What exactly does a graphic designer do?
Before you ask…no, it is not just making ‘pretty pictures’ (Well, that’s what our Graphic Designers tell us!)
Graphic designers are visual communicators. They create visual concepts to share ideas that inspire, inform and captivate, whether it is in physical or digital form. Great graphic designers can design eye-catching visuals that can be easily understood, a skill that can take years of training and practice to perfect.
If you’ve come across this blog, it is probably because you’re looking for tips on either becoming a graphic designer or you’ve been asked to design something.
While we would say just get our team of creative experts (you wouldn’t DIY your wedding photographs, would you?), we do understand that some people don’t always have the budget.
That’s why we’ve put together our top 10 powerful graphic design tips that non-designers need to know:
You can’t properly design something unless you know who you’re talking to. You need to create something that your audience will want to see and will react the right way to. Think about your audience, who they are, what they like, what they don’t like etc. so you know exactly how to communicate with them.
This stage doesn’t have to take long but we promise that if you take a couple of minutes out to establish what you want to accomplish, you’ll get things done much quicker and you’ll spend less time staring at a white screen.
Whether you’re designing for print or online, you must get sizes correct so that your designs can be viewed how they are supposed to be. Too many times have we seen something shared on social media that wasn’t sized for that platform and with letters/words cut off…well, the message wasn’t the one they wanted to share!
If your design is for a screen, RGB is the way to go. If the piece is going to be printed, CMYK is usually the standard and the best option for ensuring your design prints to the best quality.
Starting with a great colour palette is one of the keys to creating great designs. Perfect your colour palette and your designs will flow and be consistent. Adobe Color has created the perfect tool to do exactly that.
Want certain copy or elements of your design to stand out? Then contrasts are a must, whether it is by using contrasting colours, fonts or spacing between items.
It is still true to this day – form follows function. Think about the ‘why’ of your design and you’ll have a better understanding of what belongs in the design.
We recommend sticking to header font and then a body font to keep things simple and effective.
No not like that.
It stands for ‘keep It simple stupid’. Beware of the urge to add too many special effects, we promise your designs do not need to mirror those superhero movies that overdo it on the explosions (yes, we’re looking at you Michael Bay!)
And those are our top tips!
However, if you’re still struggling, our number one tip is to leave it to the experts.
As a team of highly skilled Graphic Designers, we know what is going to stand out and over the last 10 years, we have built a reputation for developing brands and designs that add value to companies all across the UK.
From brochures and magazines to email templates and social media graphics, we can help you make a big impression with our bespoke graphic design services. Talk to us today about your design and print requirements.
We'd love to help you with your next print or design project.
If you would like to speak to our team, simply call us on 01522 300222.