Graphic design isn’t just about the pictures

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

Barbara Graham wants to give her clients something more than just great graphic designs.

Graham has found a niche for new businesses, creating images to help them get started. She designs business cards, stationery, brochures, packaging designs and Web sites for companies so they can market themselves and show the public who they are.

Graham is the sole owner of “i.e. group,” which stands for “image effects.” She has been a graphic designer since 1994.

“I work with new businesses from the ground up,” she said. “Creating a logo is very important. One problem I’ve noticed is that new companies don’t look at the big picture and don’t know about branding. I ask people questions to help find answers.

“There’s a trust people get in you if you’ve put time and effort into defining yourself.”

Graham has seen a trend in people who start their own business after being laid off.

“That’s kind of what the economy needs,” she said. “But people really have to have their advertising up to date. In business, it’s ‘out of sight, out of mind.’

“I see my niche with young companies. I sit down and really talk to them about where they want to go.”

The i.e. group’s main tag is “focus.”

“I want to help people focus on the big picture,” she said. “I look beyond what graphic design is. I want to see what the big picture is, so I can help them achieve their goals.”

The reason the company is called “group” is because Graham works with a number of local entities. She hires photographers for shoots and works with printers in the area.

“I found a great printer who’s giving me an incredible deal on price,” she said. “It’s nice working with a lot of local talent.”

Graham said that, because there’s a break in printing costs, there are no excuses for companies to have boring business cards.

“Your business card should be the face of your company,” she said. “It should be memorable. That’s what you’re leaving behind.”

Graham has a degree in fine arts with an emphasis on graphic design. About 65 percent of her business is Web design. She said she’s watched the trend toward “techies” creating Web designs, but she said she can tell the difference between those designs and the ones created by graphic designers.

“Techies have a lot of scrolling, flashing colors that don’t make any sense,” she said. “When you’re trying to sell a company, you need clean images with colors and a look that says ‘Fun.’ You have only a couple of seconds to get your message across. Logos have to have a meaning.”

When she’s not working with clients, Graham conducts her own market research to look for trends.

“This industry is so fast-changing,” she said. “You need to be able to see things down the road.”

Reach Lifestyles Coordinator and reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.