The applicability of graphic design is extensive and adaptable, whether you’re generating social media visuals or designing invitations for an upcoming event. The components of the design world are complex, from font matching and scale to alignment and white space. Use these 25 incredible tips for non-designers and amateurs in graphic design to guide you through the highs and lows of the creative process.
1. Keep your typefaces to a minimum.
For simple and effective graphic design, choose easy-to-read fonts when choosing a typeface or font for headings, subtitles, and body text. Stick to a small assortment of fonts because scanning various types is difficult for the eye. The Aileron font family, a geometric sans serif typeface with a basic and modern style, is used in this design.
2. Scale isn’t something to be afraid of.
Use a scale to emphasize proportionately type, forms, or compositional elements. To make this strategy more effective, use appropriate colours and typefaces that appear nice at larger sizes. Raleway’s interpretation of the word scale is forceful and bold, with distinct forms
3. Be considerate of other elements’ space.
Fill in blanks, align text, or reduce words that take up too much room with letter spacing. However, don’t reduce letter spacing to the point where it can’t be read, or raise it to the point where the letters become separated. The reduced letter spacing on the word ‘Respect’ creates a compacted look, which serves as a visual depiction of space, or the absence thereof.
4. Use a limited colour palette.
Select a colour scheme that includes 1-3 primary colours and 1-3 secondary colours that contrast and complement one another. For consistency, tweak the brightness for contrast and use multiple tones of the same hue. To stand up against a coloured background, finer typefaces will require more contrast. For clarity and legibility, vibrant turquoise is offset against a forest green background.
5. Create Imagery that is clean, crisp, and clear
Adjust the brightness of the background image so that it offsets the text colour, increasing contrast and making the design clear and easy to read. This terrific method creates a powerful ‘cut-out’ appearance by overlaying white or black text over an image.
6. Use fonts to help convey your design’s tone.
Choose a typeface that sings your content’s tune. Serifs offer an exquisite and sophisticated look; hard-edged geometric typefaces (sans serifs) are robust, and serifs express a friendlier tone (Quicksand is utilized here).
7. Use alignment to create order.
For design balance and composition, add a line or an accent. A line to the left of the text serves as a substitute for a margin line and anchors the text block.
8. Make your designs as simple as possible.
Keep things simple, but don’t forget the fundamentals. Ensure every element in the design has a reason to be there and limit the number of typefaces, colours, shapes, and frames. To make writing sharp and simple to read, use contrasting tone colour combinations. The compositional structure of a design will be improved by using a solid frame to contain your copy.
9. Consistency in design elements across all pages
Duplicating pages, then updating text and replacing graphics is the simplest technique to assure aesthetic consistency throughout a document or presentation.
10. Be unique
To create unique designs, use your creativity and graphic design talents to the fullest. Choose and combine different typefaces and effects with being creative and experimental. Avoid following trends and instead create designs that reflect your distinct style, giving your work a personal touch.
11. Organize your information using the hierarchy
The most visually dominant aspect of a design should be the most crucial part of the message. Apply colour or scale to a graphic to see how it affects the hierarchy of elements and which elements get the most attention.
12. Experiment with symmetry.
To correlate with other design elements, use horizontal and vertical lines. Make sure the thickness of the parts matches the weight of the fonts for balance and proportion.
13. Now and then, close your eyes and relax.
Take a moment to recharge your creative batteries. Relaxation improves energy and productivity, so go for a walk, grab a bite to eat, or sit in the park to re-energize your mind and vision.
14. Maintain a consistent font family.
Applying a single typeface or font family to text creates aesthetic consistency. To leave your options open, choose a typeface or font family with various versions, such as italic, bold, and condensed. Libre Baskerville and Libre Baskerville are combined in this artwork. Bold, light, and bright.
15. Make use of white space.
To create a flowing design, use white space around phrases to allow elements to breathe. The use of white space around text boxes, photographs, and other graphic elements improves readability. It also has a higher chance of attracting attention than a cluttered design.
16. Before you begin designing, do some research.
Before you start writing or creating, be sure you have all of the necessary information. The study, read, investigate, and gather information. The research method will ensure a more well-thought-out output, whether it’s materials and items or knowledge and facts.
17. Be aware of current developments around the world.
Keep up with current events to inspire and impact both your work and your working style. On social media, follow relevant news pages. obtain critical and timely information, and maintain general knowledge of current
18. Consider new ideas.
People that are the most innovative think outside the box. Use symbols and icons that aren’t commonly used to symbolize your topic. Find unique and original icons to visually communicate with your audience by researching, sketching, and printing.
19. Put together a mood board.
Use a grid to create a simple and easy mood board with photographs, colour swatches, and other visual elements. This exercise will assist you in identifying a common colour scheme or theme that you can subsequently apply to a project.
20. Contrast is crucial
For mood, legibility, and to make it stand out, contrast is one of the most important aspects of the design. Use a colour palette, fonts, and visuals that contrast. To produce the best contrast against a backdrop image, use photo filters to boost the positive/negative space in an image and add black or white to duplicate. A decent rule of thumb is that if your background is bright, you should use a dark font (and vice versa).
21. Make your graphics more vibrant.
With attention-getting images, you may create drama and impact. Choose colours that contrast with one another to avoid bleed-through.
22. Keep a notebook handy.
Inspiration can strike at any time, whether you’re on the train, at work, or about to fall asleep, so be ready. Keep a notepad where you can scribble or sketch notes and ideas so you can refer to them when it’s time to create.
23. Experimentation and failure
Everyone makes errors, and they are sometimes the most valuable part of the learning process. Because the creative process is rarely complete, design is all about trial and error. Push your creations to the maximum. Don’t you like what you’re seeing? The ‘undo’ button is usually a helpful ally.
24. Don’t use naked images.
It’s not about the visual content; it’s about the layout. Using grids or frames to align photos gives a more professional appearance to a design.
25. Finesse. But not excessively.
Ensure that items are properly aligned, that language is readable, that contrast is sufficient, and that space allows design elements to breathe.
Final word
So these are the tips for non-designers and amateurs in graphic design but also remember to be creative, violate the rules, and challenge yourself to develop fresh and novel design concepts. Graphic design is all about experimentation and discovery at the end of the day. Use these tips for non-designers and amateurs in graphic design and make best use of them