The Do's and Don'ts of Graphic Design

1. The Do's and Don'ts of Graphic Design Rarely do we stop and think about how we see graphic design all around us, every day. Every advertisement, brand logo, those are all designs that impact us. Some designs stand out more than the rest. They grab your attention and hold it. The goal for any graphic designer is to captivate and inform the viewer. There are a few ways to help assure that your designs will be successful. Aluminium Foil Pouch Sachet Mockup 1)Typography Typeface, typography, font, whatever you want to call it, is super important for the feel of a design. There are a few simple rules: don’t mix too many typefaces, make sure it’s readable and sort out spacing. This all sounds a lot easier than it actually is, but as long as you stick to the basics, it’ll look lovely. Do: Make fonts legible and fitting for the design. Don’t: USE COMIC SANS(!) 2)Colour Colour in design can be tricky to get right. Using the right colours as well as the right number of colours is key. Whilst using all the colours of the rainbow is great for drawing, well, a rainbow, it’s not the best of ideas for creating sophisticated design. Goat Milk Cosmetic Products Mockup Do: Use colour sparingly to highlight important information. Don’t: Use more than five colours in a layout. 3)Layout There’s a reason books are laid out the way they are, they’re easy to read. Putting things in a logical order is the key to a good layout. Good layout = intuitive design. Simple. Do: Guide readers in a logical order. Don’t: Forget about alignment, it helps create consistency. 4)Space The backbone of good design is to present something both visually and effectively. This can be disrupted by overloading something with too much information. The ‘empty’ parts of a design can be just as important as the parts you fill. Do: Leave plenty of negative (blank) space. Don’t: Cram loads of information into a tiny space

2. 5)Visuals Illustration, photography and iconography can be hard to get right in design. The main thing to remember is to only use visuals if they enhance the context. If they don’t, then it’s time to get rid of them. Do: Choose visuals that are in the same spirit. It all needs to match. Don’t: Use complex designs that distract the eye. 6)Simplicity The best designs are always the simplest. Keep things clean, straightforward and effective. When it comes to design, less is always more. Do: Always aim for quality over quantity. Don’t: Use gimmicky elements, like 3D charts and shadow effects. 7)Callouts Callouts (AKA speech bubbles or quotes) are prone to being overused. Too many callouts dilute the purpose of what you’re trying to say. Use them sparingly. Do: Focus on one key point in each callout. Don’t: Litter the design with them.