10 Graphic Design Tips for Non-Designers

10 Graphic Design Tips for Non-Designers

IxDWorks & Tallinn Summer School 2014Valeria Gasik, Daria Tokranova, Roger Puks

Tuesday, July 29, 14

1.Good design has a reason(...and isn’t random)

• Who are you designing for? What is the attitude of your project? What is the message you want to deliver?

• Why? Education and teaching, calling for action, featuring and spotlighting?

• Do your research: Google your way to the market knowledge.


Simple and easy? Serious and official?

Beautiful and girly? Good old retro?


2. Minimal is NOT lazy.(Laconic design is a good design)


White color is not a reason to panic :)


3.Images can say a lot(so don’t let them say stupid things)

Make sure your visual:

• ...has good quality (hi-res, no watermarks, avoid or correct “noise”/chromatic aberration, good focus and light)

• ...tastefully used (don’t over-design with lot’s of graphics)

• ...fits to the concept


4. Pick your colors carefully(and stick to 2-4 color palette)


No :(


www.colourlovers.com/palettes


http://www.colourlovers.com/palettes

http://www.colourlovers.com/palettes

Pantone color of the Year 2014 - Radiant Orchid


5. Nail the typography

•Go simple!

• Limit use of different fonts to 2 (max 3)

• A good font can “be” your design

• Avoid “funny”, “gimmicky” and crazy fonts.

• Find font that works for you and use it with pride :)


Serif for headlines and Sans-Serif for text


google.com/fonts/


http://www.google.com/fonts/

http://www.google.com/fonts/

6.Create a hierarchy

• Choose ONE important thing in your design and build everything else around it

• Emphasize and accentuate key-elements with one color/font

• Don’t try to get everything to stand out


7. Seek for inspiration• Check moodboard libraries or create your

own (can go digital with Moodboard app or crafty with just scissors and printed media)


• Do sketches and doodles, just for yourself. (things that you love, ideas that are better expressed on paper — anything)

• Invest time in your good taste — observe good design and beautiful things around you.

(Communicate your tacit knowledge and gradually develop you aesthetic sense and taste by setting a minimum of beautiful things you should see per day. It can be a magazine, a blog, a gallery, a museum — everything you think will add a tiny drop to the ocean of your good taste.)


8. Steal good ideas (never copy and imitate!)

• Good ideas, that are worth to be continued and developed further

• Techniques and styles, but only for re-mixing with your own personality

• Design elements like great colorschemes, font combinations, interesting composition etc

• Your old designs and ideas

Do “steal”:


9. Don’t steal anything else

• Make sure images you use are purchased and licensed accordingly(every visual in Google Images has an owner and some of those owners are well equipped with good lawyers)

• Re-check font license for commercial projects

• Sound libraries and music tracks

• Even when license formalities are set, crediting authors is a good manner


10. Use common sense• Double check for spelling/grammatical

errors

• Be modern but not “trendy” as it goes old

• Add content that is relevant (unique and interesting to read)

• Don’t over-design! (there has to be a moment of letting go.)

• Listen to feedback from everyone, yet listen to critiques of professionals only.


Bonus. Be yourself :)

• Use your personal hobbies and interests, knowledge and skill set to make your design unique

• Make your own photos/illustrations

• Work on your style and vision


10 Graphic Design Tips for Non-Designers

Design

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