Design is all about taking an idea and transforming it into an interesting and engaging digital design that impresses viewers.
However, it can be tough to learn graphic design without completing a digital design course or having years of practice.
Our team of experienced graphic designers and digital designers at Intuition Media have created a list of 10 key design tips that you can use to improve your graphic design skills right away!
How to Improve at Digital Design – 10 Quick Tips:
1. Focus on High-Quality Features
Start with engaging features, not just layouts. These high-quality features set the stage for compelling designs.
2. Detail Matters
Add detail to your digital designs. This provides depth, increases engagement, and elevates your digital designs.
3. Less is More
Avoid overdesigning; simplicity and clarity make a lasting impact in digital illustrations and marketing designs.
4. Maintain a Design Identity
Infuse your designs with a distinct identity. Maintain a consistent design style to keep your digital designs appropriate.
5. Master the Basics
Don’t go wild – stick with the basics and master them to create stunning graphic designs in a short period of time.
6. Master Hierarchy
Prioritise different elements to create a visual flow, guiding the viewer’s attention and enhancing user experience.
7. Embrace White Space
Use ample white space when creating digital designs. This makes your designs stand out and gives them room to breathe.
8. Typography is Key
Establish and maintain type scales and readable fonts to make your graphic design more professional and readable for viewers.
9. Colour Psychology
Understand colour shades, tones, and their emotional impact. Working with the right colours will ensure that your next marketing design is successful.
10. Create Depth
Use shadows, layering, and elevation to add dimension and depth. This is especially important when working with flat designs, as your digital illustrations will become more engaging and immersive.
These tips are ideal for beginner graphic designers and people interested in graphic design. For more detailed information, keep reading.
How White Space Can Elevate Your Graphic Designs
White space is a vital aspect of graphic design and it’s something you need to master.
When used purposefully, white space becomes a powerful tool, transforming good designs into exceptional ones.
It enhances readability by reducing clutter, emphasises essential elements, and adds to the overall aesthetic appeal.
Check out this example design below – the design on the left doesn’t utilise a lot of white space, so it looks cramped and amateurish.
In comparison, the graphic design on the right looks clean, sleek, and professional – and it’s all because of white space.
By providing a visual break, white space ensures a balanced and comfortable viewing experience for users.
Try experimenting with space, prioritising different elements, embracing simplicity, and seeking feedback to understand how white space can improve your graphic designs.
A Key Design Principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS)
It’s a critical graphic design principle that very few people actually follow – but it could be the thing that’s holding you back from making stunning digital designs,
Graphic design doesn’t always need to be complicated or exotic.
Your digital designs should be clean, clear, interesting, and engaging. This doesn’t mean you need to use dozens of elements – use just enough to tell the story that you’re trying to get across to your viewer.
This example social media post below is a perfect representation of how keeping your designs simple can make all the difference.
Although all of the elements in the design on the left could be good individually, they simply don’t come together to create a professional digital design.
On the other hand, the design on the right uses just three elements but looks far cleaner, more professional and more engaging than the busy design on the left.
By keeping your designs simple, clean, and sleek, you’re letting each element stand out more, improving engagement, and keeping your viewers happy.
How Typography Can Change a Digital Design
Typography is one of the most important things that you’ll need to master in digital design.
Choosing the right font, the right scale, and the right structure can take your digital designs to the next level.
You’ll need to think about whether your design needs a luxury serif font, a modern sans-serif font, or if it doesn’t need any text at all.
Typography can take your design to the next level, and it’s an incredibly complex topic. However, there are some basics that you need to know before creating a good digital design.
As you can see above, simply changing the font in a design can completely transform this social media post and make it look more professional, interesting, and on-brand.
It’s critical to stick to digital branding guidelines and our clean and modern brand simply doesn’t work with a serif font. However, serif fonts would be perfect for a luxury clothing brand or a fashion entrepreneur.
This one change can take your design from amateurish to professional, modern, and appropriate.
Consider using serif fonts if you’re working with a luxury brand or you need to portray a sense of elegance. On the other hand, sans-serif fonts are great for most situations, and we recommend using a clean, modern font that keeps each letter legible and readable.
Conclusion
For budding digital designers, mastering these fundamental principles lays the groundwork for a journey filled with innovation and creativity.
Navigating the digital landscape is an ongoing learning process.
Start from the basics, embrace the design process, and let your creativity flow!
This will set the stage for a successful career in digital design, empowering you with the skills to create compelling and purposeful designs in today’s digital world.
Are you a business owner or an entrepreneur in need of professional graphic design or amazing social media marketing and social media content services?
Contact Intuition Media today to learn more about our digital design solutions and graphic design services.