By Edwin S. Kwame KOGE
We live in a hyper-visual, hyper-digital communication landscape. It’s easy to mistake aesthetics for strategy.
The explosion of social media, thus, the dominance of Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok culture have given graphic design a front-row seat in communication departments worldwide.
But let’s get one thing clear: while graphic design is undeniably a powerful tool in the communicator’s toolbox, it is not public relations (PR) in itself.
It supports PR, it enhances it, but it does not define it. In Ghana and across the African continent, as in much of the West, many organisations now equate PR with how ‘pretty’ their communication looks. This reductionist view is not only misleading, but it is also dangerous. Public Relations (PR) is far more than visual appeal. It is strategic. It is persuasive.
It is relationship-driven. At its core, PR is about managing perceptions, influencing opinions, and building mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. Graphic design helps amplify those messages, but it doesn’t craft them. It doesn’t build strategy, and it doesn’t manage stakeholder relationships.
Graphic Design vs. Public Relations
Graphic design is a form of visual communication. It transforms ideas into visual representations: logos, posters, infographics, brochures, and social media content. Graphic designers are visual storytellers. Public relations, on the other hand, is the strategic communication process that builds relationships between organizations and their various publics.
PR professionals analyze trends, anticipate issues, craft key messages, engage media, manage crises, and measure communication effectiveness. While both disciplines require creativity, their core objectives differ. One designs; the other dialogues. One beautifies; the other strategizes.
The blurred lines in practice
Let’s bring this home to Ghana. In many local agencies and even public institutions, the line between PR and graphic design is often blurred. A PR Officer might be asked to design flyers or edit videos.
Conversely, a graphic designer might be tasked with managing the company’s social media account or even writing press releases. This isn’t just inefficient; it’s a gross underutilization of talent. Take the case of a local municipal assembly launching a sanitation campaign. The assembly hires a designer to create flashy posters and digital banners.
However, without a PR strategy guiding the message, audience targeting, media engagement, evaluation metrics, the campaign might win design awards but fail to change public behavior. The visuals are on point, but the impact is minimal. Or look at political campaigns.
During Ghana’s 2024 general elections, some candidates, including Nana Kwame Bediako of The New Force invested heavily in graphic design: flashy billboards, logo, and social media content, but neglected proper narrative-building, issue framing, and media relations. The result was a visually appealing campaign with no persuasive substance.
Across the African continent, communication budgets are often limited, and there’s pressure to do more with less. This can lead to a reliance on visual communication over strategic communication. Graphic design, being more tangible and immediately gratifying, often gets the lion’s share of attention.
A CEO sees a banner and says, “Good job.” But a well-crafted PR strategy, which unfolds over time and involves nuanced engagement, often goes unrecognized. Consider Rwanda’s nation-branding efforts. The ‘Visit Rwanda’ campaign is a masterclass in integrated communication.
Sure, it has sleek visuals, from football jersey sponsorships to billboards, but those visuals are part of a much broader PR strategy involving diplomatic engagement, international partnerships, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement. The graphics didn’t define the campaign; the strategy did.
Clearer boundaries, bigger impact
In more mature communication markets like the U.S. and UK, the distinction between PR and graphic design is clearer. Agencies have dedicated teams: PR strategists, copywriters, media relations officers, and yes, graphic designers.
Each role feeds into a bigger machine but retains its professional boundaries. Take Apple Inc., for instance. Its product launches are legendary not because of the stunning visuals alone, but because of the strategic communication behind them.
Media invites are selectively distributed, narratives are carefully controlled, keynotes are scripted with psychological precision, and post-launch media engagement is meticulous. The visuals matter, but the PR makes them iconic.
Or consider the Obama 2008 campaign. The ‘Hope’ poster by Shepard Fairey became a global design icon. But without the narrative of change, the media interviews, the grassroots mobilization, and the clear positioning of Obama as a unifier, that poster would have been just another pretty picture. PR gave the design its meaning.
The danger of conflating PR and graphic designs
The danger in conflating PR and design is not merely academic. It has practical implications. When organizations view graphic design as PR, they risk sidelining critical functions such as stakeholder mapping, issue management, strategic planning, media training, and crisis response. Imagine an oil and gas company facing backlash over an environmental incident.
A well-designed statement on social media is not enough. What’s needed is a comprehensive PR strategy: direct engagement with affected communities, media briefings, transparent reporting, and ongoing reputation management. A designer can make your apology look good, but only a PR expert can make it credible.
The symbiotic relationship
This is not to undermine graphic design. On the contrary, when aligned with PR strategy, design becomes a force multiplier. A strategic PR message, when paired with compelling visuals, travels faster, sticks longer, and resonates deeper. Think of the 2023 ‘Let’s Do It Ghana’ environmental campaign.
Its success wasn’t just in the bold designs but in the multi-platform PR strategy that brought communities, government, and influencers together. The synergy is powerful when roles are respected.
The PR strategist sets the message and the audience. The designer crafts the visual vehicle to carry that message. One without the other is like a beautiful billboard in the desert, seen by no one.
What should be done?
First, organizations need to respect professional boundaries. Hiring a PR professional doesn’t mean you’ve hired a designer, and vice versa. Each brings unique value.
Invest in both. Second, communication education and training programs, especially in Africa, must emphasize this distinction. Many PR programs barely touch on visual literacy, and many design programs ignore communication strategy. We need interdisciplinary training, yes, but also clarity of roles.
Third, PR professionals must advocate for their value. We live in a world where visuals dominate, but it’s up to communicators to remind stakeholders that, behind every effective visual campaign are a solid strategy.
In the end, it all comes down to this: public relations is not about what looks good, but about what works. It’s about influence, reputation, and relationships. Graphic design helps bring that to life visually, but it doesn’t substitute for strategy.
So, the next time someone says, “The designer is doing our PR,” correct them gently but firmly. Because in a world obsessed with appearances, substance still matters. And PR, done right, is substance in action. Remember, pretty pictures might catch the eye, but only strategic communication captures the heart, and holds it.
>>>the writer is a strategic communication specialist. He can be reached via [email protected]
