Do you know some of the critical things designers follow when creating impactful financial design materials? Read below to find out ten quick tips about graphic design and collateral creation you can use to your elevate your branding:

1. Start with personas. Do you know and keep in mind everything you can about your target audience when drafting materials? If not, work to figure out the data points and analyze what is essential to your target audience so you can refer back to it when creating your materials. Even if you think you are intimately familiar with your target audience, your marketing style can drift, so keeping this as a cornerstone of content creation is essential. You can always check in with your target personas and ask, "did I make this for them" when you are feeling indecisive about a piece of content.
2. Write content before creating the materials. Too often, people start in Powerpoint or Adobe when trying to develop their materials. The most effective process usually goes like this: plan content with pen and paper (or whiteboard), perform SEO research, draft an outline (in Google Drive so you can write collaboratively with your team), plan visuals, and then put it all together.
3. Use white space to your advantage. There is a lot of wordy material out there in finance. You will leave a greater impression with less content. When you write less, you can make sure that your content is crystal clear, and heads are nodding with your communications. Keep it light, use a lot of white space, and be thoughtful with the images and graphics you use. Make sure there is reason and logic behind your layout and visual decisions.
4. Keep simplifying and editing. Plan your content far enough in advance that you have a couple of days to review your financial design assets and materials. And to sleep on it. An idea might strike you the following day that wouldn't have come without a bit more time. Refining the message down to its core principles, and communicating that intelligently through inspired graphics is vital. 
5. Use color palettes wisely. Don’t let your brand fall prey to inconsistent or poorly chosen color palettes. Neuroscience shows that specific colors trigger mindstates, so make sure yours reflects the kind of personality you want to portray.
6. Be selective with your copy. There is an art to writing impactful messaging that will strike a nerve with your target audience. As with design and layout, text requires some thought and SEO research to make it most valuable when complete. It’s a combination of financial acumen, talent, research, time, teamwork, and iterations.
7. Less lingo is more. Say what you need to say, nothing more.
8. Don’t sell yourself short. Self-promotion is impactful in sales literature, so don’t sell yourself short. Share your credentials and make sure you highlight the most important things to your target audience first. Talk about accomplishments and include metrics wherever possible. In financial marketing, numbers speak louder than words - interweave them into the story to create impact and interest.
9. Illustrate and brand charts and graphs. There’s nothing like crisp graphics and charting when it comes to finance and financial information design. The industry runs on numbers and calculations, so put energy into making sure your information is attractive and easily digestible. There is an elegance to sharing stylized and consistently branded financial charts and graphics.
10. Have others review. Critique is one of the essential parts of the process. If you can't take constructive candor, get out of the financial design kitchen.

Need help with your financial designs in your marketing department? Reach out to us and let us help you get started on something new.