Graphic Design Opportunities in Advertising Small Furniture Enterprise Products and Services in Nairobi County Kenya

Graphic design (GD), known for its capacity to inform, educate, persuade, and build brand loyalty in advertising, is poorly perceived and applied in small enterprises. Studies show that only 15.6% of GD is used in form of in fliers, brochures, contact cards, photo albums, and signage, which is too weak to create an effective brand presence by Small Furniture Enterprises (SFEs). Economic status reveals that 49.2% of small enterprises do not use any form of posters, flyers, brochures, and packaging design. It is perceived to be unnecessarily expensive despite the many opportunities that big furniture firms have taken advantage of. This situation is the case in Nairobi County, the capital city of Kenya and an important economic hub for regional trade. The application of GD in advertising by SFEs in this region is crucial because the area has a higher concentration of SFEs with significant influence on other small furniture enterprises across the country. A sample size of 273 Small Furniture Enterprise Managers (SFEM) and 9 Small Furniture Enterprise welfare Leaders (SFEWL) was used. Questionnaires and interviews were used as methods of data collection. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and observation methods. Out of 273 questionnaires administered, 89.7% were returned and found adequate for the study. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and presented through frequency polygons, tables, bar charts, and pie charts. Qualitative data were coded, cleaned, analyzed, and presented using patterns and themes. Findings revealed design opportunities in SFE's visual communications, especially branding and advertising. Consumers' need for various and accurate information, education, and persuasions provide GD opportunities in SFEs. Findings revealed opportunities in advertising, packaging, photography, fabrics, stationery, branding, and signage, all graphic design fields. The study found photographs to be the leading forms of graphic design imagery used in SFE advertising. However, photos used are sourced from business vendors or recorded by enterprise owners, managers, or employees with devastating poor qualities. Some photos are downloaded from the internet or acquired from customers' samples, while others are borrowed, cutouts, or scanned from existing publications. These scenarios offer immense opportunities in photography and related photographic manipulations in the design processes. Therefore, the study recommends that small enterprise stakeholders and graphic design professionals use available opportunities in graphic design to enhance the quality and quantity of advertising in SFEs.