We are exposed to thousands of visuals every day that subconsciously affect our mind through our visual perception. We see graphics on the billboards when we are traveling, on our phones when we unlock them, on books, newspapers, computers and everywhere. Every ad we see has logos, visuals and messages that are strategically designed by a graphic designer to impact the viewers. These designs and colors influence our minds and contribute in our decision making process. Therefore these visuals are designed so as to captivate the viewer and leave an intended message in their minds via powerful infographics.
So for a design to successfully indulge the viewer, graphic designers have to know the science of colors, font size, aesthetics and typography. They have to have a keen eye for detail. Often times, graphic designers make mistakes which are not that apparent but they end up being huge graphic design fails. Some of the most common graphic design mistakes are:
- Stuffing Unnecessary Elements
Have you seen those overloaded images with too many words and other elements? People stuff too much content in a picture which makes it look unappealing. No matter how good the content is, if you put too much of it in a single picture or video, it would make it too hard for it to breathe.
Instead:
- Toss away unnecessary elements.
- Use wider margins on all four sides.
- Use open images.
- Include limited and precise words.
- Give ample gap between different elements.
- Using Too Many Words
Pictures have a precise size. If you stuff them with too many words, it would make it hard for people to read. The visual would just lose its charm. Also, using different kinds of font in the same graphic work would overwhelm the viewers. So do not flood your work with too many fonts trying to make it look cool. Pick a clean and contemporary font and use it to send your message.
- Using the Wrong Colors
Colors affect our moods way more than we think. There are certain colors for certain purposes. For example, red color represents passion, energy and excitement. Orange represents creativity. Blue represents trust and security. Green represents health, nature and black represents simplicity and sophistication.
Now the colors for you graphics are picked after considering two factors:
- Your brand type
- Your message
Don’t mix colors together if they do not exhibit the type of message you are conveying. If you are an insurance company, try you will not use orange color as it represents creativity. Instead, you will use blue color to build a sense of trust and security in the viewer’s mind.
Also, try using colors that complement each other. For example, black, white and grey go with each other perfectly. But if you use black, orange and blue, that would just not make sense.
- Typography Fails
Typography is one of the most underrated skills in graphic designing, that has a huge impact on the overall look of a visual. It is a form of art that requires precision, an eye for detail and good acumen. Often times, graphic designers put all their efforts into designing and end up compromising on the typography of that visual.
Listed below are the most common typography mistakes that people make:
- Using too many fonts/font sizes.
- Giving insufficient leading (the space between two lines).
- Leaving too much space between letters.
- Stuffing all the content in one picture.
You have to let the words breathe, leave ample spaces between the words and letters and write precisely. Also, select sophisticate fonts for your visuals if it is about a business.
- Stealing Others’ Work
This needs to be said. Creators put a lot of efforts in coming up with ideas and executing them. Stealing their work without giving credit to them is just unfair and cruel. Think of how you would feel if someone stole your hard work and posted them under their own name.
No matter how long it is taking you to come up with that perfect idea, give it time. Just stay committed to producing your own content. It would take time but whatever you produce, you will be a 100% satisfied with at the end.
If you going through a creative block, do not push it. Get someone else do the job for you. Our graphic designers at Agency 360 are driven by creativity and passion for producing something extraordinary. Trust in them to get things done for you.
