Design is everywhere. Whether it is in our home decor, the flyer we receive on the street, our clothes, the packaging of a product, our social network feeds, or basically anywhere else in our daily lives, we simply cannot escape it and its effect on our lives.
Surely you have bought something because you thought the packaging was pretty, or you have chosen a brand because its visual identity appealed to you the most. Generally speaking, we are attracted to what visually catches our attention the most.
This is why design ends up not being a concern of the designer alone. Even if you are not a professional in the field, if you intend to build a business capable of attracting the eyes and interest of customers, there is no way to ignore the importance of design. So we have put together some tips to help you better understand how to apply design even if you are not a designer:
Inspirations
Try to find artwork that suits your taste. It is part of any creative process to seek inspiration that will serve as a basis for your project. It is not about copying, but about finding out what you like and from there creating something new that makes sense to you.
You can look for designs within the same universe you are exploring. If, for example, you want to set up a clothing store, visit clothing websites and see what can be adapted for your store’s identity.
But, as we just said, the intention is not to copy, so be careful not to cross any lines and end up plagiarizing someone.
Some nice sites for you to find references:
Colors and Contrast
Colors have an incredible power to evoke feelings and sensations in us. This is such a broad topic that we have already talked about it here! Therefore, you need to understand their role in your creation.
Ask yourself what your intention is: do you want to convey calm or enthusiasm? A professional or stripped-down look? Simplicity or extravagance? Depending on your answer, a certain color palette may be the most appropriate – our article will help you distinguish what each color represents to guide you in this choice. You even need to understand the meaning of the elements in the set, because you may want to give different meanings to each one, according to the context.
The goal is to find harmony between the chosen colors. You can check the chromatic circle to identify which colors are complementary (the opposites on the wheel) and which are analogous (those next to each other), and this makes it easier to build a harmonious palette. To make it even easier, there are sites with ready-made palettes, such as Adobe Color.
And to achieve this harmony, also keep in mind the need to establish a contrast between the colors and the elements. Images without contrast can be difficult to read and see, causing discomfort and strangeness.
Fonts
With numerous font options available, choosing which ones best fit your project can be a difficult task. Sometimes you end up preferring something with more detail because it is more stylish, but it will not always work.
You should seek a balance between beauty and readability. There is no point in choosing a font that you have found beautiful, but that is difficult to read. So try different things! This goes for any of the tips, and it is no different here.
If it is a title, for example, you can be adventurous, but in the body of the text, bet on the simpler and more traditional ones, to ensure that the reader will have no difficulty in deciphering it.
As for mixing fonts, the ideal is to be cautious: try to stick to a maximum of one or two so as not to risk making the design polluted and confusing.
Visual Consistency
When you meet a brand, you expect to find a pattern. When you visit their site, for example, the pages, even with their particularities, need to look like parts of the same place. Establishing visual consistency helps create easy identification by users. It is the intention of every brand to generate this familiarization with its product.
Everything must be thought through with the intention of forming a unity: the social networks, the landing pages, the blog, the campaigns… all kinds of content related to your brand have to follow a recognizable pattern.
The principle of repetition explains that in order to achieve this consistency and unity, a (or some) design element needs to be repeated throughout the material. This is what makes the customer able to recognize the brand from individual components.
