With the near omnipresence of desktop publishing, a lot of people now have the tools to design a brochure, website or print ad. What they often lack, though, is any real training in design fundamentals like layout, typography and color theory. A new study says this may be hurting business. Research conducted by England’s Cardiff Business School showed that when a typeface is poorly suited to the product or service it represents, the message is harder for consumers to retain. This suggests that trying to save money by giving an employee design software without real design training can actually cost you customers by undermining your message and eroding your brand equity.
