When someone says “design”, many people tend to think of a brochure, a website, or some other form of print or digital informational document. However, design is EVERYWHERE – it can be bathroom signs, presentations, directions that come included with a product, training manuals, trade show booth layouts, etc.
Someone needed to create a concept, pick the colors and fonts, and lay everything out so it (hopefully) clearly got its message across, or made you feel a certain way about your experience.
Because design is an integral part of our society, it’s vital to have a grasp on some of the basics for your own business as you will be using these concepts as you grow. Good design will clearly communicate your idea, and help establish trust that you are a legitimate, professional company. This blog covers some of the basics you will need to know primarily for getting started in graphic design, but many of these principles can be applied to product design as well.
Font: Text is the top element that misses the mark a majority of the time if you don’t have an understanding of basic design concepts.
The first thing to keep in mind is the type of font you use. You want to make sure that it’s easy to read. If you are making something that needs to be read from a distance, such as a billboard or other street signage, keep in mind that people will be driving by quickly. Many times they will only have a few seconds to absorb the message you need to convey to them, so make sure it’s easy to read (skip the Comic Sans or fancy calligraphic script, no matter how cool you think it may look).
Along those lines, make sure that the letters aren’t too crammed together or too far apart for the eye to make sense of what it is supposed to say. In graphic design, there are two terms that apply; “kerning”, which is where you adjust the space between individual letter forms to achieve a more balanced visual result , and “tracking”, which is where you adjust the spacing uniformly over a range of letters.
Second, hierarchy exists in design, and it’s important to use it. What is the most vital part of your text that you’re trying to draw people’s attention to? Is it a date? The price? The benefits of your product? Highlight it by making the scale bigger for that word or paragraph in comparison to the other text around it. You can also add color to it to help it stand out, make it bold, italic, or underlined, use a different alignment, or use multiple other ways to help it pop.
Lastly, don’t overwhelm your design by using a large selection of different fonts. Pick 2, or a maximum of 3, and stick with those. Make sure that the same fonts are applied to the same elements, such as the heading, to achieve a cohesive look.
Space: Negative space, or the blank spaces on a page are very important things to consider in good design.
Fill up all of the empty space and the eye doesn’t know what to look at first, let alone be able to read or understand what you may be trying to communicate. Space allows for breathing room, for us to feel comfortable when encountering the design. Don’t fill up every white area with image, text, or a pattern.
You can use the negative space, or “white space”, to your advantage to create some interesting images (consider the FedEx Logo, with the arrow between the “d” and “E”), or to call attention to what you want the viewer to focus on.
Color: While color psychology is an entire study on its own, there are some concepts to keep in mind while using color in your designs.
The basis behind color psychology is that colors can communicate certain ideas or feelings. Red can indicate passion, anger, energy. Blue can express sadness, calm, quiet. Marketers and designers alike utilize color psychology to influence emotions and buyers’ decisions, especially because color is the easiest thing for consumers to remember when encountering a new thing (“I don’t remember the book title, but the cover was blue”).
Color also influences usability and how easily people can read your content. Poor color choices can negatively impact your message, whether it ends up being ignored completely or it changes the intent of your original message.
Try to use no more than 3 colors in a single design, especially if text is involved. More than that, and it gets overwhelming to look at.
The CoSchedule Blog has a fantastic guide for color psychology in marketing that we recommend you check out.
Closing Thoughts
There are many elements that make a design “good”, but these are the primary steps to help you get started.
Other things to remember as you begin your introduction into design:
- Communicate, don’t decorate. Does that element need to be included? Does it help get your message across? If not, get rid of it. The simpler, the better.
- Ensure the design communicates your message to your consumer. Keep your target audience in mind as you are creating your design. Don’t design for yourself, or because you think it looks cool. Not everyone will see it the same as you do.
- Make sure to focus the viewers’ attention on the most important key element first. Remember, you can do this through hierarchy, color, font, alignment, and by strategically using white space.
Feeling overwhelmed? You don’t have to do this alone. Flying Pig Designs offers full graphic design and marketing packages to support the development of your product. Contact us today to receive a free quote.
info@flyingpigdesignsllc.com
720-470-9122
75 Waneka Parkway, Lafayette CO 80026
About the author: Kira is the community manager and graphic designer for Flying Pig Designs, LLC. With 5 years of graphic design and community building experience, she has implemented fundraisers for nonprofits, created programs in partnership with local libraries, and developed a membership base for coworking spaces. When Kira is not working on various work projects, she’s reading, or playing trivia at a local brewery with friends. Kira enjoys connecting with members and looks forward to getting to know the creative individuals in the FPD community.
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