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Insights from Brian Baker on how to create good graphic design

By Pat Friedlander, Exhibition City News

Brian Baker is Vice President of Creative at Highmark TechSystems and YOURspace Inc., where he has led the exhibition and event graphics process for decades.

“This needs to be a very intentional process,” he said. “The whole purpose of graphics is to facilitate face-to-face interaction. Exhibit graphics are not meant to tell the entire story—that’s what people do! Remember: there’s a big difference between event graphics and print or digital graphics.”

Brian explains this and more:

Print and digital graphic design assets must tell a story because personal interaction is impossible. As part of the design, there is (or should be) a CTA (call to action). But again, this is far from human interaction. As designers, we often have difficult conversations with agencies when we tell them that the graphics they create for print and digital media may not work in a face-to-face environment for a variety of reasons.

What do I mean when I say there needs to be an intentional process?

First, like every marketing campaign, we must develop goals that align with our overall strategy and narrative. You’ve heard that goals must be SMART: specific, measurable, actionable, relevant and time-bound. Many people skip establishing graphic goals, but this is the most important part of the process.

Second, the designer and client must agree on the scope. Event graphics can enable interaction or interfere with interaction. Going back to the first point, having clear goals helps define focus and scope. Event graphics don’t tell a story; They attract attendees to the space and inspire them to talk to staff in the environment.

Third, both sides must agree on a timetable. This creates several situations: If an event graphic designer is to come up with graphic content and images, the client’s input must be provided as soon as possible after the project is launched. Depending on the brand, designers need access to as many relevant assets as possible: first, TV spots, promotions, print and digital ads, and social media. The challenge with campaign graphics is that they must fit the campaign goals while also being consistent with the brand’s other touchpoints. This requires not only including your favorite images in the event space, but also choosing graphics that further your goals (back to point one).

On the other hand, if the graphics are designed by an agency, the sooner the event graphics designer gets the images, the better. Sometimes print and digital designers don’t understand the physical scale of event graphics, and their image libraries (while they work for print and digital) often don’t handle large formats well, resulting in extra time and effort to find or create Appropriate content. Again, time is of the essence.

Fourth, trust your designer to provide the most cost-effective budget. Since time is of the essence and exceeding the deadline for displaying graphics will exceed the allotted budget, designers need as much information as possible. This includes other graphic reference materials, company standards, logos, images, and your ideas and constraints. Don’t make us guess: Reveal your budget. Share your ideas with the designer, but realize that the designer has experience and insight. Today, many graphics formats and delivery methods need to be part of the budget discussion. Your designer will know the most compelling and cost-effective way to achieve your goals and stick to your budget.

Fifth, schedule regular meetings between internal customers and the design and production teams. Set a date and time that works for everyone and emphasize the importance of communication. Everyone, from top decision makers to designers, needs to be on the exact same page.

Event graphics are here and now

Conversations facilitated by graphics are very here and now; they happen in real time, and attendees can access information beyond the event. So make sure your graphics are relevant and fit perfectly with what you are trying to convey to your audience at a particular event. On the other hand, avoid content that is too specific to a certain event or temporary message, as it will shorten the life of the (expensive) graph.

Graphics are for conversation, not just decoration

Just because there is empty space on the wall of the event structure doesn’t mean graphics need to appear in that space. The same applies to an oft-used phrase: “graphic opportunity.” More subtly, I believe it means “Hey, there’s a space here – let’s put some graphics in.”

Graphics are part of an overall strategy to make the most of exhibition and event environments and stimulate conversation. Unless the graph can do this, something will go wrong and the event graph won’t work properly.

Others want to tell an entire story about a company or product through graphics. They asked, “How are[attendees]going to know what we are doing if we don’t tell them (via graphics)?” I responded, “If attendees can read the graphics and learn anything they can, why do they still To participate in an event built around face-to-face communication? “The role of employees is to have one-on-one conversations sparked by graphics. Don’t downplay the importance of graphics in helping achieve your goals.

Finally, it’s also important to consider hierarchy, which plays an important role in how people absorb information as they approach a space. The tallest graphics should be the simplest, and become more detailed as they approach the level of attendees in the space. When planning graphics in your environment, think holistically from top to bottom. The typical format of a hierarchy is:

• Corporate ID/Hero Brand (highest level)
• Theme/Slogan/Positioning Statement
• Product Group/Industry Area
• Product or service/details

When it comes to graphics in an environment or event, less is more. Fewer graphics will draw more attention, and less copy will make them easier to absorb. Remember: it’s all about face-to-face interaction. Graphics are designed to help enable these conversations in an event setting.

This article was originally published in Exhibit City News Q4 2024, page 17. 70. For the original layout, visit