In the design world, there are a lot of circumstances where a graphic designer can take certain liberties and the old adage ‘rules are meant to be broken’ reigns supreme. It is true that when you are developing a new logo or marketing materials it can be beneficial to take risks, break some rules, and in turn see success; however, there are certain rules in the creative development process that should not be broken.
Before you begin brainstorming on a new marketing campaign or working with a professional graphic designer to develop an updated style guide, heed these four unbreakable graphic design laws.
What Does That Say?
This may come across as a no brainer, but you would be surprised at how many times this simple mistake occurs. The first rule of design, especially when delivering a message to a target audience, is to be clear and legible. If your prospective customer cannot read your advertisement or understand your message, then your communication has effectively failed. If you cannot communicate clearly with your audience you will lose them and who wants that? Have no fear! There is an easy fix. Have a second (or third) set of reliable eyes to review your mock-up before you send it to print.
Did You Get Dressed In The Dark?
It’s like when you were a child and had to learn the hard way which colours and patterns went well together and which did not. In the design process, selecting colours and pattern combinations is not an anything goes type situation. Certain colours will come across abrasive when paired together, while others will not have a strong enough contrast and fall into the category of being illegible. The key to not falling victim to this graphic design crime is: be true to your brand and do not try to be something you are not. Be authentic, use your best judgment, and you should be laughing.
Don’t Be A Visual Hoarder.
Embracing white space has become more popular these days, which is a glorious trend. That being said, there are still those who feel white space is for filling and in a sense it is. However, the key to finding the balance between too much empty space and too much clutter is to think of it as creating balanced proportions. White space is negative space, which is important to have in any design whether it be in fine art or advertising. If a graphic designer can achieve that perfect balance of getting their message across while maintaining the positive and negative space, that design will bode very well with audiences.
There, They’re, Their.
This is by far the most obvious of the rules and most likely the one that gets broken the most. If you have one spelling mistake or grammatical error on your website, in your advertisement or even in a headline, your credibility will plummet. Your designs should inspire action and instil confidence in your clients, not have them questioning your childhood education retention. The easiest way to avoid this type of misstep is to team up with a strong creative agency and have more than one individual proofread your copy.
The Moral of The Story…
Having a second opinion and working with a talented Graphic Designer will be your key to bending the rules without breaking them. Looking for that special team to bring your concepts to life? Give us a shout we may just be that missing ingredient you were looking for.