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A CMOs Guide to Understanding Design

cmo-guide-to-understanding-design

Design the strategy. Carry out the process.

These are the responsibilities of the chief marketing officer (CMO). With the help of market research, product marketing, communications, advertising and public relations, a CMO can generate revenue by increasing sales. However, designing a strategy and carrying out a process requires a collaboration with your design team to bring your creative flair to life. To have clear communication with the designers behind your vision, take the time to learn the basics of design platforms and best practices.

Learning UX/UI

First, learn the logic and the core principles behind user experience design (UX). UXApprentice offers helpful tips and outlines the basics for understanding the art and science of UX. Designate a certain amount of time each day to learn about design, strategy and discovery. With this helpful resource, you’ll discover the core principles of UX and have the opportunity to look at real examples of how to apply your learnings. Soon you’ll master UX, then you can graduate to UI.

It’s not essential to learn how to build interactive websites or apps, however as a CMO you’ll gain a better understanding of the design process and the work that goes into creating a beautiful and functional product if you learn about UI. The website GoodUI offers tips and tricks to optimize your website, improve customer conversion and ease of use. Read up on some of the ideas offered and try the suggestions with A/B testing to see what works best. Join 41,000 professionals and subscribe to GoodUI to get the tips delivered directly to your inbox.

Understanding Visuals

According to HubSpot, visual content is the key component to the top five most effective B2B marketing tactics, including case studies, blogs, videos, webinars and in-person events. And according to the B2B Marketing Mentor, photos and images are the most important approach to optimizing social media posts.

Understanding the power of good visuals can increase your leads and ultimately your revenue. A 2014 Demand Gen survey found that 39 percent of B2B buyers said that they share infographics on social media outlets frequently; note that it’s still true that people look to their peers when it comes to making a purchasing decision.

Selecting quality graphics for a variety of projects, from webinars to blog posts, is easy with Shutterstock. The stock photo website offers more than 40 million high-quality photos, vectors, videos and music tracks that can be optimized for your unique creative projects using a digital piano from these digital piano reviews. Simply sign up for a subscription and begin downloading.

Communicating with the Design Team

Communication is key when working on big projects, unfortunately, the message can get lost along the lines of transmission. Communication methods like emails, presentations or slideshows, meetings and one-on-one talks can all be beneficial to the success of the project, but there’s no one-size-fits-all communication style that will suit each member of the team. During the design process consider using a design tool that allows for continuous communication within one platform throughout the duration of the project.

An online user experience design tool that offers collaborative prototyping like UXPin can help you draw inspiration for your projects. Users can upload project documents such as personas and business models, and navigate the wireframe tool in real-time with the entire team—from CEO to designer.

UXPin offers everyone the opportunity to be a part of the creative process and the chat features enable team communication and collaboration during the span of the project.

Patrick King

Patrick is the Founder of Imagine and advisor to places on brand strategy and creative. His insights have been published in Inc. Magazine, SmartCEO, Washington Business Journal, The Washington Post, and Chief Marketer, among other publications, and shared at conferences throughout the US. He also has an amazing sock collection.

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