Are you new to graphic design but want to make your design stand out? Read on for some great graphic design tips to get you started.
Did you know 91% of buyers prefer visual content over traditional media? It makes that much an impact on your marketing efforts.
This makes improving your skills as a graphic designer a top priority. It can seem easy to create a graphic design for your website. However, there are some things that beginner designers have yet to learn.
Don’t know where to start? Do you want to know how to make a great graphic design background? Here are 9 vital graphic design tips all beginner graphic designers need to know.
Take a moment to dive into this guide to improve your graphic design skills and take it to the next level.
1. Plan Your Design
It’s important to make sure you know where you’re headed before you take the journey. You don’t need to take hours or days to plan a graphic design. You only need a general idea of it.
Start with the big picture and create the details as you go. For some people, the details will come to them later during the designing process. This is fine if that’s your style, but make sure you know what all the little details lead to.
It helps to know how a person’s eyes flow when reading or viewing something. Your design needs to follow that path. This way, you don’t stop in the middle and go back to the top once you realize it’s lacking good flow.
2. Use Color Palettes and Color Contrasts
Are you having trouble deciding on a color for your design? Do you feel that your design has colors that don’t match well? A great graphic design follows a color palette.
Decide on a few colors that look good together and put them together as your palette for the piece. You can also search for color palettes online and use them as inspiration. If you see great designs while browsing, learn how to screenshot on Mac, and use screenshots to study the color palettes.
You don’t need at least ten colors in a palette to make a good design. You can use as many as you need. You can use only three with contrasting colors for a striking design.
Speaking of contrasts, don’t be afraid to use contrasting colors. You can check the color wheel to find which colors best contrast each other. Use it for fonts and images against backgrounds, and more.
3. Keep the Font Types Limited
Using too many font faces can get distracting and make your work look chaotic. Keep your fonts limited to two at most. You can use one type for the headings and another for your text.
This will save you time on trying to decide if the fonts work well with each other. It’ll also keep you from making exaggerated designs.
However, don’t be afraid to try new fonts you haven’t used yet.
4. Graphic Design Tips for Structure
Do you want to keep it balanced or asymmetrical? Do you want the text to fill the entire space? Do you want the text to fill an invisible box?
It helps to know what you want to do with the space in your design. This way, you know where the placement of elements will go. Having a good structure also makes the design readable and pleasing to the eye.
Keeping a sense of order is always a good thing, even when your design intends to be chaotic. Having a sense of order in your designs will put the audience on the same page with you. A good design structure can help you create this sense of order.
5. Use Icons and Images to Grab the Viewer’s Attention
Visuals are great at getting your viewer’s attention. These may come in the form of icons or images. Remember to use these elements to your advantage.
It can be something as simple as placing an email icon next to an email address. You can use images with parts cut out and have the audience fill that space with their imaginations. How you use these elements is up to you.
6. Know Your Audience
Don’t use small font sizes if you have geriatric audiences. You don’t want to use cursive font types if you’re marketing to young kids. These guidelines are easy to follow because they’re pretty obvious.
However, it gets complex when you consider a wider or niche audience. How do you know if you’re using the right type of design for your viewers? The answer is to get to know them better.
Certain audiences expect certain visual designs. It helps to have more information about what makes your audiences happy to keep them happy. You may have to step out of your comfort zone, but it’ll be a great learning experience for you.
7. Essential Information Needs to Stand Out
Do you remember Steve Harvey’s live slip-up during the 2015 Miss Universe coronation? If you took a look at the card that he had to read, you’ll see how it got confusing. A terrible graphic design emphasizes the unimportant things for the readers.
The same is true with the 2017 Oscars award for the Best Picture. Did you know that good graphic design can change the course of US history in the 2000 presidential election? These are bad graphic design examples to learn from.
When you’re creating a design, make sure relevant information is the most obvious element. Keep things from getting too confusing. Otherwise, you may make blunders like those we mentioned above.
8. Consistency Is Key
Among these tips, this one also doubles as one of the most important graphic design rules. Keep your designs consistent. Consistency is very important if you’re working if you’re creating several pieces for a client.
It will also help you create a recognizable personal style. Take one element in your design and include it in all your other work. Use style and color consistency in your designs.
9. Graphic Design Practice Is Important
The last of our top graphic design tips is for you to keep practicing. Learning graphic design isn’t like learning to ride a bike. You don’t pick it up after a day of trying and learning.
Nothing can better help you grow as a designer other than constant practice. The more pieces you create, the quicker and easier it’ll be for you. You can start by creating one design a day.
Create graphics of anything from everyday items or use art prompts. Doing this will help you get in touch with your creative side. It’ll also give you an edge over those who have the skills but no effort.
Start Creating Your Designs Now
We’re seeing more demand for graphic designers. A reason is that businesses are turning to e-commerce, especially since the COVID-19 lockdowns. Apply these graphic design tips now to get people’s attention!
Of course, marketing to succeed doesn’t end with visual marketing. If you want to see more content on improving your graphic design skills, check our other guides.