After finishing my BA in Graphic Design in June of 2021, I took a year off before starting my Masters Degree to rebuild my savings and take some time off. I found myself in a supervisor role in the flagship Rituals Cosmetics store on Grafton street in the centre of Dublin's shopping district, besides this role feeding my need for social interaction and team leadership, it also put me in a great position to see the finished products of graphic design at work.
Presentation and display are key parts of merchandising, but especially so in a company like Rituals. Much of the job revolves around making sure everything looks concise and creative in order to best display and promote the products, the effective execution of this hinges on the visuals used on the shelves and tables. Another key part of effectively promoting products in the design of the products themselves, consistency and attractiveness are key when it comes to grabbing attention and building a creative curiosity in each customer.
These two pieces, merchandising visuals and product design, each exist in their own worlds, but have a push-me-pull-you effect on each other. This symbiotic relationship highlights the main reason why I had chosen to pursue marketing for my masters degree, graphic design is only one half of effective visual communication, which in turn determines how successful the focus product is and its impact on the target audience, I feel that being able to speak both of these visual communication languages is incredibly important for a good designer or marketer.
