Once we move past the coverage and pricing, and the customer is committing to the wrap, then we move into discussing design options. The reason I mention getting a commitment from the customer is that you don't want to spend a ton of time at the front counter discussing graphic placement, colors and artwork while sketching out your ideas only to end up with a customer that still needs to “think about it.”
Design is important and takes time to discuss, so be sure you have the job before you start the design process.
When you begin discussing the layout the customer may have lots of big ideas on what they want to include in the design. Because they realize a wrap is a big investment, customers often think they need to include as much information as possible in order to get the most out of the advertising. However, on vehicle wraps the opposite is true—simple, clean designs will yield the best results.
To help narrow down the process we tell the customer to start with three W's of wrap design—Who (they are), What(they do) and Where (are they located). Once we've answered these three key bits of crucial information, then anything else is extra and should be carefully considered before adding it to the design.
Front Counter
We have clipboards at the front counter that we keep our work order forms on. On these we start listing out information that the customer wants to include. It's helpful to simply brainstorm the information with the customer in list form before moving onto any rough sketching.
We also keep a binder of common vehicle templates at the front counter. Once we've worked through the customer's information we'll pull out a template for the vehicle and quickly sketch out a rough idea of what we're envisioning for placement and coverage. This helps get us on the right track from the beginning.
Who
The first item answers the “Who” the customer is, which is simply their company name. For this we'll discuss if they already have a logo or if they will need us to create a logo for them.
If the customer already has a logo then we take a look at their existing business cards or other marketing materials to get an idea of the shape, fonts and colors we're working with. We also discuss with them the format they have the artwork available in and if it will be sufficient for placement on the side of a vehicle.
Logo Design
If the customer is using a logo that isn't very clean or easy-to-read we make suggestions at this point on how to make it look more professional and eye catching. This can be a touchy subject with many customers because they've often designed it themselves or had a family member design it.
One approach is to explain to the customer that while their current logo may work for them on print media (where their customer has plenty of time to view it up close), it won't work as well on a moving vehicle. From there we'll discuss how an easy-to-read font with good color contrast will maximize the impressions they get—which is the whole point to wrapping their vehicle in the first place.
Whether we're improving upon an existing logo or creating an all new one we review the pricing for a logo design separate from the wrap design pricing itself. The labor involved in designing a logo for the customer is billed as separate item from the amount of time and effort that will go into designing the overall wrap. Start with the logo and then move onto the wrap.
Branding
It's important to note that branding is a process of building a positive image and experience for the consumer. This is done through the company's image, which in part is the logo you'll design, as well as the philosophy of the company behind that logo.
The company's brand essentially reflects who the company is and how they want the consumer to perceive them. The logo you design is just one part of the whole branding process.
Choosing a color scheme is another part of the process. It's a good investment to have a current Pantone Color Guideon hand that you can go through with the customer to choose two to three colors to use within the logo design and on the other support information that will go on the vehicle wrap.
Alternately, you can cultivate a working relationship with a graphic design/advertising firm in your area that specializes in creating logos and brands and bring them in on the job. They will often work directly with your customer on the logo before sending them back to you, but if you're not confident that you can create exactly what the customer is envisioning then it's a good idea to bring in another professional source.
What
What the customer does is sometimes part of the company name itself like “Jackson's Carpet Cleaning.” In this case you obviously don't need to repeat 'carpet cleaning' as that's self-explanatory.
But, for the wrap itself we take this a step further as we answer the question of what the customer does with a slogan or tag line. If the customer specializes in something within an industry that deserves further explanation, then an additional line of text should be included. If the customer has a catchy slogan that they use on all their other advertising materials then this may also be the extra 'what' that you'll want to include in the wrap design.
Between the company logo and the slogan the wrap design should effectively translate what your customer's business does. The vehicle needs to be seen and understood within seconds for the design to be effective.
Where
Now that the company name and slogan has been added to the wrap design we need to then add in the contact information. This answers the 'where' by directing the customer's audience to their website and/or physical location.
I honestly cannot remember ever writing down the phone number I see on a vehicle wrap, but if there is an easy-to-remember website on the vehicle I'll make a note of it. A good website will have all the additional information that a potential customer will need like the phone number and address so if space is limited or the extra info makes your design less effective, then include a website and stop there.
If your customer has a long, complicated website address you may suggest that they try to purchase a domain name with simplified, descriptive text that they can use to direct customers to their existing site.
For example, our domain name is very simple but let's pretend we had www.visualhorizonscustomsignsmodesto.cominstead of the www.vhsigns.com that we actually use. The long name would take up a lot of space and would be difficult to grasp on a moving vehicle.
Over the years we've added additional domain names that might help customers find us when doing general searches. For example if you type in www.modestowraps.com it will direct you to our www.vhsigns.com site. As willwww.modestocustomsigns.com. So multiple simple, descriptive domain names can direct you to one main website.
If the customer wants to include a contact phone number advise them to stay at one number. Some customer's will request both an office number and a cell number but this makes the layout more confusing and less likely to be remembered.
The company address is another piece of information that should be carefully considered. If the company is not on a commonly recognized street I would suggest leaving it off. Catch the consumer's eye with the other design elements and get them to visit the website or call the company as they'll probably need additional directions anyway.
If the address is on a major road then consider adding another common cross street to make a clear picture in the consumer's head about the location. For example “At Kansas and 8th Streets” would be a simple way to direct customers to our shop location. Both streets are well known and by saying we're on Kansas at 8th, our audience would figure out which end of Kansas we are on.
Extras
So now that you've included the who, what and where of your design you need to assess if any additional information will add or detract from the effectiveness of the design. If your coverage is a partial wrap then there may not be enough space within your square footage for additional information.
If it's a full wrap or a partial wrap with more coverage then you may be able to add in these extras without crowding out the most important elements of the design. Some of these 'extras' might be a bullet list of services, social media logos, the logos of products the company sells or additional information like '24 Hour Service' or 'Free Estimates'.
If a customer wants to include these extras in their design then we try to add them toward the rear of the vehicle or down low on the sides. We also will get creative with the colors, creating a little less contrast, so the extra information is noticed second to the primary information.
Photos
I've noticed a bit of a debate among wrap designers over the use of photos. Some designers say that photos should absolutely not be included, while other designers should use plenty of photos in their designs.
Eliminating photos and keeping a clean look is definitely an effective approach when paired with good design and color use. The logo itself, when designed well, may be the only needed image on the vehicle.
Personally I like both approaches. I do like the look of a wrap without images. It often has an old-school all-vector look that can be very effective. I like the inclusion of photos as well if they're added to the design in a way that compliments the rest of the vehicle wrap design.
If you plan to add photos to your design here are a few tips in mind:
- One large image is usually more effective than multiple smaller images.
- Choose an image that clearly represents what it is the customer is selling or providing as a service.
- Make sure the artwork is high quality and not pixelated; direct the customer to a quality stock photo provider such as istockphoto or Shutterstock to help them choose an image if they don't have one available.
- If it's a landscape photo that will be used primarily as a background image, then be sure to use creative graphics or shapes to finish off the image so it doesn't appear as just a big rectangle in the background.