neither. Let’s discuss further how copywriting and graphic design are two things that should go hand in hand.
Copywriting or graphic design first?
At the start, the copy is often available to make the job easier for the designer. They will immediately understand what the design layout should look like and the purpose of the design. However, it is not uncommon for copywriters to request the visuals first. So they know what to write and how many words to write. It feels like the situation of questioning the chicken and egg, right?
- Egg concept: Design starts first, where design shapes the copy.
Whether the first one is the design or copy depends on what you want to design. For example, creating a brochure or website can be completed first with a lorem ipsum copy. However, when the design starts, the designer will also estimate how many words they need to fill in the layout. While it’s a good practice, it certainly is a challenge for designers to be more creative in imagining copy in their heads.
- Chicken concept: Copy starts first, where the key messaging shapes the design.
Designing social media content usually puts the copy first. It is easier for designers to determine the design concept because the brief copy is clear. Regardless, it becomes a challenge for the copywriter to imagine the visual idea in his head when writing it.
However, the most important thing to start with is context—an outline of what you need to communicate. Designers and copywriters must understand this to create effective design results. Knowing the general structure, designers can begin to group information to form a design hierarchy. As for a copywriter, the outline of the content becomes the summary. They know what points they will communicate.
Why do we need to copywriting and graphic design?
The online world is dynamic, and content trends are constantly changing. Combining the power of a designer and a copywriter makes perfect sense so that a brand’s content doesn’t lose its existence. That is a way to compete to create a variety of high-quality content.
- Copywriting and graphic design complement each other.
You don’t have to be great at both because copywriters and designers are here to maximize the effectiveness of the content produced. Copywriters should have an excellent visual sense, but they don’t have to be able to design because their main job is to create writing that matches the tone of voice of a brand. Make simple sentences that convey information accurately.
Likewise, designers should be able to predict what the content of the message will look like, but they don’t have to have copywriting skills because their main task is to create contextual designs with the copy. They exist to complement each other.
- Content is king!
Engaging content is a combination of good copy and a great design.
According to Brain Rules, “We are incredible at remembering pictures. Hear a piece of information, and you’ll remember 10% of it three days later. Add a picture, and you’ll remember 65%.”
One of the reasons why every business needs design and copywriting is to make content easier to digest. Visual content is vital. The facts reveal that the human brain processes visual data 60,000 times faster than text. That’s why good copy and design can make your content more engaging and keep your audience engaged.
How the relationship between copy and design works
Which looks more interesting: the copy or the design? Both are equally important in making information feel relevant and on target to the audience.
- Design and copy work in harmony
A good design can grab the audience’s attention, so they want to read the copy. From this, we know that the design is the first thing the audience sees. The copywriting then influences the audience’s decision-making. So that is a copy and design collaboration form to encourage the audience to realize its information goals.
- Design and copy work like a symbiosis
Design can enhance copy into visual form, and then it can improve the design with exciting writing. Without the design, copywriting will be boring. Likewise, without copywriting, the design will feel confusing.
Design and copy can be a perfect collaboration!
Whether you want to start with design or copy, the most important is understanding the big picture. That way, designers and copywriters can go hand in hand to create the perfect result. Copy is here to make the design informative. Design is here to beautify the existing copy into a visual form. Need design and copywriting for your daily content needs? Contact us for the best solution!
