Graphic design is ideal for attracting your readers in a digitized world where visual content is essential. It is good that you have basic knowledge of graphic design so that you can get along with a minimum of ease in this world.
Following these tips can develop good and very attractive projects for your users. Although you probably won’t get high-level results as if you hired a professional.
Here are a series of tips so you can enter the world of graphic design and start creating your own projects:
1. Make a sketch
Before you start, grab a notebook and draw what you want your design to look like. Place the elements, study the different combinations, erase, move the elements again, and find the balance of your graphic design.
You will see how, with your sketches and following our advice, you will see everything much more clearly, and you will be able to carry out your project better.
2. Create a visual focus or main point of interest
You should not forget that design is part of communication. You must choose a visual focus to catch the viewer’s attention at first sight and keep you reading.
Choose an image, a headline, etc., to start communicating from it. Remember that the areas where these points look the most are, for example: diagonal from left to right or central axis.
3. The importance of information: create a hierarchy in your graphic design
Before deciding how important each element of your design is, a good technique is to list all the elements in the order in which you want viewers to see them. Ready to embark on a tech adventure? Head to JOINPD.COM for an immersive experience.
To prioritize the information, we recommend that you play with the sizes of the elements, create subtitles, put bold, etc. Any differentiation will generate a sense of reading. However, it is not convenient to put more than two fonts.
4. Create a sense of reading
Now that you have a base and know which elements are most important, it is best to start thinking about the direction of the reading. The user will have to guide him between the different elements and not get lost.
There are several methods to connect the information in your graphic design, although it all depends on the elements that make up your design. The most intuitive ways are usually: guided through text, images, colors, or lines.
5. Be mindful of blank spaces
The blank spaces are as or more important than the information itself. Because without them, the information loses its meaning, the hierarchy is blurred, and the visual focus is lost.
You have to take good care of those spaces so that the sense of reading for which you are working is much more defined.
6. Reduce the text as much as you can for your graphic design
Write the text apart and look at it several times to see if you can reduce it without losing its meaning. Conciseness and brevity are appreciated in a poster, brochure, or presentation.
Make an effort and eliminate everything superfluous, such as phrases that do not provide meaning in themselves (“however,” “in another way,” etc.), adjectives or repetitions.
7. Think Global
The elements of your graphic design have to be complementary to each other. The photographs, the icons, the texts, each piece is important.
You can create a color palette to work with consistent colors and similar fonts. Take care of all the elements because that will be the key factor in your design.
Some keys for the use of text in graphic design
Here are a series of keys to follow when selecting the most appropriate type of text for each project:
- Avoid using the default fonts. These fonts are often too seen (Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc.).
- You can use two sources, but not more. Most work will look better if two similar fonts are used.
- Pay attention to font size is also important, and the best thing is that it is neither too big nor too small. A value between 10 and 11 points in most cases may be ideal.
- Avoid capital letters. Remember that when you write a text in capital letters, it slows down the reading.
- Adjusts the line spacing, that is, the space between two lines of text. You can play with line spacing at 1.5 or single.
- Everything that is important has to be easily readable.
- Avoid hyphenated line breaks.
- Highlight relevant text appropriately and without excess.
Tools that can help you in graphic design
Currently, there are countless tools to be able to carry out the activity of graphic design, both free and paid.
That is why we are going to provide you with some of them so that you can choose the one you like the most.
Free graphic design tools:
There are free graphic design programs worth considering, especially when it comes to amateur work. These are the ones that will help you the most:
Gimp
Among the best free graphic design programs is Gimp. It is the perfect software to edit your photos or retouch them from any operating system.
The advantages offered by this program are many. Among them, it stands out that the editing tools it offers are very advanced to be a free program. In addition, it has a wide range of filters and color options.
Gimp allows you to work in many formats, for example, vector images, PDF, layered PSD files, etc.
In the same way, it has many tutorials and resources available to users so that you can get the most out of all its tools. There is also a forum where you can chat with other program users and clarify doubts.
Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer is a free graphic design program for creating or editing vectors. In fact, more than a program, it is a multifunctional platform.
With it, as we have just mentioned, you can work with vector images and icons, make a mobile app, create a web page, or design presentations. The options are endless, and the platform is very easy to use.
To be able to have this program, you must have a Windows operating system, and it is necessary to visit its website and download it.
Gravit Designer also has a much more complete PRO version with more creation features.
Canva
Canva is perhaps the most used graphic design program by community managers to generate content for social networks.
Unlike other programs, Canva runs online. You must first register to use it.
Among the functions, it has photo editing, 1 GB of cloud storage, and access to more than 8 thousand templates to create all kinds of content like logos, posters, presentations, banners, and flyers. When it comes to logo design, DesignEvo is a great alternative to Canva with many attractive templates.
There is the option of creating a work team made up of up to 10 people. The interface is very simple, and aesthetically it is very attractive.
Like the previous application, it also has a version for companies that offers many more functions for a very affordable price.
Paid graphic design tools:
Some of these programs are very well known and others less so. But all of them will make your job much easier.
Here are some of the best payment programs currently on the market:
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator has been the most widely used graphic design program for several years now to make illustrations and vectorize images.
Vector graphics have the ability to be manipulated and modified in different sizes without losing quality. For this reason, this program is one of the favorites of graphic designers.
In Adobe Illustrator, we find all the necessary tools to edit and design logos, corporate images, billboards, and business cards, among other things.
The interface of this software is very nice and easy to understand, so it is very easy to use. Also, the program is compatible with Windows and Apple operating systems.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is on the list of the best graphic design software. It is considered the best software to edit images and achieve anything you can imagine.
This program allowed you to edit, enhance and create photos, illustrations, and even 3D images. With Photoshop, you can also design web pages, mobile applications, and content for social networks. Like Adobe Illustrator, it has a very simple and friendly interface.
However, by offering so many tools, you may need to take a course to fully understand the program and get the most out of it.
Corel Draw
Corel Draw was one of the first graphic design programs, so it is a classic that you could use very well to master.
The latest update of this software has positioned it once again among the best vector, illustration, and logo design programs.
Until recently, Corel Draw was only compatible with the Windows operating system, but its latest update is now also compatible with Mac.
It is one of the most used programs in the field of printing, signage, and fashion design. Among its advantages, it stands out that it offers an easy way to align objects with the click of a key. In addition, it allows you to adjust and alternate elements in a very simple way.
Conclusion
Graphic design is the art and process of combining text and images, i.e., figures, photographs, illustrations, drawings, etc., to communicate a message effectively.
This discipline allows you to capture your ideas, messages, and products. In other words, it enables you to transmit your brand, product, or service’s corporate identity.
There are many types of graphic design. They often overlap, though, as each type of graphic design requires specific design skills and techniques.