5 Common Design Blunders

All designers make design mistakes some point in their career. Through classes, internships, and jobs we all learn how to avoid making the same mistakes. Here is a list of five common design errors and how to avoid them.

Font Heavy
It is important to limit the number of fonts used in a design. Too many fonts make a design lose consistency and appeal. A general rule for font use is to limit yourself to three or less fonts per design.

Incorrect Color Mode
It is important to know when to use CMYK and RGB. CMYK is typically used for print and RGB is used for the web. RGB has a wider range of colors compared to CMYK’s limited four color range.

Failing To Proofread
Failing to proofread is one of the most common errors I’ve seen. It can be very easy to miss an error when working on a project for hours. It is very important to proofread every design or get another person to look it over.

Clashing Colors/Patterns
When colors or patterns clash, it’s not only hard to read but also to get the message across. The viewer will most likely pay more attention to the colors/pattern and miss the message or not even register it at all. It is important to keep a design simple, clean, and have a clear message.

Misuse of the Bleed
Bleeds allow you to run artwork to the edge of a page. A common mistake designers make is not designing past the bleed. If a designer does not design past the bleed the final product can be uneven or will have an unwanted border.

Have any more common design errors you've noticed? Comment below!

What the Hell Is a Creative Brief?

A creative brief is a document created through meetings or interviews between a client and designer before the project is started. A creative brief helps designers understand what a client wants, helps clients know what they want, and helps avoid unrealistic expectations.

A creative brief includes:

Useful background information
Project overview
Existing files to be used
Objective
Target market
Image and tone
Thoughts on design
Other

Useful Background Information
This includes anything that would be relevant to the project like when the business was founded, their mission statement, what the company does, etc.

Project Overview
What is the purpose of the project? This typically includes what the client wants done at the end of the project.

Existing Files to Be Used
This is is an optional part of the brief where a client can supply logos, letter heads, or some company design they want included in the project.

Objective
The objective is what the client wants to come out of this project. This could mean a new logo, new brand, or updating their company look.

Target Market
The target market is who the company wants the project to appeal to. This could include different age groups, social groups, behavior, etc.

Image and Tone
How a client wants their business to be perceived. For example, if a client's business is new they might want to be perceived as established, professional, and forward-thinking.

Thoughts On Design
This is where the client can let the designer know what they want and expect for the project. They can specify what they specifically want and don't want in color, overall design, and theme.

Other
This is an optional section for notes like a due date or something that doesn't fit in with the other sections of the brief.

Design Issue: Colors and Their Meaning

Choosing colors for designs can be difficult if a designer doesn't know how colors are perceived in a different cultures. Below is a list of colors and different meanings associated with them.




Red
Red is mostly known as a power color. In the United States, and other western countries, it symbolizes leadership, passion, excitement, danger, and anger. In China and India, the color is used in weddings and other ceremonies. In Russia the color is heavily associated with the Bolsheviks and Communism. Red in South Africa is the color of mourning.

Blue
The color blue in the United States symbolizes security, stability, loyalty, wisdom, trust, and courage. In the United States this color is seen as masculine, while in China and Belgium it is seen as feminine. In Mexico, Iran, and Korea blue is the color of mourning.

Green 
In western countries green is associated with money, nature, jealousy, greed, and luck. In China and India it represents new beginnings and hope. It is also perceived as a negative color that represents death, corruption or is forbidden in South America, North Africa, and Indonesia.

Yellow 
Yellow is seen as optimism, happiness, joy, and caution in western countries. Japan, Thailand, and China view yellow as an imperial color. Yellow is the mourning color of Burma (Myanmar) and Egypt.

Pink 
In western countries, the color is is associated with love, romance, and femininity. In Belgium, pink is a masculine color. In Korea pink is related to trust rather than femininity and romance. 

Orange 
Orange is associated with cheerfulness, enthusiasm, fascination, and autumn in western countries. In eastern countries it represents happiness and spirituality. It is also seen as a religious color in Ireland.

Black 
Western countries associate black with power, mystery, elegance, and sophistication. In eastern countries, like India, Thailand, and countries in the Middle East, view the color as evil and bad luck.

Links:

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2012/06/color-and-cultural-design-considerations/
http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/cultural-color.html

Helpful Keyboard Shortcuts For Beginning Graphic Designers

When I first started using Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign I never used shortcuts. I spent a lot of time looking for tools than I did actually using them. It wasn't until my professor did a class demonstration that I finally understood how much time I wasted not using shortcuts.

Here are a few shortcuts I find myself using frequently:

Photoshop

• V - Move
• C - Crop
• T - Text
• W - Magic Wand/Quick Selection
•  Z - Zoom

Illustrator

• V - Selection 
• A - Direct Selection
• T- Text
• Command, Shift, O - Create (text) Outlines
• P - Pen

InDesign

• V - Selection
• A- Direct Selection
• Shift, P - Page Tool
• T - Text
• Command, D - Place

*Rule of thumb when it comes to keyboard shortcuts, if you use a tool more than once during a project memorize the shortcut.*

Things Design Beginners Need to Know: The Creative Process

When I first started graphic design classes I had a hard time thinking of good designs that fit my assignments. That was until a professor introduced the class to the creative process. Since then, when I get stuck I make sure to use this process.

Know the information and company

It is important to know what information needs to be included on whatever it is you’re making. Research the company and find out as much as possible and create a creative brief. Find out how they started, what their mission statement is, and if they have a recurring design theme.

Brainstorm and sketch

Think of multiple different ideas and write them down. Look at related graphic design work if you get stuck. Once you have three to four designs, sketch them out and narrow down the design choices.

Create a mock up

Take the the design(s) narrowed down from the sketches and recreate it on the computer. This should even further narrow down your options and help you choose the final design.

Test your work

Print a test (if applicable) of the final design to make sure everything is the way you intended it to be. Edit anything that needs to be changed from the test print.

Finalize  

Send the final project to the customer for approval and (hopefully) you’re done.

Simple Ways to Recharge Creativity

Every once in awhile I have trouble coming up with or even finishing ideas. Here is an infographic about what I do when I'm stuck on an idea.

Design Behind the HeForShe Campaign

At this point, I’m sure everyone and their dog has watched Emma Watson’s speech at the United Nations announcing the HeForShe Campaign. If you’re one of those few people who have not heard or seen anything, here is a quick run down. HeForShe is a campaign that wants to end gender inequality with the help of both men and women. This campaign was created by UN Women and is the first of it’s kind.

DIA Studios in New York created the logo and identity for this campaign. The logo was created by the merging of the male and female sex symbols equally.

See more work from this campaign HERE

DIA did a fantastic job balancing between feminine and masculine not only with the typography but the color choices as well. They also did a great job creating social media content, such as the look for the website and app, as well as the printed/physical media that includes pins, scarves, posters, etc.

See more work from this campaign HERE

Overall, I personally really like what DIA Studio created and I hope the HeForShe Campaign succeeds.

How To Create A GIF

A GIF or Graphics Interchange Format is defined as a set of standards and file format for storage of
digital color images and short animations. These files are used on the Internet in some articles and the social media site, Tumblr.

Creating GIFs can be tricky but here are step by step instructions to create your own in Photoshop.


Step 1: Find a video/animation and download it in the highest quality possible.

• Tip: Videos that are 720p or higher should work perfectly.

Step 2: Open Photoshop. File > Import > Video Frames to Layers

Step 3: Open your video and select the section you wish to make into a GIF and click 'OK'.

Move black arrows to select the area you want to GIF

Step 4: Resize the GIF to a smaller size (This one will be roughly 3x5 in) 

Image > Image Size 

Step 5: Trim any extra frames you don't want in the GIF

Select the frames in the Timeline and click the trash icon

Step 6: (Optional) Add Text with the Text tool in the tool bar (Left)

Make sure the text layer is on top (see above right)

Step 7: Choose the moving speed of the frames.

Select all frames > click on arrow on a frame > click other

Step 8: Enter desired frame delay

Depending on the length of frames, 0.04-0.07 could work

Step 9: How to save the GIF (File > Save for web)

File > Save for web

Step 10: Preview the GIF and if satisfied, "Save"

A web page should appear and show exactly how your GIF would look online

Finished Product:

Keep It Simple, Stupid: 4 Tips For New Graphic Designers

For new graphic designers, learning the basics and developing ideas can be frustrating and overwhelming. Here are a few tips I wish I had gotten when I first started out.  

Confidence

A designer having confidence in themselves is extremely important. If a designer thinks their designs are bad and will always be bad, chances are they will be. A beginner should not to compare their work to another designer who has a decade more experience. Take it one day at a time and eventually a beginner will gain the confidence and skills to be a successful designer.

Draw Designs First

Drawing designs first is a good indicator of how well the design will transfer from the mind to paper. No matter the drawing skill level, it is important to get the main idea down.

Drawing also helps a designer keep their designs original and (hopefully) decreases the risk of copying someone else’s design.

Web vs Print
It is very important to keep in mind the end product of a project. Will it be printed or go on a website? It is important to set up the document correctly or the finished product’s colors will be different than expected.

When printed, a design must be in CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) because the printer ink is based on those colors. A CMYK design is typically measured in dpi (dots per inch) because it translates the resolution to the printing device. A designer also must be aware of printer’s marks and bleeds to get a successful printed product.

Designing for the web involves a different color model, RGB (Red, Green, and Blue), which has more color variations. These designs use ppi (pixels per inch) instead of dpi because it refers to the computer display rather than the printing device. Most of the time, designing for the web involves creating several different orientations for different technology screens.

In summary

Print

• CMYK
• Measured in inches
• 300 dpi
• Printer’s marks and bleeds

Web

• RGB
• 72 ppi
• Measured in pixels
• Different web orientations

White Space

Designing does not always mean every part of the design has to be a different color. White space can be used cleverly by graphic designers to balance a layout or make an aspect of a design stand out. Many beginners have trouble seeing white space as a good thing and keeping designs simple. Some advice to those who have this problem, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)