As a beginner in anything, whether you want to become a web-designer or paper writer, make sure you take your time to learn the basics.
This guide will focus on teaching non-designers seven great design tips.
1. Embrace White Space
First and foremost, you need to embrace white space. When websites are designed, people to focus more on the text and the graphics. However, the white space has a lot to offer as well.
These areas that have no elements are just as important because they allow your design to spread its wings. Without white space, designs wouldn’t breath and a site would look congested and clumsy.
How you embrace white space determines if you’re an amateur or a professional. Remember that negative space doesn’t necessarily have to be white. They vary depending on a website’s background. This means, they can take up plain colors or patterns.
2. Stick to Two Easy-to-Read Fonts
Well, this is a very important lesson for non-designers who want to go for the most complicated font there is. Even though you want to create something unique, you need to ensure that your font makes navigation easy.
Users do not have all day to figure out what a site is all about because you used a font that’s out of this world. Focus on readability and making content that is useful. Go for crystal clear fonts that do not leave users guessing.
Once you settle for a font, make sure it is the same one you use throughout the site. Otherwise, using more than one font creates chaos and confusion. Users need to feel that they’re still on the same site.
3. Always Pay Close Attention to Alignment
You need to pay attention to the little details as you work on your design, and alignment is one of them. Alignment is a major aspect that separates amateurs from professionals. Never use guess work to align your elements.
Design programs have lines that help you keep your alignment in check. If your design program doesn’t have these lines, you can toggle grid lines and use them to achieve your goals.
4. Consider the Psychological Impact of Colors
This is a very important because your color coding determines the theme you achieve. Each color uniquely evokes a give emotion and you can use this to make your design presentable.
The colors you use determine the brand’s tone and the audience you attract.
5. Create a Color Palette
This might take a while, but it’s very important. Once you learn how colors interact with each other, you need to come up with a color palette.
If you’re having trouble achieving this, check out Adobe’s color wheel. It is super useful and it’s just the tool you need to create a color palette from scratch.
6. Mind Facebook’s Limitations on Text in Ad Images
Why Facebook? Well, if the graphic you’re creating is for the blue app, then you should know what you’re working with. After all, design is not always for blogs alone. Business people also need to establish an online presence on social media platforms.
Now, Facebook has limitations in ad images and you need to take note of. The 20 percent text rule is not actually limiting if you use what you have to achieve more.
Keeping this rule in mind saves you from unnecessary headache. Be sure to run your designs through Facebook’s Image Text Check tool to make sure.
7. Make Sure there’s a Visual Component to Your Brand Style Guide
A brand style guide? Yes, as a designer you need to have one of these to help keep everyone on the same page. If you want to achieve an aesthetically consistent design, visual components are key.
Here are some other things to have in your style guide;
- A variety of logos to choose from
- Your color palette
- A library of fonts
- Relevant instructions pertaining to colors, fonts and font sizes
Non-designers need to know that they too can create a professional-looking design. If you pay keen attention to the requirements, you can easily outdo yourself. You can use these design tips to work your way up to being a professional. Remember, no one has to know that you’re self-taught!