Marketing design applies graphic design principles to the ultimate goals of a marketing effort. It encompasses both the creation of a recognizable visual identity that will appeal to potential customers and the marketing team’s deployment of that identity in the form of internally consistent assets.

Marketing design is an essential piece of a business’s [marketing strategy](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/marketing-strategy-guide) since good design is one of the primary ways to grab your target audience’s attention. The marketing graphics that a design team creates are also vital to a positive user experience since welcoming visuals will make customers more likely to return.
No matter what type of designed assets a company plans to distribute in its marketing materials, they should align with the overall [brand identity design](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/dvfs-tips-for-designing-a-brand-identity)—a codified set of ideals and aesthetic guidelines that the content marketing team uses to connect with customers. Here are some of the more common types of content through which designers communicate brand identity:

1. __Email marketing__: Once you’ve persuaded a customer (or potential customer) to open an email from you, you need to ensure that the email contents make the reader want to engage. Great design can help catch the readers’ eye. Learn more about [email marketing](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/email-marketing-explained).
2. __Landing page and website design__: Customers will quickly navigate away from messy or overloaded landing pages. However, intentional and considerate web design can guide them from the [landing page](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/landing-page-explained) to your online store or mailing list sign-up page.
3. __Miscellaneous digital ads__: For promotional partnerships with other brands’ sites or run-of-the-mill banner ads, you need particularly great marketing design to appeal to people rather than annoy them with unwanted visuals. Learn how to make the most of [digital advertising](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/digital-advertising).
4. __Print advertising and marketing__: Anything in the real world that features your branding requires a designer to adapt your brand’s visual language, whether for a sweatshirt or a billboard.
5. __Social media assets__: If your brand has a presence on social media, it should feature an eye-catching design to make people stop scrolling and look at your content. Visual branding and [graphic design](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-graphic-design) should play a significant role in your [social media marketing](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/social-media-marketing-guide) strategy.
A marketing campaign requires a solid and clear design. Here’s what you have to gain from investing in a cohesive design plan:

1. __Memorable design sticks in consumers’ minds__. A positive and engaging brand experience makes customers more likely to remember you when making their next purchase or considering a service provider. Customers are also more likely to opt for a brand they’re familiar with, and graphic design can help with brand recognition.
2. __Make an emotional connection through visual storytelling__. An invested customer is a repeat customer. By using design tools to appeal to people’s emotions, they’ll have more of a stake in your company’s success.
3. __Marketing design is what sells a product__. Copy is important, but your target audience may overlook your messaging if you don’t pair it with an attention-grabbing design.
Marketing design is all about staying adaptable while maintaining your brand consistency.

1. __Follow your core design principles__. Codifying your design principles makes it easier to maintain a consistent visual language. Your business should operate with a <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-create-a-style-guide' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-create-a-style-guide","linkCopy":"style guide","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>style guide</a> that lays out the [typography](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pick-the-best-type-for-writing), colors, and templates designers should use in their work. 
2. __Keep your messaging in mind at all times__. From big-picture projects like logo design to more everyday social assets, the most crucial part of your design is the message it conveys. An asset can look great, but it’s not doing its job if it doesn’t communicate your business’s message.
3. __Stay on top of changes in the market (and in your audience)__. While your branding should be consistent, it must also change over time as you try to appeal to different audiences or adjust to remain current. Periodically reevaluate your brand’s goals and target audience.
Get a [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com) and let David Carson be your personal tutor. The prolific and decorated designer—who’s been lauded as the “<a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/film-101-how-to-become-an-art-director' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/film-101-how-to-become-an-art-director","linkCopy":"art director","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>art director</a> of the era”—reveals his processes for going off the (design) grid, implementing typography in new and interesting ways, innovative uses of photography and collage, and so much more.
Marketing design is a cornerstone when it comes to <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communicating","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communicating</a> with an audience. Learn more about marketing design and how to make yours more effective.

Marketing design is a cornerstone when it comes to <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communicating","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communicating</a> with an audience. Learn more about marketing design and how to make yours more effective.

Marketing Design: Definition, Types, and Tips

Marketing design applies graphic design principles to the ultimate goals of a marketing effort. It encompasses both the creation of a recognizable visual identity that will appeal to potential customers and the marketing team’s deployment of that identity in the form of internally consistent assets.Marketing design is an essential piece of a business’s <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/marketing-strategy-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/marketing-strategy-guide","linkCopy":"marketing strategy","category":null}'>marketing strategy</a> since good design is one of the primary ways to grab your target audience’s attention. The marketing graphics that a design team creates are also vital to a positive user experience since welcoming visuals will make customers more likely to return.

What Is Marketing Design?

No matter what type of designed assets a company plans to distribute in its marketing materials, they should align with the overall <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/dvfs-tips-for-designing-a-brand-identity' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/dvfs-tips-for-designing-a-brand-identity","linkCopy":"brand identity design","category":null}'>brand identity design</a>—a codified set of ideals and aesthetic guidelines that the content marketing team uses to connect with customers. Here are some of the more common types of content through which designers communicate brand identity:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Email marketing: Once you’ve persuaded a customer (or potential customer) to open an email from you, you need to ensure that the email contents make the reader want to engage. Great design can help catch the readers’ eye. Learn more about <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/email-marketing-explained' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/email-marketing-explained","linkCopy":"email marketing","category":null}'>email marketing</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Landing page and website design: Customers will quickly navigate away from messy or overloaded landing pages. However, intentional and considerate web design can guide them from the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/landing-page-explained' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/landing-page-explained","linkCopy":"landing page","category":null}'>landing page</a> to your online store or mailing list sign-up page. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Miscellaneous digital ads: For promotional partnerships with other brands’ sites or run-of-the-mill banner ads, you need particularly great marketing design to appeal to people rather than annoy them with unwanted visuals. Learn how to make the most of <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/digital-advertising' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/digital-advertising","linkCopy":"digital advertising","category":null}'>digital advertising</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Print advertising and marketing: Anything in the real world that features your branding requires a designer to adapt your brand’s visual language, whether for a sweatshirt or a billboard. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Social media assets: If your brand has a presence on social media, it should feature an eye-catching design to make people stop scrolling and look at your content. Visual branding and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-graphic-design' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-graphic-design","linkCopy":"graphic design","category":null}'>graphic design</a> should play a significant role in your <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/social-media-marketing-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/social-media-marketing-guide","linkCopy":"social media marketing","category":null}'>social media marketing</a> strategy. </li></ol>

5 Types of Marketing Design

A marketing campaign requires a solid and clear design. Here’s what you have to gain from investing in a cohesive design plan:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Memorable design sticks in consumers’ minds. A positive and engaging brand experience makes customers more likely to remember you when making their next purchase or considering a service provider. Customers are also more likely to opt for a brand they’re familiar with, and graphic design can help with brand recognition. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Make an emotional connection through visual storytelling. An invested customer is a repeat customer. By using design tools to appeal to people’s emotions, they’ll have more of a stake in your company’s success. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Marketing design is what sells a product. Copy is important, but your target audience may overlook your messaging if you don’t pair it with an attention-grabbing design. </li></ol>

3 Benefits of Marketing Design for Businesses

Marketing design is all about staying adaptable while maintaining your brand consistency.<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Follow your core design principles. Codifying your design principles makes it easier to maintain a consistent visual language. Your business should operate with a <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-create-a-style-guide' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/how-to-create-a-style-guide","linkCopy":"style guide","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>style guide</a> that lays out the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pick-the-best-type-for-writing' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pick-the-best-type-for-writing","linkCopy":"typography","category":null}'>typography</a>, colors, and templates designers should use in their work. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Keep your messaging in mind at all times. From big-picture projects like logo design to more everyday social assets, the most crucial part of your design is the message it conveys. An asset can look great, but it’s not doing its job if it doesn’t communicate your business’s message. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Stay on top of changes in the market (and in your audience). While your branding should be consistent, it must also change over time as you try to appeal to different audiences or adjust to remain current. Periodically reevaluate your brand’s goals and target audience. </li></ol>

3 Marketing Design Tips

Get a <a href='https://www.masterclass.com' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a> and let David Carson be your personal tutor. The prolific and decorated designer—who’s been lauded as the “<a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/film-101-how-to-become-an-art-director' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/film-101-how-to-become-an-art-director","linkCopy":"art director","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>art director</a> of the era”—reveals his processes for going off the (design) grid, implementing typography in new and interesting ways, innovative uses of photography and collage, and so much more.

Want to Learn More About Tapping Into Your Graphic Design Genius?

Marketing design is a cornerstone when it comes to <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communicating","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communicating</a> with an audience. Learn more about marketing design and how to make yours more effective.

Marketing design is a cornerstone when it comes to <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communicating","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communicating</a> with an audience. Learn more about marketing design and how to make yours more effective.