The Top 3 Design Mistakes To Avoid At All Cost

The Top 3 Design Mistakes To Avoid At All Cost!

There’s no denying that some Graphic Design rules can be bent or even broken, but some rule breaking will result in a project that looks completely unappealing and somewhat crude, potentially losing you money and your brand credibility!

The best way to ensure that your marketing piece gives you the returns you seek is to ensure that, at the very least, these three design rules aren’t broken. We often see examples of these mistakes floating around in the wild, so before you send out your next flyer or Facebook post make sure you tick off these top 3 design mistakes to avoid at all cost!

1. Using Bad Imagery

Resolution: The images used in print are vastly higher in resolution than images that are used on the screen. For clarity on the screen you will need images of 72dpi and for images that print beautifully you will need images of 300dpi. Using images that lack the proper resolution will make your design projects look amateurish and without sophistication. There is nothing worse than having a lovely flyer that features blurred, low res images.

The wrong imagery: Always take some time to select the right images. If you are using stock images this can be a timely process as there is so much out there to filter through, but worth it when your project shines that bit brighter with beautiful and well-selected images that give your audience the reaction and impression you want.

Watermarked images: If you are searching online, you’ll notice that plenty of images contain watermarks. If you use these in your projects you definitely give an impression that you have grabbed them from Google, not to mention potentially breaking licensing laws. This means that just because an image is online, it doesn’t mean that you can necessarily use it for free or without accreditation. In many cases you will need to pay a licensing fee to use an image.

2. Making Wrong Colour Choices

Clashing Colours: Certain colours used together can be a real headache aesthetically. For example, red text on a black background can be very hard to read, colours of the same tone can also give a “loud” appearance that is far from easy on the eyes. Always make sure that you have enough contrast with text that your clients don’t have to strain their eyes to read it.

Don’t skimp on using colour by printing in black and white: These days printing in black and white is not really more cost effective than having a full range of CMYK colours behind your project. If you want to look serious, then give the black and white printing the flick!

Consider tone: When looking at designing a project in colour, look towards the meanings and feelings those colours evoke. For example, yellow is linked to warmth, cheerfulness and positivity, and blue is also an uplifting and popular choice. Red commands attention and elicits a sense of excitement and passion. Keep these in mind when putting things together. For example, if your business is in health and wellness you would want to select colours that convey harmony, optimism and calm, like blues and greens. If your business is in recreation and sport then vibrant colours will be a great choice to evoke excitement.

3. Using Too Many Fonts

Less is more! Like images, there are so many fonts out there that it can be overwhelming and sometimes tempting to use too many. But in the case of fonts, using one or two and switching up their weight and style can look a lot more professional rather than using a whole bunch. Fonts are meant to add to the aesthetic of your project, not distract by being too loud and garish. Also remember that legibility is very important, so adding a secondary font that is more simple for use with passages of text is vital.
NB: Fonts are also protected by licensing laws, so if you download one online make sure it is either free to use commercially, or you have paid the licensing fee to use it for your business.

Picking the right font: If you are looking for something sporty and edgy, try Gymer or Refault. If you prefer something more retro try Mexcellent or even Hamster. If you are wanting some pretty, cursive fonts try Carolyna Pro Black or Saturday Script. All of these are like a “hero” font, which can be backed up by a plainer, more paragraph-friendly and less distracting font like Helvetica Neue or Calibri.

Avoiding these three marketing mistakes will definitely set your next marketing project up for success and help you stand out from your competitors with professional and appealing designs. And remember, if you need help with the design of your next project, we have plenty of experience in designing something that shines!

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