Big data has been at the forefront of the design industry for years. A number of companies have written detailed articles on the utilization of data visualization with graphics. However, big data can be effective in more rudimentary designs as well.

There are a lot of effective ways to use big data to make better designs. Many modern design tools rely on sophisticated machine learning algorithms. Companies producing company letterhead use big data technology to create the best possible designs.

Elements of Big Data in Company Letterhead Design

Big data is redefining the way that companies design letterheads. However, they still need to employ the right design principles. Machine learning tools can make higher quality designs much more quickly, but won’t do much good if these basic design guidelines are ignored.

Patrick Hebron wrote a great article on design practices in the age of machine learning. He pointed out that machine learning aids in a number of ways, such as finding emergent feature sets and the best starting template for a design.

Company letterhead shouldn’t be seen as a larger version of your business card. It is a template on which you write or print a variety of messages. Here are a few design tips for your company letterhead with big data design tools.

Focus on Readability

A business card must be readable. You can’t let graphics, photos, and decorative elements distract from the critical information on the card. Yet the business card has to stand out from the crowded stack of business cards stuffed into someone’s wallet. On the flip side, a business letter is meant to be read. That is its entire purpose. You shouldn’t put product images or a list of services provided on a business letterhead. Big data design tools may help with choosing better templates, but you still need to manually review the card for readability.

The letterhead for your company should contain only the essential elements. This includes your business name, mailing address, and contact information. Whether you put your email address or phone number first is your decision. It isn’t necessary to include your business website on the letter head unless you’re sending bills that could be paid online. In these cases, you could include the URL for the payment site. However, it is more economical to leave that in the body of the message. Then you can use the letterhead for everything from bills to apology letters.

When creating letterhead with a big data design tool, use neutral white or off-white paper for the letterhead. This ensures that the text is readable no matter what color ink you use. A side benefit of this is that the letter will remain readable if the recipient runs it through a copying machine or fax machine.

Only Include What Adds Value

Machine learning tools help you find design elements that are popular with other graphic artists. However, you may find that what they consider popular with designers doesn’t work with customers. You should instead use data analytics to find what adds value to your end viewer.

Only include elements on the letterhead that add value. For example, include your business contact information on every printed letter, since that is appropriate no matter what the letter says. Leave off pre-printed signatures, since the names of those in the role may change. You don’t want to have to print off new letterhead because someone changed their name upon marriage or divorce. There are several other reasons to leave off signature lines printed onto every letter head. One reason is that the packaged signature line like “Thanks” or “Hear from you soon” could conflict with the tone of the message printed or written on the letter. This undermines your image. Another reason is that pre-printed signatures make it easier for someone to generate a fake message, especially if there is a literally printed signature of the business owner. Put the business name and address on the bottom of the page if you can’t stand leaving the footer empty.

Use Images Strategically

Be strategic with any images on the letterhead. As a rule, include your logo when creating letterhead with a big data design tool. It can be beneficial to include a thumbnail of your head shot when you’re working closely with a client. For example, your face on the photo could win their trust if you want to buy their house or you want them to recognize you when you come to their door. However, you shouldn’t be adding pictures of your products to the letterhead. You could add the logo to another corner of the page or embed a watermark into the paper. Yet this must be done carefully so that someone scanning the image doesn’t end up with unreadable sections of text.

Big Data is Essential for Designing Great Company Letterhead

Big data design tools are great for many purposes. They are great for designing company letterheads. However, you need to still follow basic design guidelines that big data technology can’t account for.