The short answer is No. Print design is not even close to dead.
While it is important to be able to offer design services across print, web and mobile, that doesn’t mean that print is any less important. In fact it may be more important than ever before. However I would say “traditional print design” and the though process behind is dead, and it should be. Designers have to stop thinking of print as “static media” and think of it as “gateway media”.
Many of the print designers who are feeling pressure right now may be overlooking a simple fact, print is one important part of a complete marketing and branding campaign. Instead of designing standalone print pieces meant to accomplish a marketing agenda on their own, or simple work as branding pieces, print materials need to tie together and compliment web and mobile experiences.
The New Approach to Print Design
Part of the advertising transition away from print has been because of the ability of online advertising to be tracked and analyzed for effectiveness more easily, as well their ability to reach a larger (and potentially unlimited audience).
Tying your print materials to website URL’s that have tracking behind them, landing pages and even QR codes is a great way to integrate your print with engaging online experiences and allow you to track their performance.
It’s all about how you utilize it. For example, QR codes used in print should probably be tied specifically to a mobile friendly experience since they are specific to mobile devices. Most adults in America if not the world, currently own a smartphone of some kind. Mobile online video views are growing consistently, so you should leverage that by tying your QR codes to a short online video (no longer that 2 minutes) introducing the audience to your brand and what you have to offer.
Your print material should also mention your website address, possibly a landing page if you want to offer a special incentive, and should indicate that you are on social media. This is where having a responsive or mobile version of your website becomes important.
In the end it’s not that print is not dead but it is evolving. If you’re still trying to take the same approach to how you present print media and what you expect it to accomplish now that it has more competition than it did 10 years ago, that could be the problem. It’s a brave new world, take advantage of it.
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