4 Graphic Design Rules of Thumb for Entrepreneurs
Your business can and should stand out from the rest. It all starts with captivating your target audience. First, you have to effectively communicate your brand’s message. Only then can a consumer decide whether or not they’re interested in what your business has to offer.
Attract the right audience through appealing visuals known as graphic designs. The ideas in your design must then inspire, inform and push the audience into requesting for your company’s services.
What’s Involved in Graphic Design?
Graphic design is used in almost all marketing activities and branding materials, including your logo, so it’s important to have a clear idea of what you’re getting into. Layout and visual designs are used for the following:
Logo design
Brand identity
Website design
Content on website
Digital advertisements (like web banners)
Brochure material
Magazines
Newsletters
Corporate reports
Now that we know where graphic design is used, let’s go into the rules.
Fundamental Rules of Graphic Design
First, know this: graphic designing is a form of art that balances professionalism with attention-grabbing style. Understanding these guidelines will also streamline the process next time you talk to a graphic designer or hire a printer.
Rule 1: Font Choice
The font you decide to use on your material is as important as the text itself. Make sure it’s clear and legible. Each letter must be clearly visible whether they’re in bold or italics, from a short or far distance. You’ll want to avoid text where the characters are too close to each other or too fancy to read.
Font size matters too! A large font size indicates the most important information and draws the viewer’s attention to something specific. Remember: overusing it will defeat its purpose, so don’t use a large font size for everything just because you want attention on all of your content.
Rule 2: Color Selection
Colors are responsible for attracting the attention of your target audience. Are you looking to appeal to a younger clientele? Then it’s worthwhile to consider bright and playful brand colors for your business logo and other graphics. On the other hand, if your business targets older professionals, you may want to consider sober shades like blue, black or red.
Colors also represent emotion and moods. For example, red is known to represent either power or passion. Blue invokes peace, security and professionalism. So pick wisely and communicate the right brand message on a subconscious level.
Rule 3: Alignment and Balance
Is your graphic design aligned? Symmetry of design elements ensures they line up properly along the top, bottom, center or sides. These elements need not necessarily be of the same type and can include text, images and more.
Need an example? if you have text on one side of a document, then it should be balanced out with text on the other side, or at least, have a similar-sized image.
Rule 4: Uniform Spacing
Graphic designing incorporates harmony, balance and aesthetics, so pay attention to details like spacing and uniformity. Give your design space to breathe. Note the spacing between lines of text, and group elements to create white space.
Inconsistent spacing affects legibility, so maintain uniform spacing throughout the content. Most design software applies an automatic spacing guideline equivalent to 120% of the text size.
Final thoughts
Graphic design rules constantly evolve. Consumers’ preferences change and technology develops. Make sure you keep up with trends so that your branding shows you’re one step ahead of the rest.
Author Bio
Sofia Paterson is an enthusiastic freelance content writer and digital marketer who likes to explore new ideas through creative writing. Her specialties include online marketing, engaging content, and graphic design.