Attention spans are fleeting, and trends shift in the blink of an eye. At this point, every savvy graphic designer knows that the goal is to stand out. Innovation that once was a luxury has now become a necessity.

That means we have to say goodbye to stock vectors and mundane layouts just to capture the attention of digital consumers.

But in a landscape bombarded with endless online content, how can you break through the noise and stay relevant?

Let’s dive into some best practices to redefine the essence of graphic design for today’s digital advertising and a couple of years after.

Graphic Design for Digital Advertising: What’s New?

Before we delve into the nitty-gritty, let’s take a quick peek at what’s new in the world of graphic design for digital advertising. After all, it’s a fast-paced world out there, and to keep up, we need to know what’s hot and what’s not.

What’s new in the graphic design world is the incorporation of AI– pretty much just like any other industry. The technology has revolutionized the way we approach design by offering tools and capabilities that were once the stuff of science fiction.

Remember that graphic design in digital marketing and advertising means that you should prioritize creating visuals for brands to tell their story, make a lasting impression, and ultimately drive action.

It can be designed for social media graphics, email newsletters, or display ads. The goal remains the same: to captivate audiences and inspire them to develop more meaningful connections with the brand.

1. Dynamic Content

Gone are the days when static banners got all of the attention. Now we’re seeing more and more ad designs that change based on our location or even ads that respond well to our browsing history.

Interactive elements such as clickable buttons, sliders, or collapsible menus are now become popular. Their appeal encourages users to engage with the design and make the experience more immersive and memorable.

The addition of animations, GIFs, or animated videos to designs also make the content more interesting to look at. No matter if it’s subtle motion effects or full-blown animated sequences, adding dynamic interactivity to digital advertising content grabs the attention of more audiences.

2. Personalization

When it comes to personalization, graphic design should be so much more than mentioning the first name on an email design. Consumers demand more than just eye-catching visuals and only care about brands that care about them too.

That’s why they only want content that speaks directly to them, resonates with their interests, and adapts to their preferences in real-time. In short, they want to feel special. Even a simple birthday message can mean a lot to them.

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So, the entire visual experience should feel like it’s tailor-made for each individual. From selecting the right fonts and colors to curating imagery that resonates with specific demographics, every element of the design plays a crucial role in creating a sense of more in-depth connection.

3. Emotional Design

Let’s be honest. We’re all tired of seeing a faceless brand doing the same same-old design and marketing messaging. Today’s consumers crave experiences that evoke emotion and meaning.

And to nail the emotional design, you need to understand the brand personality. Think of brands Dollar Shave Club, or Skittles, which are known for their quirky and humorous advertising campaigns.

Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign is also a prime example of inspirational advertising that encourages viewers to push beyond their limits and always strive for greatness.

4. Social Media Integration

There are at least 4.5 billion social media users worldwide. This means that your designs should be social media-friendly. Use vibrant colors and compelling typography for headlines to capture users’ attention as they scroll through their feeds.

Remember that different social media platforms have unique design specifications. The square format of Instagram posts, the vertical orientation of TikTok videos, or the text-heavy nature of LinkedIn updates.

5. Cultural Relevance

More and more people are opening their eyes to the diverse array of cultures and perspectives present in the world. Thanks to the internet and social media. Now there’s a growing appreciation for advertisements that reflect and celebrate this cultural diversity.

Since there are no geographical boundaries anymore, brands can easily reach diverse audiences spanning different cultures, languages, and demographics. And to effectively engage with these audiences, graphic designers must be aware of cultural nuances, preferences, and sensitivities.

Be more mindful of cultural differences, taboos, and sensitivities to avoid inadvertently causing offense or misunderstanding. Designs that are culturally relevant and respectful are more likely to resonate positively with audiences and foster goodwill towards the brand.

Next-Level Graphic Design Strategies for Digital Ads

Now that we know what’s new in graphic design for digital advertising, let’s explore some strategies for innovation in this fast-paced field.

However, one thing to remember: innovation in graphic design isn’t just about following trends or adopting the latest tools. You need to think more about creatively pushing boundaries and capturing the audience’s attention.

1. Think Like the Customers

Begin by understanding your target audience’s preferences, behaviors, and expectations. Immerse yourself in a deep research to gain insights into what resonates with them visually.

This, for sure, should go beyond knowing basic demographics– instead, dive more into factors such as interests, pain points, aspirations, and media consumption habits.

You can also see how other brands with the same niche create their designs. Take note of what you can do better and how you do it.

Another way is to put yourself in the shoes of your audience. When you think like them and experience things like them, you can better empathize with their needs and create designs that resonate with them on a deeper level.

2. Let Them Join the Fun

It might be just a boring ad when customers can only become passive observers in front of their screens. But when you give them an interactive experience, they’re intrigued to engage in all the visuals.

Creating micro interactions gives them a chance to interact with the ad through clicks, swipes, or other gestures. This is how you can create a more immersive and memorable experience that stands out in endless static content. When they actively participate in the ad experience, they form stronger associations with the brand.

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3. Add the Tiny But Mighty Motion Graphics

Speaking of interactive elements, there is no better way to get audiences’ attention than through the use of motion graphics and videos. These visual types bring static designs to life and add a dynamic and engaging element. Even better, they turn those complex messages into smaller, snackable chunks and evoke powerful emotions.

Both also provide a powerful platform for storytelling and narrative-driven content. They allow designers and marketers to convey brand stories, product benefits, and key messages. No more dense jargon left unexplained, or stories left untold.

Not only that, though– both motion graphics and videos help reinforce brand personality and identity through visual elements such as colors, typography, and animation styles.

Aligning these visual elements with brand values and messaging can strengthen brand recall and recognition among their target audience.

Remember the Netflix “ta-dum” intro with the zoom-in to the yarn-like animation when a show is about to start? Or the bouncy Pixar lamp hops onto the screen before a movie begins? These iconic motion graphics have become synonymous with their brands, and we instantly remember their visuals.

4. Easy on the Eyes, No Matter the Screen Size

Great digital advertisements are those that can be clearly seen on all devices– desktops, mobiles, tablets, etc. It should seamlessly adapt to various digital platforms, screen sizes, and user experiences.

Adaptable design begins with responsive design principles, which involve designing layouts and graphics that can dynamically adjust and reflow based on the screen size and orientation of the device being used.

Also, mobile web video ad viewability worldwide is at a staggering 80%. This widespread adoption of mobile devices– including smartphones and tablets, makes it crucial to prioritize mobile optimization in graphic design for digital advertising.

Adaptable design techniques such as mobile-first design and fluid layouts make sure that your ads are optimized for smaller screens and touch interactions– so that they deliver a seamless and user-friendly experience to mobile users.

The ads that you design should maintain visual coherence and readability across all screen sizes and give a consistent user experience regardless of the device. No matter what device the customer is using at the moment, they won’t miss anything from the design experience.

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5. Let the Fonts Have Their Say

Typography might seem like a mere detail in graphic design, but it’s effective in shaping the visual identity, readability, and impact of digital advertising. Innovative typographic choices, such as expressive fonts, hand-lettered scripts, and dynamic typography animations, can help evoke the desired mood, tone, and atmosphere of the a.

Through typography innovation, designers can push the boundaries of traditional type design to create and show a unique personality. With a well-executed typography innovation, you can design a campaign that has a distinct personality that resonates with consumers and reinforces the brand’s positioning in the market.

For example, a digital advertising campaign for a luxury fashion brand might utilize custom-designed serif fonts with elegant, flowing curves to evoke a sense of sophistication and luxury. Or, a tech startup aiming to convey innovation and forward-thinking might opt for a sleek, minimalist sans-serif font with clean lines and geometric shapes.

6. Everyone Deserves a Clear View

Accessibility is rooted in the principle of inclusive design. By inclusive, it means the design experiences can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone– regardless of their abilities or limitations.

Be more aware of the colors that you choose since not everyone has a normal vision. The fonts you choose should also be accessible and readable for every audience.

Here’s an example of accessible vs. non-accessible fonts. For people with poor vision, the second one could be a real struggle. They might not even recognize it as a font, let alone read it.

Accessibility is closely tied to usability and user experience. Designs that are accessible are often more user-friendly and intuitive for all users, not just those with disabilities.

7. Team Up and Mix It Up

One of the most overlooked things about graphic design for advertisement is the collaboration and communication between graphic designers themselves, copywriters, marketers, and other relevant stakeholders.

Sure. Each of them has different expertise, perspectives, and objectives. But, when they work together and understand each other’s perspective, it sure leads to more cohesive and effective advertising campaigns.

Graphics designers need copywriters to complement their visual elements with compelling messaging that resonates with the target audience. Meanwhile, copywriters might not have expertise in visual design principles or software tools, but they need graphic designers to bring their words to life.

The collaboration of the expertise of each team member makes it possible for brands to come up with captivating visuals and persuasive copy– and overall implement even more effective marketing strategies.

It’s Time to Round Up All the Eyes for Your Designs

The fancy and colorful design doesn’t always mean effective communication. Simplicity can often be more impactful than complexity. Therefore, the key to an effective design for digital advertising is creativity that grabs the audience’s attention at first glance.

There’s no doubt that well-crafted designs can result in an effective campaign and even overall business success. One thing to bear in mind here, though, is that it all depends on the audience you want to show the design to.

Tailoring your design to resonate with their preferences, interests, and needs makes sure that you get the maximum impact. Marrying creativity with a deep understanding of your audience, create designs that not only catch the eye but also make them remember it. At the end of the day, your design should be able to boost engagement and even conversion.

About Guest Author: Andre Oentoro

Andre is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order).

The post How to Innovate Graphic Design for Digital Advertising in 2024 appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

You walk into a store, something catches your attention—a brilliantly designed poster that pulls you in. Before you know it, you’re making a purchase. That’s the power of effective graphic design in business. Leveraging this art is more than just creating appealing visuals; it’s about forging connections, conveying values, and building trust.

94% of first impressions are design-related, so the modern marketplace demands innovative visual strategies to captivate, engage, and retain customers. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how design is your silent brand ambassador that shapes perceptions, steers emotions, and ultimately influences the decision-making processes.

Let’s dive in.

The Science Behind A Good Graphic Design In Business Branding

Design, often perceived as a purely creative endeavor, is deeply rooted in cognitive and psychological research. It’s about understanding human behavior to create visuals that truly resonate. For instance, colors elicit specific emotions: blue evokes trust, which explains why 33% of the top 100 brands use it in their logos.

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Similarly, gestalt principles inform us that humans perceive visuals as a whole rather than in parts, guiding designers in creating cohesive layouts. Not only that, neuroscience reveals that our brain recognizes text as shapes, making font choice crucial for readability.

Let’s not forget the Golden Ratio, a mathematical principle found in nature and art, is used to achieve harmonious design. Moreover, user experience (UX) studies help optimize digital platforms based on how humans think and behave. A good design is a blend of science and creativity. When done right, drives engagement, fosters trust, and enhances user satisfaction.

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7 Ways Graphic Design Turn Your Business Into A Customer Magnet

In an era where visual communication dominates and brands are often first encountered through screens rather than in person, graphic design emerges as a silent marketing powerhouse. From the logos that become cultural symbols to the advertisements that provoke thought and action, let’s unpack the symbiotic relationship between graphic design and modern businesses.

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1. Branding & Identity

When you think of iconic brands like Apple, Nike, or Coca-Cola, it’s often their visual elements that come to mind. A strong visual identity makes a brand easily recognizable. This fosters loyalty among consumers, and can even influence purchasing decisions. Consistent brand presentation across various platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.

Graphic design gives consistency through colors, typography, and imagery. A well-crafted logo design, often a brand’s first impression, can make or break audience perceptions. Colors, shapes, and typography evoke specific emotions, with 93% of consumers citing visuals as the top influential factor affecting purchasing decisions.

What You Should Do:

Conduct a comprehensive brand audit. Start with your logo, color scheme, and typography. Ensure every aspect of your branding aligns with your core values and appeals to your target audience. Consider a rebrand if there’s a disconnect.

2. First Impressions Matter

Users form impressions about a website in as little as 2.6 seconds. A user-friendly website layout, an attractive product package, or an engaging ad can leave an indelible mark on potential customers.

Businesses that prioritize good design are more likely to make positive first impressions, fostering longer user engagement and improved trust.

Consider visiting a platform like Storydoc. The moment you land on their homepage, the color scheme of purple and white, gives off an immediate sense of creativity and professionalism. The clean layout with ample white space around content allows for a more focused experience.

It also leverages animated visuals to captivate and guide visitors through their sales and marketing templates. The use of motion graphics adds a dynamic layer to the user experience.

Similarly, large, legible fonts improve readability, making it easier for visitors to understand their value proposition quickly. This site is a prime example of how businesses can utilize design to create trust and connection with their audience.

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What You Should Do:

Use heat mapping tools on your website to analyze where users focus their attention. Optimize these areas with high-quality visuals and clear calls to action. This will grab immediate attention and guide user behavior.

3. Effective Communication

Graphic design isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s a medium to communicate complex ideas, values, or data in an easily digestible format. Through infographics or animated videos, businesses can communicate more effectively. This ensures their message resonates with their target audience.

The right images can communicate more than words ever could, especially when promoting products that cater to specific needs. For instance, the images used in the Medical Alert Buyers Guide not only display the products but also depict potential users. This helps visitors immediately identify with the product’s intended audience and visualize its use in real-life scenarios.

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What You Should Do:

Evaluate your key marketing pieces for clarity and engagement. Utilize graphic elements to highlight critical information and guide readers through your content effortlessly.

4. Customer Trust & Loyalty

7 out of 10 shoppers only buy from brands they trust. A cohesive, high-quality design across platforms and materials showcases a business’s commitment to excellence. When customers see this commitment, they believe the same level of detail will be applied to their products.

Trust is earned when businesses deliver on their promises, provide transparency, and prioritize customer needs. Loyalty, on the other hand, is the fruit of this trust — a long-term commitment from customers to prefer and advocate for a brand even when alternatives are available. That is exactly how increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits from 25% to 95%.

A notable example is Amazon’s Prime program. Through guaranteed fast deliveries, consistent service, and added perks, Amazon cultivated trust. The result? Over 200 million Prime members, many of whom choose Amazon first for their shopping needs, exemplifying profound loyalty.

What You Should Do:

Regularly update your visual content to reflect current trends while staying true to your brand identity. Consistency in updates shows reliability and helps deepen customer trust.

5. Increased Sales & ROI

A well-designed advertisement or a user-friendly website can attract more attention and engage users more effectively. Higher engagement often leads to higher conversion rates, driving sales and boosting revenue.

Customer experience overtakes price and product as the key brand differentiator. This implies that consumers are willing to pay more for experiences and the emotional connections brands cultivate.

A prime example is Starbucks. While there are countless places to buy a cheaper cup of coffee, Starbucks offers a unique blend of product quality, ambiance, and customer service. This commitment to enhancing the customer experience has catapulted them into a dominant market position, with over 30,000 stores globally and billions in yearly sales.

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What You Should Do:

Implement A/B testing on your visual marketing campaigns to see which designs drive better performance and lead to higher sales.

6. Navigation & Usability

Whether you’re making money online through an eCommerce business or selling SaaS services or niche courses, the first impression of your digital storefront can make or break a potential sale. A user-friendly design, coupled with intuitive navigation pathways entices visitors to stay, browse, and eventually purchase.

A well-designed user interface increases a website’s conversion rate by up to 200%. Users can find information or products more efficiently, reducing user drop-offs. Moreover, 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a poor user experience.

Amazon’s website serves as a sterling example. Its intuitive design, clear product categorization, and easy-to-use search functionality enable users to find, review, and purchase products with minimal friction. Features like one-click buying and personalized recommendations further enhance the user experience, driving sales and customer loyalty.

The “saved for later” and “wish list” options, while simple, greatly improve navigation by allowing users to seamlessly pick up where they left off.

What You Should Do:

Simplify your site’s navigation with intuitive design cues. Ensure that calls to action are prominently displayed. Make sure the user journey to purchase or contact is as straightforward as possible.

7. Stand Out In The Market

With countless brands vying for consumer attention, you must differentiate your brand to survive and thrive in the market. Distinctiveness is not just about having a unique product but envelope branding, messaging, customer experience, and the value proposition. Unique brand designs are more notable and memorable.

What You Should Do:

Invest in custom illustrations or animations that capture your brand’s personality and distinguish you from competitors.

Now how about we understand the design pillars that can elevate your brand and set you apart? Whether you’re a startup looking to make an impactful debut or an established brand aiming for a fresh appeal, mastering design types is non-negotiable.

Dive in to discover the visual design types that can transform your business’s visual narrative, foster unforgettable connections, and drive unparalleled success.

Business Branding 101: 8 Graphic Design Types You Can’t Ignore

Graphic design is an expansive field, encompassing a variety of specializations. Depending on a business’s needs, you can implement different types of graphic design to achieve specific objectives. Here are the most relevant types for businesses:

A. Brand Identity Design

Brand identity design is the visual representation of a brand’s core values, personality, and ethos. While a brand is a more abstract concept that encompasses feelings, perceptions, and experiences associated with a company, the brand identity is the tangible element people see, touch, and interact with. It’s the set of visual and sensory components that differentiate a brand from its competitors.

For example, Transparent Labs exemplifies a strong brand identity in the fitness supplement market. Their website immediately conveys trustworthiness and transparency through detailed ingredient lists. The minimalist color scheme of white, gray, and blue further solidifies their “all-natural” and “transparent” brand ethos.

Additionally, consistent logo placement, and strategic use of brand colors throughout, reinforce their identity in the consumer’s mind.

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Key Components:

• Logo: The primary visual representation of the brand, often the first thing people think of. A strong logo is both recognizable and reflective of the brand’s essence.
• Color Palette: Specific colors that represent your brand. These colors often evoke particular emotions or feelings associated with the brand’s values.
• Typography: This includes the fonts and typographic details a brand uses. Colors and different typefaces can convey different emotions and characteristics.
• Imagery: The style of photos, illustrations, or graphics associated with the brand. Whether a brand uses minimalist illustrations, vibrant photography, or black-and-white images, it contributes to its identity.
• The Tone of Voice: While not visual, the tone in which a brand communicates—whether it’s formal, playful, professional, or quirky—plays into its overall identity.
• Physical Materials: Business cards, letterheads, promotional materials, packaging, and any other tangible items that carry the brand’s visual elements.
• Digital Assets: Website design, social media graphics, email templates, and other digital touchpoints that consistently reflect the brand’s identity.

B. Marketing & Advertising Graphic Design

This refers to the creation of visual content used to communicate messages, evoke emotions, and persuade consumers to take certain actions. Essentially, it’s about using design principles and techniques to promote a product, service, event, or brand.

Take, for instance, this business website focused on “digestive health“. It features soothing color palettes, mirroring the calming and holistic nature of digestive well-being. Minimalistic visuals that show a balanced lifestyle and wholesome foods effectively highlight the brand’s dedication to promoting better health.

Moreover, relatable testimonials are prominently displayed, offering genuine feedback and building customer trust. The clean design ensures that information is easily accessible and not overwhelming. This guides visitors naturally to desired actions.

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Key Components:

• Advertisements: These can appear in magazines, newspapers, billboards, or online banners.
• Brochures & Flyers: Compact, informative, and designed to introduce or promote offers.
• Posters: Large-scale prints promoting an event, product, or idea.
• Banners & Signage: Both digital banners (like those seen on websites) and physical banners (like those at trade shows).
• Infographics: These visualize data or information in an engaging and easily digestible manner.
• Email Marketing Templates: Custom-designed emails that align with brand identity and effectively convey the message.
• Social Media Graphics: Visual content created for platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote content and engage users.

C. User Interface Graphic Design

User Interface (UI) Graphic Design is the process of designing the visual layout and interactive elements of software applications, websites, and other digital platforms. It’s all about ensuring that the user’s interaction with the software or website is as intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable as possible. UI design focuses on aesthetics, visual harmony, and overall user experience.

Let’s consider the UI design of ShopSolar. It offers a clean layout and intuitive navigation with product categories and subcategories. The homepage uses prominent visuals of solar products, making selection easier.

It has a user-centric design having a distinct color palette of yellow, black, and white. Bright yellow accents highlight key areas, while the contrasting black and white promotes readability. The website’s crisp layout, paired with intuitive navigation, engages visitors.

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Key Components:

• Layouts & Grids: The arrangement of elements like buttons, sliders, and text fields, on a screen. It gives a structured, balanced appearance while guiding user navigation.
• Buttons & Call-to-Action Elements: These interactive design components prompt users to take action, like “Sign Up,” “Buy Now,” or “Read More.”
• Menus & Navigation: Design elements that guide users through the software or website, ensuring a smooth journey.
• Interactive Elements: Animations, transitions, and micro-interactions that give feedback, guide tasks, or enhance user engagement.
• Feedback & Notifications: Pop-ups, alerts, and other visual cues that inform users about their actions, like a success message after form submission.

D. Publication Graphic Design

Publication Graphic Design refers to the art and practice of designing and laying out print materials that are meant for publication. These materials are usually informational and are meant to be enjoyed over an extended period.

The design process involves collaboration between graphic designers, editors, and publishers for a seamless blend of visuals and content.

Types of Publications:

• Books
• Journals
• Directories
• Magazines
• Newsletters
• Newspapers
• Annual Reports

E. Packaging Graphic Design

Packaging Graphic Design plays an instrumental role in how a product is perceived and how well it sells. 64% of consumers sometimes buy a product off a shelf without prior knowledge of it just because of its packaging.

Take Apple’s product packaging as an illustrative example. When purchasing an iPhone, the consumer’s journey starts long before the device is powered on. The minimalist white box, embossed with a sleek image of the phone and Apple’s iconic logo, exudes a sense of elegance and innovation.

This carefully curated design aligns perfectly with the 72% of US consumers who state that packaging design can influence their purchase decisions.

This attention to packaging detail isn’t mere aesthetics—it’s strategic. 40% of consumers are likely to share a product on social media if it comes in unique, branded packaging. Through thoughtful packaging design, Apple managed to elevate the unboxing event, driving consumer engagement and amplifying brand loyalty.

To ensure your product stands out on the shelves, employ a thorough pre-launch strategy. Use this product launch checklist to create packaging that truly sells and resonates with the consumers. It will help you in aligning your packaging with market expectations and business objectives.

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F. Motion Graphic Design

Motion Graphic Design, commonly known as “motion graphics”, brings static graphics to life using animation and cinematic techniques. It often leverages textual elements, sound, voiceover, and music.

Here’s how you can leverage motion graphics into your business marketing campaigns:

• Explainer Videos: Short online marketing videos used to explain a company’s product or service.
• Advertisements: Engaging video content for both online and TV to promote products or services.
• Digital Signage: Animated content for electronic billboards or information panels.
• GIFs: Short, looping animations popular on social media and messaging apps.
• Video Games: UI elements, cutscenes, or any animated graphic elements within the gaming environment.

G. Environmental Graphic Design

Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) merges interior design, architecture, graphic design, and landscape design to create immersive experiences in physical spaces. It enhances people’s connection to specific locations, making them more engaging, informative, and memorable.

Key Components:

• Signage: Informative graphics that guide visitors, often seen in corporate buildings, parks, or public spaces.
• Wayfinding Systems: Comprehensive sign systems that help people navigate complex environments like airports, universities, and hospitals.
• Wall Murals: Large-scale artworks or graphics that can tell a story or convey a brand message.
• Installation Art: Temporary or permanent art pieces that engage and intrigue visitors.
  Brand Integrations: Implementing a company’s branding seamlessly into a space to reinforce identity and values.

For example, stores like IKEA use environmental design principles to guide customers through a journey, intentionally designing the pathway to showcase a vast range of products. This design approach has significantly contributed to IKEA’s global success, with a revenue of $44 billion in 2020.

H. Illustration For Graphic Design

Illustration in the business and graphic design context refers to custom-drawn images, characters, scenes, or concepts used to communicate specific ideas, messages, or themes that a business wants to convey.

These are visual interpretations that go beyond stock photos or generic graphics. Unique, tailor-made illustrations not only carve out a distinct identity for businesses in a cluttered market but also resonate on a deeper emotional level with audiences. Content with original graphics gets shared the most, boasting a staggering 34% engagement rate.

One of our favorite examples is Mailchimp that’s known for its quirky brand identity. Mailchimp consistently uses custom illustrations. Whether it’s the fun monkey mascot or the graphics in their newsletters, the illustrations give the brand its unique character and appeal

Some businesses masterfully combine illustrations with photos as a part of their digital marketing and brand identity. Pumpkin, a standout dog health insurance company, uses illustrations to simplify complex insurance concepts. Fusing images of real dogs with illustration art offers a unique, memorable aesthetic for their target audience. It sets them apart in a market awash with generic visuals.

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Conclusion

Mastering the role of graphic design in business isn’t just about enhancing aesthetics. It’s a strategic move that’s a game-changer for brand visibility, perception, and overall success. With these insights and techniques, businesses are primed to carve out their unique space, stand out amidst the competition, and create lasting impressions.

Now the question arises: How can you effortlessly integrate top-tier graphic design into your business without getting bogged down by complexities?

Enter Colorcinch, your creative editing tool that promises ease of use. Colorcinch eliminates the steep learning curve often associated with graphic design tools. All you have to do is start editing your business content for free even without having to register.

Why not harness the potential of graphic design and watch your business soar? Dive into Colorcinch today and craft visuals that not only stand out but also tell compelling stories.

About Guest Author: Burkhard Berger

Burkhard is the founder of Novum. He helps innovative B2B companies implement revenue-driven SEO strategies to scale their organic traffic to 1,000,000+ visitors per month. Curious about what your true traffic potential is?

The post The Art of Persuasion: Graphic Design’s Role in Business Success appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Graphic design might appear to be a difficult subject to study since it combines elements of marketing, arts, tech, and customer relations. Graphic designers might be understood most simply as visual storytellers. A competent designer’s task is to employ visuals to convey a story that supports a company image and stirs up emotion.

According to Pablo Solomon, a lot of what they produce combines form with functionality. He says, “your functional purpose should be achieved in the most aesthetically beautiful and impactful way possible.” “Designers utilize their visuals to transmit thoughts in the same way that musicians use their songs, poets use their speech, and dancers use their moves.”

As a student you might know that expressing your thoughts in the appropriate way may be a challenge. Especially, when it comes to writing papers on complicated topics. Luckily, in this case you can turn to an essay writing service available online. There are many companies that provide custom writing help in different disciplines. So if you can’t express your thoughts properly or be a good storyteller, delegate this type of task to professionals.

So, the ultimate goal of a designer should be to satisfy their client’s desire to express their brand’s concept visually.

Pros of having a graphic design degree

Graphic design is innovative and challenging

Do you appreciate a good challenge, being creative, and assisting people with their problems? You’re going to love this feature of graphic design. It all comes down to this.

With distinctive design solutions, designers assist their clients in expressing essential concepts, attracting and engaging targeted customers, and making an impact that lasts.

Graphic design is the career for you if you’re seeking a job that challenges you every day and feeds your imagination.

Observing the public debut of your graphic designs

Nothing is more thrilling than finishing a project and watching it go online for the entire world to enjoy, just ask any web artist. Designers like seeing how users respond to their work, whether it’s a web page they helped build or a TV show they collaborated for.

Your skill as a designer is highly validated in this area of the business, which is rewarding and fascinating.

Numerous career opportunities exist in graphic design

What you can accomplish with a degree in graphic design is incredible. Many diverse workplaces provide opportunities for talented designers. Typical possibilities include:

• marketing and sales companies
• TV and movie studios
• publishing businesses (newspapers, magazines, book publishers)
• small companies and large corporations
• municipalities.

Working environments may have a significant impact on the types of tasks you take on. You may dedicate your days to creating record and paperback covers, or you could concentrate on digital advertising campaigns, corporate reputation, and branding.

You’ll probably try a little bit of everything right after graduating from graphic design school until you acquire experience and discover your ideal match. However, you may also try to work on different projects while still in college. Just turn to Edubirdie to get help with your studies and delegate some of your papers to expert writers. This way, you will be able to focus more on starting your career in graphic design.

Remember that designers may also work from home and as independent contractors, choosing the tasks and sectors they wish to work in. Jobs in graphic design are numerous and versatile. Many businesses also seek out monthly graphic design services to maintain consistent branding and marketing efforts.

Cons of having a graphic design degree

Coping with criticism and objectionable clients

This is the point at which the “challenging” nature of graphic design might turn out to be a trick. Keep in mind that graphic designers don’t merely create for their own enjoyment. They must follow client instructions.

That entails maintaining a budget for the project, being fully aware of each client’s requirements, and providing a finished product that lives up to the requirements.

And if your design approach falls flat, you’ll need to take the criticism in stride, apply what you’ve learned, and try again. Large design projects frequently require a lot of back and forth communication. To acquire the client’s acceptance of the final design concept, several modifications are necessary.

As you attempt to find a solution, you’ll need to bargain with clients, handle their requests, and maintain your professionalism. This procedure can be drawn out and annoying at times, but it’s all a necessary step in the design process.

Many tasks and short deadlines

Everyone would want their design concept completed as soon as possible, regardless of where you work after getting education in graphic design—a TV/film studio, online marketing firm, publishing company, or local business.

You’ll probably be managing several projects at once and working under pressure to finish tasks by specific dates. Although this is true for many professions, designers may find it particularly difficult to accelerate the creative process.

With practice and patience, designers learn to manage their heavy workloads, making the balance a bit simpler. However, it might be a little stressful when you’re just getting started in your graphic design job.

Lots of time spent in front of the screen

Graphic design uses a lot of fascinating digital technologies and software tools. This is fantastic, but it takes a lot of time spent seated at a desk and gazing at a monitor.

Make sure you take frequent breaks and get some exercise, or you’ll suffer with back discomfort and vision problems!

About Guest Author: James Hughey

James Hughey is a graphic designer and brand manager. James is passionate about writing, so in his free time he writes articles for online magazines. He also has his own blog on graphic design where he shares valuable tips and tricks for this field.

The post Pros And Cons of Getting A Graphic Design Degree appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Graphic designers are in high demand these days, and it doesn’t seem like that’s going to change anytime soon. As all businesses move online, they need talented graphic designers to work on their branding and online positioning.

That’s why launching a graphic design business may be a profitable venture if you have the grit, commitment, and talent to make it work.

This article will outline the six steps to launching a successful graphic design business:

1. Create a name

The name is the first thing clients will notice when seeing your business, so you should create a memorable one. If you’re working as a freelancer, you may want to incorporate your actual name so you can build some recognition.

You can either go with your full name or something like “your name+Designs”. While you want your name to stand out, you should also try to keep it simple and easy to remember.

If you aren’t working solo and are launching a graphic design agency like ZillionDesigns.com, you will have to look for something different. If you can’t come up with a name, business name generators are always good for inspiration.

2. Create a portfolio website

After you have your name, it’s time to put it out there by creating your website. Setting up a website is easier than you think. You can make one with no prior web-design experience through services like WordPress. Domains are generally fairly cheap, and a worthy investment considering how much more professional you will look with a website.

The website name should be your full name or the business name you decided on in the previous step. You also need to think about the domain extension you pick, as this can impact how your portfolio site is perceived, as well as how searchable it is.

It’s best to keep the website simple and only include content like:

• Your bio
• Services
• Portfolio
• Pricing

The portfolio you put on your website should be samples of your best work so that potential clients can see you at your best. If you don’t have a portfolio yet, work on some personal projects that you can show to potential clients. You can also do some gigs for free until you build your portfolio up.

3. Determine your services and pricing

The other two pieces of information you need on your website are the services you offer and their pricing.

Graphic design is a rather broad term, and you probably don’t want to take on all types of projects. Determine your strengths and only offer services that you’re comfortable with. Offering niche services or specializing in specific services is the best way to stand out from the crowd.

When it comes to pricing, you can go in two directions:

• Charge hourly or
• Per project

Many beginners go for the first option as it’s easier to get started. However, there are some downsides to charging hourly. The main one is that your income will depend on the number of hours you work. At a certain point, you will reach a limit on how much you can earn. Clients may also nag you about how long a project should take.

The second option involves setting custom quotes for each project, so you and the client will know how much money is involved up-front. You won’t have to track your time, and you can charge what you’re worth. When creating quotes for projects, ask for detailed descriptions to know exactly how much work is involved.

4. Develop a business strategy

Now that your graphic design business is set up, you need to think of your strategy. Some of the questions you need to answer in this phase are:

• How are you going to get clients?
• Do you want to work on individual projects or for one or two important clients?
• Will you work alone or hire contractors?
• Where do you see your business in 1, 5, or 10 years?

The answers to these questions should give you a clear picture of where you expect your business to go. This stage of the process is about setting clear goals and mapping out ways to achieve them.

One of the things you can think about is how much you want to earn in a given timeline. This will help you determine which projects to take or pass on and how many you need to work on to reach your goal. You can use a timeline maker or a timeline template to showcase the evolution of your projects and highlight milestones.

5. Find your first clients

After creating your graphic design business and deciding on a strategy, it’s time to look for your first clients. Finding clients can be challenging initially, so it’s important not to get discouraged until you get your first few projects under your belt.

To find clients, use the information you’ve figured out in the previous steps. By now, you should know whether your ideal clients are small, medium, or large businesses. You should also know what industries they’re in. Having this information makes it easier to know where to look for them.

If you’re targeting small or medium-sized clients, freelancing sites like Upwork or Fiverr are the easiest way to get started. Beware that these sites will take a small fee for each job you do, so you should look to move away from them once you start growing.

For larger clients, you can look for postings on job portals. In today’s digital age, LinkedIn has become an essential tool for sales professionals. Utilizing LinkedIn for sales allows you to connect with potential clients and establish meaningful relationships with them. Remember to include your website when communicating with clients or applying for jobs, so they can easily see your portfolio, services, and pricing.

6. Deliver great work

The first few clients are the hardest to get, and they’re also the most important. At the start, you should look to overperform both in your work and communication with clients. This will help you get some much-needed testimonials under your belt, which will be crucial in getting even more work. Referrals are very powerful.

Make working for you as easy as possible. Check out this must-have design tool to help you with your creatives. Communicate clearly and deliver on your deadlines. If you can’t meet a deadline, let your client know instead of submitting the work days later with no explanation.

If you impress your clients, they’ll be more likely to become repeat customers. You can also use their testimonials to promote yourself on social media or on your website.

7. Work on good communication with your clients

One of the attributes clients appreciate most is good communication.

Communication is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it can be learned through experience. To be a good communicator, you also have to love what you’re doing and appreciate the clients that make it possible.

Your clients are the sole reason you’re in business. Try your best to be clear, easy to talk to and to the point in your communication.

Sure, you can’t escape “customers from hell” every once in a while, but most people are kind and just want their work delivered as promised and on time.

8. Collect payments

Asking for money can be awkward, especially when you’re just starting out and haven’t established a proper payment system yet. But you have to treat your graphic design work as a business from the beginning if you want to make it work. We already talked about setting firm prices, but perhaps even more important is to know how to collect payments quickly and efficiently.

If you have a complicated payment process, clients will get tired. Thankfully, there are several online payment tools that will make payment collection easy. Not only that, but some of them will even let you manage your projects and send invoices, all within the same ecosystem.

Another great feature of using a tool is the ability to create professional invoices quickly. That’s a great alternative to writing up your own invoice template on Google Docs.

As your business progresses, you can look into ways to create an in-house payment system by collecting your clients’ credit card information.

9. Ask for referrals

Asking for referrals can be uncomfortable. But ask any seasoned business owner what the quickest way to grow is, and they’ll tell you it’s referrals. Referrals are also called word of mouth. It’s when customers are so satisfied with a product or service that they talk about it with people in their circle.

Although the term “word of mouth” points to in-person communication, it also covers conversations people have online.

This step ties back to step seven, as they go hand in hand. Delivering great work equals happy customers and growth through word of mouth.

The least-awkward way to ask for referrals is to incorporate a subtle referral request in your work process. For example, when thanking a customer for doing business with you after a project ends, you can say something like, “Please refer a friend who might need graphic design work.”

If you’re finding work through a freelancing website, instead of a referral, ask for the client to leave a good review on your profile.

Conclusion

Starting a new business venture is always an exciting step. With hard work and skill, you can take your graphic design skills from a hobby to a full-time job. Remember to value your clients and deliver the best work you can, and you’ll start to see positive results sooner rather than later.

The post How to Launch a Graphic Design Business: 9 Steps to Success appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Have you noticed that the world of graphic design has been evolving faster lately? It doesn’t stand still and there are increasingly more different directions. This is not surprising, because graphic design is one of the most important components of any business or brand. But without what you can not imagine any unique design? Of course, without typography, which is an essential part of any design, and that’s what we will talk about today. We’re going to show and tell you about an interesting and unique kind of font called monospaced fonts.

Surprisingly enough, we can now find so many different fonts on the Internet that one can get confused. This is a problem because most of them are almost the same and don’t even appeal to users.

What is a Monospaced Font?

There are so many beautiful and interesting font packs with which you can make masterpieces in the direction of graphic design. One of them is the monospaced font, which is always distinguished from others by its universality.

In a nutshell, monospaced type appeared with typewriters – the same kegel pad saved production costs. Monospaced fonts were invented for purely technical reasons and go against all previous typographic traditions.

At the dawn of the computer age, many machines also supported only monospaced fonts. This is why such fonts are still associated with something more technical. Nowadays, monospaced scripts are most often seen in software source editors.

Why Use Monospaced Fonts in Design?

Surely you have the question, how do these fonts take root in graphic design, if initially created purely for technical needs? Well, let’s look at a few cases where these fonts can be a great way to express yourself creatively.

• Accident and small sets of texts

For this case, you won’t find better fonts than monospaced ones. This is not surprising, because such scripts, though associated with programming and computers, are very lively in contrast to other objects.

• Uniqueness

As we have written many times about the uniqueness of these fonts, it is their calling card in the world of graphic design. A successful application of this font can turn any product into a masterpiece.

• Versatility

The monospace script can be used almost anywhere you want. Here there is only one limitation. It is only your imagination.

• Simplicity

Monospaced fonts never overwhelm the design, so they are perfect for minimalist works.

Best Monospaced Fonts 

1. Aurora Monospaced Font

Aurora is a very friendly monospaced font. It contains as many as five weight variants with rounded ends, which makes it a bit softer than the usual ebony monospaced font. It is actively used in graphic design for banners or logos.

2. Destiny Monospaced Font

Take a look at this amazing product. It is strikingly different from the classic monospaced typeface. This font has a certain softness and subtlety that allows it to be a great part of any project. The script can easily be used to create accent headings.

3. Clinomania Serif Monospaced Font

If you thought you’d seen all the monospaced fonts, you’re wrong. Just look at this extraordinarily interesting element that doesn’t look like any other in its category. These wedge-shaped, broken ligatures give it an innovative, fresh look and the ability to be applied in absolutely any project.

4. Twinkling Monospaced Serif Font

Moving on to the next even more interesting variant. Check out how the two styles get along, namely the monospaced and serif typeface. This is the benchmark for versatility, which you may apply in various works. Just rely on your imagination and crest amazing designs. It is perfect for logos and banners, prints and ads.

5. Sequoia Serif Monospaced Font

Another equally fascinating and cool script that is closer to the classics but has softer ligatures. Its extraordinary friendliness allows it to be used on any product, whether it’s a label on some shampoo or a sign in your store.

6. Solitude Serif Monospaced Font

We couldn’t miss this stylish monospaced font. Using it will enhance the romance and lightness of the design, so don’t overload it with other elements with a similar mood. It blends absolutely with the most different letterings, but you should always consider its individuality. Therefore, if you need a really interesting design, then definitely try this typeface.

7. Idyllic Serif Monospaced Font

Do you want something as unusual as possible? Then check out this monospaced font option, which might throw you off. If you want to give your project an unusual design, then this font is perfect for this purpose. But try not to overdo it, because the ligatures are hard to read.

8. Pluviophile Serif Monospaced Font

Another interesting alternative among the classic monospaced typefaces. It seems that some of the characters are handwritten, which makes it close to life. Such a variant will successfully dilute the most boring design, and attract the attention and interest of the user.

Wrapping Up

So, we looked at the best monospaced fonts. Now you have to choose the perfect one and start creating your masterpieces. Some of them are still fresh and were released recently, but have already managed to gain a lot of popularity, while others are timeless classics that don’t get old. As much as we would like to say that these fonts are the best for 2022, no, they are the best for years, maybe decades. Did you know that not all visitors see your website the way you do? Consider using the Font Resizer – make your Joomla or WordPress site easier to read & give the visitors the option to change the font size of your text.

The post 8 Best Monospaced Fonts For Designers in 2022 appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Want to know what SEO is?

This is a seemingly complicated process shrouded in mystery by SEO experts who know how to make a website high in search results. It turns out, however, that SEO is a relatively simple tool for getting traffic from Google.

You can come across many articles related to SEO on the Internet, which cover many aspects of website optimization for search engines. Some are really good but often written in a language incomprehensible to the average recipient. You don’t have to know the details and conditions in the industry to find out what SEO is (or website positioning).

Knowing and respecting the principles of SEO has long-term benefits that cannot be achieved at such a high level in any other way. Find out how to improve the health of your website and influence its position in the search engine. Learn the fundamental principles of Google positioning. Also, find out which activities to avoid.

A good SEO agency can create a specialized growth plan to identify the best digital advertising channels & sales tactics to generate high quality leads.

When analyzing their website for SEO, owners often try to improve its position in search engines. It seems that all the parameters are in the right place.

In the meantime, for example, with simple negligence, it is easy to omit elements essential to search engines or misconfigure them. Then the website looks great at first glance in terms of SEO, but it can get stuck in a far from the dream position. Inaccurate analysis of SEO data creates many problems. However, it is enough to pay attention to the basic mistakes, often made in passing, for the website to gain value for Google and other robots.

What is the job of a graphic designer?

A graphic designer is a profession that requires creativity, aesthetic sense, and knowledge of computer programs. Due to the development of technology, the work of a graphic designer has changed dramatically in the last half-century.

Graphic Designer – This person deals mainly with the visual layer of projects. It’s someone who can understand graphics programs, design or illustrate, and simply put it all together into a beautiful, coherent whole. However, the project scope, topics, and programs used can be very different.

A graphic designer is an extension of the hand of an art director or client—someone who simply implements other people’s concepts and ideas. As a graphic designer, you will depend entirely on yourself, which team and clients you will find, and how you will further direct your path.

What skills should a graphic designer have?

Neal Taparia, who runs a brain training app called Solitaired, states that graphic designers are not only there to make images look aesthetically pleasing but simple and effective. Essentially, they should help businesses to convey their message more powerfully. Therefore, graphic designers should be able to communicate ideas and create visually.

To do this, they need various skills, such as knowledge in Adobe Creative Suite and the ability to convey the client’s voice. Taparia thinks that an excellent graphic designer is expected to have at least knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Microsoft’s PowerPoint templates, etc. (although, Adobe programs are still the most used in the industry). InDesign also adds whether the graphic designer will be engaged in delivering flyers or catalogs, or HTML and CSS, whether he will be involved in preparing graphics for websites as part of his work.

Here you can do many things, from the thick internet and print campaigns (print, billboards), packaging design, newsletters, presentations, company documents, branding. The ability to design and work with text is crucial.

Statistics in the US say that in 2020, a graphic designer’s salary was about $ 53,380 or approximately $ 25.66 per hour. What is very interesting is that according to Zippia’s statistics, over 118,080 graphic designers are employed in the USA.

As Brain Reed once said, “Everything is designed. Few things are well thought out. ”

The job of a graphic designer is not for everyone. Not everyone can have a good sense of graphics and drawing.

Why is SEO important in the work of a graphic designer?

When we think about increasing the traffic on a website, we usually focus on the website’s position in the ranking of websites and on all external activities – AdWords, social networks, etc.

If your site has many interesting photos, you can get extra traffic by optimizing them properly. Plus, you can use a powerful SEO task manager to ensure that your image optimization efforts are systematic and effective. 

Managing photos on a website are not just uploading them to a website directly from the camera. Instead, you can do many things around them to make your photos start building traffic through Google Images.

Therefore, it can be assumed that SEO image optimization is such a thing.

In this post, you will, among other things, learn:

• why proper file naming is essential
• what are the benefits of images compression
• how – depending on the situation – to choose the appropriate file extensions
• what is the role of the graphical ALT attribute
• some other interesting issues related to image management on the website

So, let’s get to the point. 

4 Tips for Customizing and Optimizing Your SEO Image

1. Consider the usefulness of photo data and graphics.

The role of images is to build a message and create an impression. They often supplement the text, enriching it through a visual experience.

On the pages of our blog, we often mention that the visual message reaches us much faster than the purely textual one.

Therefore, when you decide to include any graphics on your website, carefully consider their role.

An example would be photos of products in an online store. This is a rather specific type of image because the possible boost in sales largely depends on them.

Among other things, the shots from different angles and their presentation on a white background and in everyday use should stand out. Therefore, it is also vital that you enlarge selected fragments of the photo to see the desired details.

As you can see, the whole context and all the features that should accompany the photos are very important. Of course, they depend on the specific website. But adding images simply needs to be based on a well-thought-out philosophy.

2. Select the appropriate file formats.

There is a reason why many image file formats are used: PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, etc. The diversity of technologies stems from the fact that not all are suitable for all types of images.

JPG, GIF, PNG

JPG files should be used for all graphics with a wide range of colors. Photos are a perfect example. Thanks to JPG, we can determine the image quality, where a level of about 70% usually allows us to achieve satisfactory quality with relatively reduced file weight.

On the other hand, the GIF format limits us to a color palette with a maximum of 256 colors. This makes GIFs unsuitable for complex graphics. On the other hand, it is ideal for all icons and images, where we do not have to use many colors – logos, flags, etc. Finally, it is worth adding that animations can also be saved in GIF format.

PNG is divided into two types: PNG-8 version and PNG-24 version.

The first is very similar to GIF. Although it doesn’t offer animation, it works better with transparency and allows you to get smaller files.

PNG-24 is similar to JPG, but it is characterized by one very important feature – no loss of quality. Thanks to that, we can get beautiful graphics, but the larger the color palette, the larger the file size. PNG is commonly used for graphics published on the web and those that use transparency.

Fun fact: there is another such thing as APNG or animated portable network graphics. This format is still quite experimental, but Google Chrome has supported it since July 2017.

It is also worth mentioning that SVG- vector format is utterly different from the previously mentioned one. Ideal for logos and simple graphics that are almost “geometric,” i.e., contain different types of round or angular shapes.

To sum up, the format is like a dress – it should be chosen according to the occasion.

3. Make sure the file names are correct.

This point clearly explains why SEO image optimization is extremely important. Here is a simple example.

If you can see the contents of the folder in which you have (in the list view, no thumbnails) files such as:

IMG_0001.JPG
IMG_0002.JPG
IMG_0003.JPG etc.

Can you tell us in advance what the content of these pictures is?

Of course not. The situation is completely different, such as:

Samsung-galaxy-s9-front.JPG
Infiniti-kk-70-interior.JPG
svadba-tomek-kasia-crkva.JPG

In the cases mentioned above, the name itself can tell us what is inside.

Image files should be named adequately to the content because such action is friendly for us users and search engine robots.

You’ll probably ask yourself, “What about when I have to put a few dozen graphics online?” Then I answer Bulk Rename Utility.

Bulk Rename Utility is a simple program that allows you to manage multiple files’ names simultaneously. For example, in the image above, you can see how several files have been renamed with the help of three options.

This program will save you a lot of time if your task is to rename multiple files simultaneously.

4. Determine the optimal dimensions of the images.

What is the ideal size of a work of art? Nobody will unequivocally answer this question because everything depends on the specific case. The right balance between quality and size is essential because they are directly proportional.

The needs of your customers should guide you. Serve them with pictures of good enough quality.

Suppose you are a photographer, upload thumbnails to the website (custom areas where they are displayed). Then, just clicking on a small image (i.e., performing an action) should result in opening a larger or even full version in the original resolution.

It has many benefits, including saving time for downloading photos and reducing the amount of data used in the first place.

Visual Layout of the Page

The visual appearance of a website is just as important to its success as the content it publishes. These are exciting graphics that attract the reader’s attention, focusing on the most important elements of the page, the most interesting products, or the most critical information that we want to convey to the recipient.

It doesn’t matter if it is a blog post, a company offers, or an article on an external portal. Without properly selected photos, it is challenging to expect maximum success in a company that focuses on noticeable information due to the abundance of available data. In addition, graphics are not only an influence on the reader’s imagination. But they are also an effective positioning tool. So how do you describe images to be more in Google and increase the reach of the web page?

Graphics and photos published on the website must correspond to its context. Thematically selected graphics will have a better chance of improving your site’s visibility because they will satisfy the essential principle for the search engine. They will be helpful and enrich the content.

In the case of articles or product subpages, photos should always be in the most visible place. For example, next to the text to which they are linked.

In technical matters, however, it will be necessary:

• Add ALT parameter
• Appropriate nomenclature of photographs
• Graphic size optimization
• Complete the extended descriptions, i.e., the rich snippet
• Adding an ALT parameter is crucial.

It is good to include a key phrase here, but only if it refers to what is in the picture. In case of problems with loading the image, it will provide users with information about what is in the photo. It is a concise verbal description, which contains the most important information. It is also used by search engines intended for blind and partially sighted people. So make sure it’s updated!

Appropriate nomenclature of photographs. As with positioning PDF files, the graphic in the title must contain a keyword. It is also often necessary to reduce the size of the graphics, especially in the case of stores, where there can be many photos of products. The more of them, the slower the page can load.

Be sure to optimize the graphics so that they are not of low quality at the same time. Large files cause the site to load slowly, which reduces its quality. This has a substantial impact on the position of the page in Google. The slower it loads, the less user-friendly it is. So Google will not highlight it in search results. Page loading speed is very important for mobile users.

Graphics Optimization for SEO

The human eye can easily distinguish a photo of a small cat from a graphic that represents statistics, allowing assessing whether the information in the photo is valuable to the reader and whether it matches the other content on the page correctly. However, search engine robots are not the best at this and still face problems recognizing the content of images on a website. For example, they know that there is a graphic file between the following paragraphs, although their content is a mystery.

From the point of view of website code, this does not look good. Poorly described graphics will not only not help with positioning, but even reduce the effect of the effort invested in building the ranking of the website on Google. So what can be done to prevent this?

What are the common SEO mistakes?

First of all, you should be aware of the importance of proper graphics preparation in positioning. According to information published by raventools.com on the most common SEO mistakes, as much as 63.4% of internet content consists of images. This perfectly confirms the theory that photographs or even abstract graphics affect users much more than a compact text block. However, the same statistics show that as many as 78% of all SEO problems are related to improper image optimization.

Thanks to photos, we know the topic of a given page faster. We also make safer decisions about buying a given product. First, however, we have to find the given page as the user. Therefore, searching through photos is often the easiest way. So, positioning graphics should be taken as seriously as possible from the point of view of SEO. After all, thanks to the appropriate attributes, graphic designers and web developers can use the specific attributes of graphics on a page to help them rank higher in search engines.

How to describe images to be more visible on Google – the most important aspects of positioning photos and graphics?

To properly take care of the proper visibility of graphics on the website and prepare it for display not only to readers but also search engine robots, it is worth paying attention to elements such as:

• Image filename
• Graphic size and weight
• Scaling graphics
• Alt attribute
• Graphic title
• Friendly URL

Is the image file name important for SEO?

The file’s name on the server is important for both the user and the browser, especially when the image is intended to be downloaded.

It will be much harder to assign a file named 2651a0hd.jpg to the appropriate category for the browser if it shows shoes or a bag. Therefore, it is worth including keywords in the title, clearly indicating what the image on the website represents.

Graphic Size and Weight

First of all, the photos on the site should be of the highest possible quality. But that does not mean for that reason, they should be heavy and oversized. The larger the image file, the longer the page load time, obviously not applicable to its optimization. Before you upload an image to the server, it is good to convert it to reduce the image size without any deterioration.

How big should the converted graphics be? Preferably as small as possible, but still legible to the user. The most common rule is to limit the weight of images to 200 KB and .png extensions instead of .jpg for charts, graphics, and screenshots, in which we care about the highest quality.

Final Thoughts

Scott Stevenson said, “Visual design is often the opposite of engineering: it turns solid edges into subjective decisions based on primitive instincts and personal experiences. It is dirty, unpredictable, and complicated to measure. The seemingly erratic behavior of the artist drives the engineers crazy. Their decisions seem arbitrary and put everything in danger without guaranteeing success.”

For this reason, graphic designers must know how to manage SEO.

The post SEO Rules for Graphic Designers to Keep in Mind appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

If you have no previous experience in designing, it’s easy to confuse web design for graphic design and vice versa.

To help clear things up, we’re going to explain the differences between web design and graphic design and answer some of the most common questions like:

Do I need a graphic designer for the website development process?

Who do I hire for a newsletter template?

Who can help me create a mobile-friendly website?

Can a web designer help me create a logo?

Once you’re familiar with the differences, you can hire the best small business SEO company that will help you maximize your results by optimizing your content for search engines. But, before we get to the chase, let me explain why it’s relevant you know the difference in the first place.

Why do you need to know the difference?

Companies sometimes hire a graphic designer expecting them to perform the tasks of a web designer. While a good and transparent job description can help you prevent misunderstanding, it’s still a good idea to get familiar with these two roles.
After all, you want to know what the person you hired can and can’t do, right?

So, what does a graphic designer do?

Graphic designers create graphics, typography, and images to communicate an idea. These visuals can be found on print projects, but they can also be a part of the digital project. If you need a business card – you’ll call a graphic designer. If you want designs for your social media profile – again, you’ll turn to a graphic designer.

However, that doesn’t mean that graphic designers don’t take part in creating a website.

What about web designers?

As the word itself says, web designers are focused on digital projects – websites. Unlike graphic designers, their job is not to create graphics but to implement them into a website page. They work behind the scenes and make a website come to life.
For that reason, they need to be familiar with HTMS, CSS, and JavaScript.

How are these two different?

Now that you’re aware of what graphic and web designers do, let’s identify their differences.

1. Graphic designers don’t code.

As you’ve probably noticed, coding wasn’t mentioned in the graphic designer’s job description. That’s because they don’t code at all. That is what web developers and web designers are for.

The main responsibility of a graphic designer is to create graphics. Some of the typical print projects that graphic designers do are logo design, digital & print ads, brochures, and business cards. However, graphic design has evolved as technology and computer became more and more popular and widely used. For that reason, graphic designers are also involved in digital projects.

In the website development process, they are the ones that create a mockup of a website and graphics you see on the website. They are also in charge of creating an image for your newsletter template.

2. Web design is interactive, unlike graphic design.

 Users can interact with the design in web designing. They can click on a thumbnail, a link or navigate through different pages on the website. There are also animations and videos that web designers can incorporate into the website.

Graphics and images created by a graphic designer are not interactive, they are static. Users can click on it, but nothing will happen.

3. Web designers have some limitations.

There are a couple of limitations that a web designer must have in mind when doing his or her job, such as file size, pixel dimensions, DPI, and typography.

File size

File size plays a big role in the web designing process. If you upload too many big files to the website, it can affect the load-time which is very important in terms of retaining your customers. People tend to get impatient if they have to wait too long and leave the website before it loads completely.

Web designers have to pay attention to these details, unlike graphic designers since this simply doesn’t matter in print projects.

Pixel dimension and DPI

Pixel dimension refers to the measurements of an image, while DPI (Dots-Per-Inch) refers to its clarity. Both of these greatly impact the file size, which is why web designers need to watch out for that.

Graphic designers aim to create an image that will look good when printed which is why the DPI of these images is higher than the one on the website. Web designers typically use 72 DPI if they want the load-time to remain intact, while graphic designers may go up to 300 DPI.

That’s why images on the internet appear blurry when printed.

Typography

Graphic designers pretty much have unlimited options regarding typography, while web designers often have their hands tied. That is because users’ browsers sometimes don’t support custom-made typography.

Web designers often use font stacks to overcome this problem. They tell the browser which font it can use when unable to load a custom one.

4. Graphic design requires a more artistic approach.

Creativity and artistic approach are necessary traits of a graphic designer. They are expected to draw and create images that are interesting and eye-catching.

A big part of web designing is about functionality and how to make the design interactive.

5. Web designers must pay attention to the user experience.

Since users interact with the website, web designers need to make sure they can deliver the best user experience (UX). Nowadays, there are web designers specializing in UX and user interface (UI) design. Their responsibility is to deliver the best look, feel, and interactivity, all while ensuring users leave the website feeling good.

You can find a wide pool of talented designers on gig platforms like Gigster or other Gigster alternatives, allowing you to hire them on a project basis.

When exploring new ways for user engagement, businesses may also consider incorporating white label app development to enhance the overall digital experience.

Clearly, web designers have their hands full!

6. Web designers are basically never done.

Websites need to be updated and maintained constantly. Since web designers are in charge of that, they never seem to run out of work to do. Design trends also often affect companies in a way their owners decide to go for a complete make-over.

Most of the time it’s different for a graphic designer. Once you make a logo – that’s it, right?

 And finally – the answer to the most common questions

You can probably answer the questions we stated at the begging of this piece now. Even if you’re not, we’ll come to your rescue and answer them for you:

Do I need a graphic designer for the website development process? – If you don’t have a web designer that can create graphics and website mockups, you definitely do.

Who do I hire for a newsletter template? – You can hire both a graphic and a web designer. A graphic designer will come up with the look of the template, while a web designer may need to code the newsletter if that’s required by your service provider.

Who can help me create a mobile-friendly website? – This is definitely something a web designer can help you with.

Can a web designer help me create a logo? – Not really. This is something that a graphic designer does.

To sum it up

Web design and graphic design have some similarities, but they’re also very different. Before you decide to hire either, you should make sure you understand their differences and limitations and hopefully, this piece will help you do that.

The post Web Design vs Graphic Design -Everything You Should Know! appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

In today’s digital age, rich media is everywhere. Brands have clocked in on the fact that images, graphics, and video content tends to perform better in terms of audience engagement. 

Multimedia captures our attention more than simple text, making it an excellent medium for delivering information and messaging. Design-forward thinking can greatly empower your brand, creating an aesthetic and visual appeal around it. 

Not only is it essential to incorporate multimedia into your brand’s messaging, but it’s also integral to use the right kind of multimedia. This is where you’ll need to strategically go about creating just the right designs that complement your brand image and make for compelling content.

When implementing website design services, it’s an excellent idea to incorporate visuals. Visuals help establish your brand’s personality, theme, and story without you having to say much and without your user’s having to read through a ton of content. Visuals are a great way to capture the audience and reel them in to explore your website or social media more. 

8 Design Tips to Make Images Look Creative

Whether you’re a beginner or have been a creator for years, these design tips are bound to help freshen up your content. As a creator, you know how challenging it is to keep content fresh and unique; use these tips to help inspire your next creative projects. Let’s begin!

1. Colors 

There have been countless studies exploring the psychology of color in consumer decisions and marketing. Specific colors help consumers and users make certain associations. For example, blue tones are typically associated with trust. Another study showed that 93% of consumers make associations based on the visual appearances of brands.

However, we wouldn’t recommend creating graphics and images that follow color psychology per se. Try to establish a personality for your designs; if you work at a Nashville web design agency and you’re making them for a brand that doesn’t have brand colors yet, go for colors that complement the brand image. 

Does the brand want to look dependable or exciting? Fun or serious? Then pick colors that convey these associations to the audience. If you’re creating social media images, take a look at color theory studies and use different colors to tell different parts of the story.

2. Experiment with Lines

Play around with lines in your images, this will also need a bit of research. Lines play a more important role than you might think. Lines guide the audience’s eye to the focal point of your image.

The user’s eyes follow the lines in your image to go through it, you can use these lines to create a visual journey. Pay attention to where the lines lead your users, and how you can best draw their attention to the most important elements in the image. 

3. Play with Typography

Similar to lines, the typography used the right way can be a game-changer for your images. Experiment with different fonts, don’t be afraid to use different fonts within the same image. Asymmetry in typography can be very visually appealing if done right.

And similar to lines, fonts can be used to direct the viewer to the most important elements in your image. It’s important to make sure your images are still readable, no matter what font or typography you use. 

Unless you’re going for abstraction, your images need to be quickly readable and require minimum effort. People in the digital age are not exactly known for their high attention spans!

4. Experiment with Contrast

Whether you’re creating graphics or editing images, they need to pop! A lack of contrast can make your images look flat and dull. Experiment a bit with the contrasts in your images, not simply in editing but in colors and tones. 

The colors you pick, and what elements you create with them need to be thought out. The element you want to pull the audience’s focus into should pop while other elements can be more muted so the focus is pulled away from them.

Darker colors against muted backgrounds and vice versa can greatly help make your work look more creative and vibrant. Designers can often get stuck working with the same palette, but if you have the liberties to incorporate more colors, go right ahead and experiment!

It’s also important to be careful not to go overboard with the contrast! Too much contrast can make images look harsh and amateurish. Play around with high and low tones, different color contrasts, and see what works best.

5. Scaling

Not every element in your images needs to be the same scale. Experimenting with different sizes and scaling can make your images look more exciting and trendy. Asymmetry done right can work in the favour of your designs. Use scaling to draw attention to certain elements and away from certain elements.

Scaling also helps draw the audience in given you use something attention-grabbing and compelling as a dominant element in your design. A quote or statistic or fun fact is excellent for drawing user attention to text images. On the other hand, a catchy picture or bright colors, in general, are great for images. 

Think of it like “clickbait” in a sense, your images need to have some degree of clickbait elements to draw focus to them. Scaling is an excellent tool at your disposal that can help you achieve this effect.

6. Declutter

Declutter your designs! Unless you’re going for an abstract effect, get rid of any element that isn’t necessary to the overall aesthetic or content. Use space to give your designs a cleaner look. Not every inch of your design needs something, leaning into the simplicity can be a game-changer for it!

If you’re working with colorful elements, it’s especially important to utilize negative space. Spacing the elements out against a contrasting background will help them stand out even more. You can achieve this with both black and white base colors depending on what the overall aesthetic of the design requires.

7. Hierarchy

Establish a hierarchy of elements before you begin creating a design, going from most to least important. 

Especially if your images are a part of a sales funnel, it’s integral to get the most important bits of information out first. Establishing a hierarchy depends on what your design’s priorities are, what are you looking to achieve with your images? Are they sales images? Are they infographics? What purpose do they serve?

This will help you decide which elements get more attention than some of the others. Primary, secondary, and supplementary messaging all need to be decided before you create an image design.

8. Follow a Direction

Did you know that users read images in specific patterns? They either read in an “F”, “Z” or “E” pattern. This means that their eyes follow a specific direction when scanning an image. 

This is why we’ve stressed the importance of creating a path or ‘visual journey’ for your audience to follow, through lines, hierarchies, and typography. Your designs need to follow a direction and place elements strategically where the user’s eye goes first to get the most out of your images.

Create your images with one of the “E”, “F” or “Z” patterns in mind and position the most important elements accordingly. This will grab the user’s attention according to your priorities and help them along the visual journey you’re creating!

+ Bonus Tip

9. Consistency

Establish a set of typography and colors for your images. This doesn’t need to be a hard and fast rule, you don’t need to commit to a certain aesthetic forever, treat colors and fonts as temporary frameworks. 

Especially if we’re talking about social media feeds, it’s important to maintain some consistency so your feed looks uniform. Decide a ‘theme’ for your feed and stick to it for a batch of your work, then when you get bored, simply switch to a different theme.

Take this Instagram feed as an example, the color palette pulls the feed together, creating a sense of cohesion. Even though the images are all different, they contribute to the overall aesthetic of the feed perfectly, without compromising their individual qualities.

Consistency is key if you’re creating images for social media or a website, as it plays a significant role in building engagement with your audience. Similar to colors, pick out a set of fonts that you’ll restrict your image design to, these don’t have to be one or two fonts, you can have three or four depending on your preferences. 

The key is to stick to a set and create content that is consistent with the predetermined theme.

If you’re a designer and are feeling a creative block, worry not! The internet is a magical place with fresh, new content every single day that is bound to kickstart some creative inspiration in you.

Top 5 creators to follow for design inspiration in 2022

As 2021 comes to a close, you’re probably feeling like you’ve maxed out every idea that could freshen up your content. Now that we’ve gone over the design tips, let’s take a look at some of the best illustrators and designers to follow in 2022 for inspiration!

1. Yukai Du

Yukai Du is a graphic designer; she creates eclectic animations and still images. She uses lines and blocks for her incredibly creative images. 

Although the designs can look pretty simple at a first glance, a closer look will demonstrate the artist’s ingenious use of lines and patterns in her work. Every element works together to create a uniform piece of design! 

2. Andrea Stan

Andrea Stan is a letterer and designer. Her feed is an excellent place for inspiration if you’re into trendy image designs and logos. Her use of typography in her designs is also impressively masterful.

Eccentric typography placed against even base colors helps the text stand out perfectly. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to kick your text-image designs up a notch, this is definitely worth a visit! 

3. James White

James White is a digital artist whose feed is one big dose of 80’s nostalgia blended with sci-fi aesthetics and colors. 

White’s attention to detail and masterful use of shapes and bright colors to illustrate the theme is exactly the kind of inspiration you need to do the same!

Even though his feed is consistent in terms of color palette and aesthetic, each image is unique and impressive on its own as well. We highly recommend visiting his feed for some design inspo in 2022!

4. Mary Kate McDevitt

Mary Kate McDevitt is a graphic designer and letterer. Her feed is excellent inspiration for aspiring letterers out that that need practice on playing around with typography.

Her designs are simple, with only a few elements and colors, but her unique use of typography makes them look impressively creative and eye-catching. Her designs are incredibly popular and have even been featured in stationery.

5. Alex Perez

Alex Perez is another excellent graphic designer. His feed is the perfect inspiration for using lines right for your designs. 

Perez’s feed also some impressive lettering inspiration for beginners. His image design is deceptively simple, however, if you look closely you’ll see how lines are used to guide the user’s eye in each design. 

His designs are clean, with ample use of space used to help the elements of his designs pop.

Final Takeaway

The world of design is constantly evolving and changing; this means designers need to keep up and change alongside emerging trends. We hope these tips help you improve your design game and get the most out of your images. 

In case you’re short on inspiration, visit the feeds we’ve recommended for a healthy dose of creative inspiration! Happy creating!

The post Simple Design Tips to Make Images Look More Creative appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Presenting business ideas and solutions in the form of virtual representations, aside from drawing more traffic to your business platform, is also a means of communicating informatively to people. Graphics design regarding digital marketing in the present improvement in technology is a must for your business. This design helps you communicate and creatively solve problems.

Graphic design is a key feature of digital marketing, it highlights plans to discover what an image uniquely portrays which makes it different and easily get publicized. Furthermore, it is also a proven way to engage people, build brands, and create awareness that will in turn influence the consumer’s decision-making process.

 If you are a trader and you are not utilizing the graphics design platform for your business activities you are certainly missing out a lot, knowing that the human eye is always attracted to virtual objects.

The team of Colorcinch has the passion and aim of creating an environment that ensures designers relate with people with like minds, irrespective of their previous knowledge and experience. They ensure all photo editing complications are dealt with.

If you need to know the reasons why graphic design is important in digital marketing, this post is for you.

Develop your Pattern 

You should be aware that what you display about your products is of great importance, graphic design is a major factor in passing information to your consumers or the public because it tends to give an insight of how your services would look like, a good designer should be able to communicate ideas and solutions through chart, reports and graphical illustrations.

Having in mind that your major purpose is not just about the outcome (profits), but to ensure your brand secures its position in the labor market. Also, you should have a pattern that should be unique and separate you from the populated market. A modern logo and creative graphic design is good. Your client will be able to identify your products at a glance, being fully aware that the human eye tends to remember virtual objects than mere write up though they are still effective.

Creative Design Attracts More Attention Than Written Post

Having an attractive and creative design is just a way to bring people to your platform, your graphics should be able to give people insight/ a general idea about your product even before inquiring more about them. It should be very captivating such that it will leave a positive impression on your client and they will just be curious for more information. 

Your design is what will speak for you when you are physically not there. Unlike written words, people tend to ignore too much write-up on a post and focus more on the images on it if it contains both graphics and writes-up.

Represents The Business Identity

A design shouldn’t just contain a creative set of pictures and logos that would just be admired and appreciated, it should have a feature of passing information to the public about the company in a graphical format. That is to say, it should generally represent the company’s philosophy, and creatively reflect the state of the company.

Enhances Sales

If your design is captivating and creative whereby it passes a message about your products, potential clients will of course come to patronize you, thereby leading to an increase in sales. For instance, an individual needs something and goes to the market or checks online. The only reason he will choose a particular product is if he is impressed by the designs or desired products.

Goes Beyond Language

People find it very easy to interpret a virtual form of an activity or object rather than those written in various languages. Despite that person may have a primary language, graphics help to bring people together in understanding a particular theme.

Makes You Soar Above Competitors

Do the research and take an inventory of what your competitors are doing that is keeping them at the top. Try to create something different from the normal. Something that will make potential clients always want to click and know more about your products. Because truth be told, customers evaluate different sources before deciding on the one to purchase from. 

So in a case like this, your business should have a good graphic design quality. It’s an important aspect of your marketing plan. If not, it will tend to fail in the online marketing place. Moreover, the aim is to make your brand outstanding with confidence and to ensure your ideas are delivered creatively. You can also use social media management tools for your daily social activities. It will help you to post your creative graphics on a daily basis.

Publicize And Market Your Brand

What is a business without an effective marketing skill. This entails when the trader seeks different means to reach out to the public. It is one of the most crucial parts of a business. If there are no customers, your business is as good as not existing.

Digital Marketing advertising is something that seems tough to digital traders. However, to be able to get the clients, graphics design quality should be top-notch. So it can advertise your product more efficiently via email marketing, blog outreach, brochure advertising, and so on.

For instance, if you are advertising on any social platforms, like Facebook and Instagram and you have a poor graphics design on the business logo, it may lead to losing a client. Knowing fully well that people spend time on these platforms, it will be very wise to get a good graphics plug. You may also generate dynamic QR codes to track, analyze, and retarget your customers.

A good number of organizations invest in promoting the decision-making process of their targeted audience. The design agency takes part in the decision-making process, whereby they design the color fonts, size and provide a good digital experience. Examples of these graphics objects are; Banners, flyers, postcards, brochure templates, slide templates and email templates.

Final Thoughts on the Importance of Graphic Design in Digital Marketing

A good graphics design is almost the backbone of your company in the digital age. It plays an important role in communicating craft ideas in the form of virtual representation. We have also seen that human memory tends to easily recollect graphical information, which is an easy form of communication.

The importance of graphic design cannot be overemphasized. It creates a relationship and easy access between the business owners and the general public. So if you want a massive turnout both in profits and ranking, an effective advertising campaign is necessary.

The post The Importance of Graphic Design in Digital Marketing appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Do you sometimes struggle to come up with design ideas for business or work projects? Are there times you feel that your designs seem a little off?

Well, you are not alone. It happens to most creative professionals. My colleagues and I here at Colorcinch also experience “creative block.” So what do we do?

We go on a refresher, back to the roots. For that, we rely on this ultimate guide on the principles and elements of design. It’s a compilation of everything that we need to know, understand, and revisit.

It has helped reignite the spark of creativity for our team. Mind you, this is important for our group composed of graphic artists, web designers, photographers, and content creators.

Most assuredly, this guide will do wonders for you. If you’re a beginner you’ll get a crucial jumpstart for your projects. On the other, if you’re a pro you’ll get a renewed perspective on the world of design.

Table of Content

What Is Design?

A number of keywords stand out from the above definition by Charles Eames, an American designer. These are plan, arranging elements, and particular purpose. Plainly, design is a plan to create something to be used.

That meaning runs counter to what is commonly known of design – to make something look pleasing. Yes, art can make something pretty. However, design is more than art – it requires a process so as not to fail while retaining form and functionality.

Take the iconic design of the world’s tallest building – the Burj Khalifa in Dubai – with a height of over half a mile. The bundled tube design, derived from the spiral minaret, was designed to resist strong wind, seismic activity, and impact. Failure is not an option.

Notice that for our example, the keywords come together. These include the plan (a mega skyscraper), elements (tubular form, spiraling pattern, etc.), and purpose (a mixed-use residential, office, and commercial landmark). Design embodies all three components.

Key Design Concepts

To have a clearer understanding of what design is, we’ll break it down to its major concepts:

• It is science. Methodologies are involved in design. As a science, it involves finding solutions to the problems of people. It is meant to answer the needs of users. Hence, the tool of design is data and the design process begins with research.
• It is a complex process. Everyone can do even simple sketches. But not anyone can design. It is a specialization, a step-by-step procedure from idea to creation whether you’re designing a corporate logo or a powerful rocket engine.
• It is a result that is experienced. Great designs affect the senses and influence decisions. Apple, Inc. has been at the forefront of superiorly designed products that are bestsellers even if they are expensive. It’s because Apple products work flawlessly for its users. Steve Jobs once said:

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

• It is multifaceted. Design now encompasses almost everything. Its results impact the everyday lives and needs of people – from smartphones to entertainment systems, cars, video games, and software to home interiors, to name some.
• It is not meant to fail. Design failure happens, but usually in the lab. That is why there are extensive tests and certifications before a design gets final approval. All designs must be reliable, usable, and last their intended life cycle.

What Design Is Not

Let’s separate the grain from the chaff. Design isn’t the following:

• It is not art. Technology designer Austin Knight, in his essay “Design is not Art,” spells out the fundamental differences:

Art is personal expression. Design is about use. Art is about the artist. Design is about the user. Art is about exploration. Design is about observation and iteration. Art is about appreciation. Design is about function. Art expresses creativity. Design leverages creativity. Art is subjective. Design is objective.

• It is not for everyone. Yes, people design although not everyone is good at it. Computer scientist Bill Buxton noted that: “If everyone is a designer because they change the color of their walls, then everyone is a mathematician because they count change at the grocery store.”
• It is not general knowledge. Design is multi-disciplinary and multi-context, from fashion to industrial and everything in between. Fact is, design is about particulars. It does not, therefore, contain a single body of knowledge.
• It is not problem-solving. Well, partly. Matt Wade, director at Google Creative Labs, said: “It’s certainly not as simple as problem-solving. Yes, that’s one thing designers do, but so do butchers and bakers and candlestick makers.”
  
• It is not conspicuous. Consumers are not interested in why a product was designed in a particular way. What they will remember is how well it works. Jared Spool, an expert on UI and design, is most often quoted in this respect:

Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it.

Charles Eames’ definition is the most complete one-sentence description that applies to most design areas. It contains the essentials – plan, elements, and purpose. Knowing what design is, let’s proceed to its blueprint and building blocks.

The Blueprint – 11 Major Principles of Design

The design process begins with a blueprint and in it are the guidelines. These are the foundational rules to follow to get the best results.

You cannot go envisioning and designing without full knowledge of the principles. Or else, you’ll lose your way. The principles are there to provide direction.

1. Balance

Think of it as a weighing scale with various elements like colors, lines, shapes, and textures. These are evenly distributed on both sides of your composition. Balanced symmetry is a cornerstone of graphic design.

Every element has a weight on a page and careful arranging of those elements produces a symmetrical layout. Balance suggests completion and steadiness.

There are five types of balance:

1. Symmetrical – There is equal distribution of visual weight. No side is heavier since there is a matching placement of elements.
2. Asymmetrical – Element distribution need not be perfect symmetry. More weight is placed on one side to tip the balance and create movement.
3. Radial – Instead of balancing both sides with a line at the center, there is a single focal point with elements around it. Think of it as a dartboard or a pizza.
4. Mosaic – Known as crystallographic balance, there are no focal points but elements share uniform weights. It is balanced chaos.
5. Discordant – This is an off-balance design intended to provoke and make people pause and think.

2. Contrast

Contrast is the absence of similarity. Thus, adjacent elements in your design need not be alike. Imagine if all your fonts are bold and your foreground and background are of the same color. That will confound viewers.

Different elements can be placed in such a way as to complement one another. You can highlight one element or a group of them, such as blocks of text, over other elements. Contrast breaks the monotony and makes a design pop out.

Here are some pointers on how to apply contrast effectively:

• Determine what you want viewers to see first. Contrast is attractive to the eye. Thus, put more emphasis on certain elements to make them stand out.
• Keep it simple. Don’t overdo it. Contrasting everything is confusing.
• Use only a couple of strong fonts. Again, simplicity. Use just one or two typefaces in your design to avoid diluting it.
• Play with the basic types of contrast. Elements that are best for contrast include colors, shapes, sizes, positions, fonts, and textures.

3. Emphasis

This principle has a similar function with contrast – to attract the viewer’s eye to a particular area. Emphasis is used for the focal point, to make an element stand out.

On the other hand, you can also “de-emphasize” a part of your design. In typography, designers do this by using smaller print or tucking certain texts in a corner.

Again, just like contrast do not overdo emphasis or confuse viewers. Below are some pointers on how to effectively apply emphasis in your designs.

• Use contrast. Make an element stick out by contrasting it with its surrounding.
• Use scale or size. The larger an object in relation to other elements makes it noticeable.
• Use lines. They suggest movement and direct the eye towards a focal point.
• Use placement. Putting something off-center is more pleasing than having it right in the middle. This is the photographic rule of thirds.
• Use isolation. Just like placement, the eye catches objects separated from others.

4. Hierarchy

When visiting a website what is the first item you notice? Most probably it’s the main image. How about the second item? It could be the header or title. And what’s the third? Maybe some other supporting images.

Without being conscious about it, viewers’ eyes are drawn to elements arranged by visual prominence. In the website’s case, the size of the elements and their placement created a hierarchy of importance that the eyes followed.

It’s the power of design to hold your attention and direct your eyes along spatial pathways.

How do you achieve a good hierarchy in visual design?

• Size is most visible. The contrasting size and scale of objects placed next to each other create visual impact. It’s an effective way to show hierarchy.
• Good navigation tool. Hierarchy directs and leads, making it a good navigation aid for your viewers and readers.
• It can be used in many ways. Aside from size, there can be a hierarchy of colors, shape, form, contrast, and alignment, among others.

5. Proportion

The different elements in a design may have various sizes and scales. Proportion pertains to the relationship among objects of different sizes in the overall design.

This principle is one of the easiest to understand. That is because there is one universal standard of measurement that we associate proportion with – the human body.

Artists and designers normally apply the human scale in relation to other objects or surroundings. Examples are when designing interiors and office spaces or outdoor/travel websites. Also, notice how products are displayed to match the specifications of human users.

It might interest you to know that:

• Proportion can be exaggerated. Palaces and huge corporate offices are built as such, many times beyond the human scale, to exude power and authority.
• Distorted proportions are used to draw attention. Notice this on cartoons and caricatures which are becoming popular forms in ads and presentations.
• Proportion works well with other principles. Together with balance, emphasis, and hierarchy, proportion can make designs stand out.

6. Movement

Movement applies to the way your eye travels over the elements in a design. Through the clever placement of lines, colors, shapes, you can set a visual path. And with smart use of balance, hierarchy, and proportion you can guide the eye from one element to another.

Movement boils down to control – how you lead the viewer from one object to another or from element to element. In graphic design, visual movement is referred to as the “flow.” At a simple scan, the message is understood by the viewer.

It helps to keep in mind the following:

• Flow guides users. Elements properly positioned in a website can lead viewers to make decisions or take action (like click a CTA button).
• Flow simplifies processes. No need for complex instructions. Movement lays out a natural path in the composition that the eye can perceive and follow.
• Flow is best represented by lines. Whether diagonal, zigzag, vertical, horizontal, or part of a shape, lines point to direction. It’s a potent element for movement.

7. Pattern

Patterns are design elements that are combined to work in harmony then repeated over and over. It can be a mixture of colors, shapes, lines, etc. that are repeated in a regular arrangement. Sometimes patterns are formed to cover the entire surface of a design. It can be a seamless pattern.

The pattern principle is applied to generate visual interest and excitement. It is commonly used as a background for web pages or as wallpapers. As a design backdrop, it helps improve user experience. Patterns exude familiarity and consistency.

Be guided by the following:

• Use patterns wisely. The indiscriminate use of patterns can lead to an unsightly and complicated design.
• Avoid using words as patterns. Humans perceive textures, colors, and shapes more quickly so base your designs on these. Words have to be read to be understood.
• Architectural designs favor patterns. It has been used by the ancient Greeks in their buildings, sculptures, and decorative arts. Their favorite is the linear pattern, also called “meander.”

8. Repetition

If pattern is repeating a blend of elements, repetition involves just a single element used many times over. For instance, you can draw a vertical line and put several others next to it, becoming a row of bars. Of course, you can use other elements such as shapes and colors.

Repetition bolsters a message or fortifies an idea. In other words, it strengthens your design. It is a great way to emphasize something such as in advertisements, posters, product placements, and similar visual media.

Now for some tips on the application of this principle:

• Don’t mistake repetition for patterns. Stick to either one of them based on what’s best for your design and its purpose.
• Remember visual pathways. Similar to movement, you can use repetition to guide the eye to where it should go in your composition.
• Repetition creates a strong impression. Apply this principle if you want something memorable. It is almost like conditioning your viewer with a repeated element to make a lasting impression.

9. Rhythm

Designers utilize gaps between repeating elements to create a sense of rhythm or movement. Think of it as the rhythm that is produced by the spaces between musical notes.

Design-wise, you can have a rhythm of lines, shapes, colors, tones, or even a rhythm of scale. This principle suggests harmony and tranquility. It can be a very powerful tool – if rhythm in music can mesmerize, so can rhythm in design.

Let’s quickly go over the fives types of visual rhythm commonly used:

1. Regular rhythm – Similar to the heartbeat or a steady drumbeat, it is easily recognized. It can be a series of shapes or lines although it runs the risk of being monotonous.
2. Random rhythm – There is no regularity in intervals. The gaps can be of different sizes, and elements can be all around. Examples are movements in traffic or falling leaves.
3. Alternating rhythm –It can be plain as the alternating white and black squares in a chessboard. Or it can be intricate like the interlocking shapes of a series of fishes that go the opposite way when viewed from top to bottom.
4. Progressive rhythm – Think of this as a galloping horse viewed on video frame by frame. It happens when objects change characteristics as they are repeated.
5. Flowing rhythm – This mimics natural patterns such as sand dunes, waves, and ripples. They are repeated elements that follow curves, contours, and curls.

10. Unity

The visual elements in a composition should all work in unison. There must be a clear relationship between the objects and elements. Your design is meant to be user-friendly to communicate your message.

Unity ensures that your design and everything in it are organized and well thought out. You can sense quality work was put into a design when it feels complete.

Here are helpful ideas to achieve unity in your design:

• Apply unity approaches. These include proven techniques such as simplicity, repetition, proximity, and continuation.
• Unity ties differences. Even if components differ in size, color, and contrast, unity is able to connect “puzzle pieces” to produce the whole picture.
• Again, don’t go overboard. A composition that is overly unified comes across as stuffy. It helps to add some dose of the next principle.

11. Variety

To ensure visual interest, designers employ several design principles, one of which is variety. It can be created in several ways using design elements including images, contrast, color, shapes, and typography.

While variety is the opposite of unity, both can work together. There may be varied elements in composition but if they are well-placed, unity may still be achieved. There can be unity even in diversity.

Let’s go through a few tips for variety.

• Don’t be afraid to mix and match. There can be endless ways of combining principles and elements to get the desired outcome.
• Variety walks a fine line. Variety can be problematic. Too much, the viewer loses focus; too little, the viewer loses interest. Strive to get a good balance.
• Group related objects together. You achieve better unity when you cluster varied but related elements. For instance, different objects can be clustered by shape or color while still retaining variety.

The Building Blocks – 11 Basic Elements of Design

If principles comprise the blueprint of instructions, elements make up the components of construction. You use these materials by combining, mixing, blending, and organizing them.

What you use in your design, these are the elements. How you use these elements refers to principles. Design is driven by creativity, vision, and purpose. For that, principles serve as a roadmap. But the design comes to life with the elements you use.

1. Line

Lines are the most fundamental of all building blocks both for design and art. Even if you start with a point or a dot, they cannot stand on their own. You’d eventually have to go from point A to point B, go through space to traverse the length, and apply thickness.

Lines are such essential elements. If you start your design composition with drawings and sketches, most likely lines are your launching pad. They are also versatile. Combine lines and you create shapes, forms, planes, and perspective.

Be aware that lines carry particular significance. Below are the five types of lines and what they evoke:

1. Horizontal lines – lines that go level from side to side suggest direction, stability, and emphasis.
2. Vertical lines – lines that go up and down like pillars denote elevation, balance, and strength.
3. Diagonal lines – straight lines that are not horizontal or vertical signify freedom, energy, and passion.
4. Curved lines – wavy, bending or spiral lines give the impression of nature that is organic, calm, and playful.
5. Zigzag lines – a series of slanted lines connected from end to end mimic diagonal lines but are more dynamic and highly energetic.

2. Shape

In design, a shape is a two-dimensional object characterized by its width and height. It has boundaries that can be defined by color, lines, or negative space. A shape can exist on its own such as a logo. But it can also be a vehicle that can carry other elements inside or outside of it.

Like lines, shapes are basic structural elements of drawing and design. This element has long been used for messaging and branding. Two successful examples – the Coke bottle and the Volkswagen Beetle – have become iconic shapes.

Know that shapes have a greater visual impact than typography. After all, a glance is all takes to perceive a shape. With words, you have to read them to understand them.

There are two general types of shapes that can be combined in many ways.

1. Geometric – These are shapes that tend to represent or interpret man-made objects. They often symbolize structure, order, and control.
2. Organic – They are shapes that abound in nature and are therefore playful and curvy with no sharp edges.

3. Form

They are often interchangeably used but form is different from shape. If shape is 2-D (width + height), form is 3-D (width + height + depth). A circle and a square are shapes while a sphere and a cube are forms.

Shapes exist on a flat surface like paper, print, or drawings. On the other hand, forms take life in a space area. Having cleared that, shapes and forms usually convey similar qualities and evoke the same moods.

As form gives an added dimension to shape, it can be negative or positive. A missing brick on a wall makes a negative form. In contrast, a brick protruding from a wall makes a positive form.  Forms may also be organic or geometric and simple or complex.

Here are some ideas on how forms can be used in graphic design:

• Enhance and amplify forms. Add highlights and shadows to the form to make it rise above the space or pop out against the background.
• Depict with other elements. Forms are best shown visually together with other elements like tones, shapes, and lines.
• Forms leverage volume. Since they have depth and are able to fill space, forms can add volume to your composition.

4. Color

There is a whole science regarding color but that deserves its own post. Suffice to say that color is the one element most difficult to understand.

Artists can use whatever color they want. That’s their personal expression. Designers can’t do that but still must have a solid grasp of color, especially what colors stand for. This is because colors convey meanings and influence people’s moods and interests.

The irony is that an established system of color meaning does not exist. Often, color symbolism is dictated by culture or beliefs depending on country and tradition. Thus, it is vital you know the design’s rationale and its target user or viewer.

Here’s a rundown of colors and some meanings attached to them:

• Warm colors (red, orange, and yellow) – These exude fire, warmth, radiance, attraction, attention, energy, happiness, and passion.
• Cool colors (green, blue, and violet) – These signify calm, serenity, confidence, loyalty, and professionalism.
• Red – This suggests blood, fire, power, bravery, desire, passion, determination, and action.
• Blue – The sea and sky color conveys expertise, wisdom, depth, intelligence, certainty, and durability.
• Yellow – The sun’s color attracts and implies energy, joy, celebration, and cheerfulness.
• Green – Nature’s color mirrors abundance, growth, wealth, freshness, hope, and productiveness.
• Orange – The blend of red and yellow indicates creativity, success, zeal, and encouragement.
• Brown – The color of earth is symbolic of permanence, consistency, order, and of material things.
• Purple – This is commonly related to nobility, wealth, luxury as well as magic and mystery.
• Black – The absence of color is analogous to evil and death but has come to be known for elegance, formality, and authority.
• Gray – This creates feelings of loneliness and sorrow but also reliability and maturity.
• White – The synthesis of all colors embodies light, purity, innocence, cleanliness, and goodness.

5. Scale

Scale refers to an object’s size in connection with other objects. This element is frequently applied under the principles of proportion and hierarchy to get maximum results. And similar to proportion, the scale of an object is determined according to the human body size.

Designers have many options to play with scale. They can scale down objects, oversize them or keep them life-sized. There can be different sizes or overblown dimensions to get a unique perspective or eye-catching design.

There are things to remember when using the element of scale:

• Scale defines size. Size on its own is uninteresting. But the size of an object compared to another perks things up. Scale determines that.
• Scale is a relative concept. Size can be progressively scaled up or down by degree or level. Scale can also be applied on the non-physical like color (too bright, a bit dull) or importance (critical, vital, trivial, and minor).
• Scale can do a lot to enhance a design. It can create tension, add visual weight, put emphasis, show contrast, and instill order and structure, to name some.

6. Space

Space is described as the distance between elements. That spatial relationship among objects is also known as depth.

In the 3-D physical world, humans easily perceive depth. In 2-D or renderings on a flat surface, designers and artists use techniques to represent or recreate depth. These include overlapping; linear, atmospheric, and aerial perspective; and vertical or size location.

Space is classified into positive and negative. Positive space is the area filled by the element or object in the design (there can be many elements or objects). The empty area is the negative space. On paper or on a page, it’s the white space.

Negative space is important because it gives the eye an area to rest. It also gives prominence to any element nearby. This facilitates better communication of your message to the viewer.

What does space do when it comes to design?

• Space eliminates clutter. When you have many design elements, it’s wise to have some space.
• It connects elements. Apply small spaces between objects to keep them together.
• Space highlights objects. An object becomes a focal point when there’s a large space near or around it.
• It works well with people. If your design has people in it consider putting space to where they are facing or looking at. It stirs the imagination of viewers.

7. Frame

A frame is simply an enclosure. It fences in a visual image or content. But a frame is not all about bordering in elements. They are applied to combine, separate, organize or differentiate elements in a composition.

You may not be aware of it but frames are literally everywhere. Yes, there’s your picture frame and your door frame. Then there’s the TV, book, magazine, computer monitor, tablet, smartphone, IDs, websites, and interfaces, among many others.

When you peer through a camera, what you see is a frame of the image you point it at. You pan the camera around to see elements you want or don’t want in the frame. The same is true for graphic design; designers include or eliminate elements that can enhance a composition.

What are the techniques used for framing? Below are the typical ones:

• Cropping. To crop or not to crop is the big question. Do you take the whole picture or just the interesting parts? It depends on the design project’s purpose, and what looks good and needs to stand out.
• Borders. Do you go for thick borders or thin borders? Borders put structure on your elements especially if these are text and images.
• Margins. Like borders, they are used to enclose active elements (text and pictures) as well as carry passive elements (captions, footers, and page numbers).
• Full-bleed. In magazines, a picture occupies the whole page with no visible lines to frame it. The page edges serve as the borders. This modern design approach has found its way into flat-screen TVs and the latest smartphones with bezel-less edges.

8. Grid

Grids were first introduced more than 500 years ago with the invention of the printing press. The main purpose of grids is to organize content. They have become the backbone of layout design used in websites, publications, and presentations.

Digital technology has adopted the grid, particularly for interaction design. Online platforms, web apps, and CMS apply grid-based layouts to structure elements. This made the backend job easier for designers and the frontend more responsive to users.

The grid serves as the framework where designers can arrange graphic content. To do this, various components are employed. These include:

• Columns – Pillars provide adjustable vertical sections to place elements.
• Rows – Horizontal sections give sideway expansion for content.
• Modules – Spaces created when columns and rows intersect.
• Regions – Larger spaces formed from clusters of columns, rows, and modules.
• Gutters – Narrow or wide dividers between columns and rows.
• Markers – Secondary content (page numbers, chapter titles) is placed in marker areas.
• Margins – Border spaces that enclose columns and rows.
• Flowlines – Breaks in the grid that can halt design elements or serve as starting areas.

9. Texture

Texture is about the quality of a surface – how it feels or looks like. We use many descriptions when it comes to texture – silky, smooth, furry, rough, and abrasive, among others.

As in art, texture is applied in design to create a focal point, achieve balance, and build contrast. Remember, texture attracts the eye and stirs visual interest.

There are two general types of textures – real or tangible texture (which is 3-D) and implied or visual texture (2-D). Real texture is done by way of layering, tearing, or cutting materials. Meanwhile, visual texture is made by using other elements like lines, forms, and colors to create depth and highlights.

In graphic design (for projects like websites or printed materials), visual texture is further divided into two:

1. Image texture. A fusion of geometric or organic shapes as well as color to replicate the sensation of touch. It can be man-made, environmental, or biological. Ex. images of wood, grain, feathers, etc.
2. Pattern texture. These are also made from mixtures of organic and geometric shapes and can be simple or complex. Image textures look random while pattern textures are more orderly and structured. An example is repeating the same shape or logo.

10. Typography

Typography is ubiquitous. You see it on anything which has text content – books, web pages, magazines, posters, ads, etc. The purpose of graphic designers in using typography is to give text visual impact – which makes your typeface decisions particularly important when starting a blog, designing product packaging, or rebranding your business.

On their own, text, words, letters, and fonts are dull and lifeless. However, the skillful arrangement of typefaces by combining font, spacing, and size in a variety of ways can give eye-catching results.

Typography contributes to the readability of text content in relation to the other elements in a layout. Done right, typography reinforces messaging and branding. Applied poorly, it confounds communication.

Below are some methods to make designs engaging especially if they are mostly text-based.

• Color them right. Know the psychology of colors (see our previous item on color) and apply them to typefaces. Putting the right color on typography makes it stand out and evokes intended emotions.
• Apply hierarchy. Lead the eye to the most important word or text by using the principle of hierarchy. Use typeface and font size and be guided by levels of importance – from the most (level 1) to the least (level 3).
• Understand the context. Use the appropriate font for the occasion or design medium. If it’s for web content, magazines, and those with wide text areas, serif fonts are easier to read. For business cards, brochures, and small items, use sans serif.

11. Value

Value determines how light or dark the elements in a design appear. For reference, the lightest value is white and the darkest is black. All other colors fall in between, with each having its respective value from light to dark.

As an example (in relative terms), among colors the one with the highest light value is yellow. On the other hand, the one with the lowest dark value is violet. Value in design is normally used in combination with colors, shapes, and lines.

How is value applied by designers? There are three ways:

1. To create a mood. Value brings about certain feelings and atmosphere. Light values evoke playfulness, happiness, and warmth. Meanwhile, dark values evoke sadness, mystery, and drama.
2. To show depth. Mountains on the horizon that are nearer appear darker and those farther away are lighter. Dark and lighter tones can be used to show depth and distance among objects.
3. To build contrast. Light and dark values or colors are great for high or low contrast. This can make for dynamic and unique designs with great visual impact.

Design Trends and Direction

Soon the current year will close and another one will start. So what’s in store for the world of design in 2022 and beyond?

We at Colorcinch always keep our ears on the ground, feeling the pulse and movement when it comes to art and design. It is our duty to be aware of such things.

Although trends change, some design styles stand the test of time. Like fashion, others are revived. Meantime, recent design ideas have become new favorites.

Let’s quickly go through some design trends.

Minimalism

Simplicity never goes out of style. And minimalism has always been the vehicle for simplicity.

You know this design style at first glance. There is generous negative space. Only a few elements are used. There’s just one or a couple of objects. A few texts are included or non at all. And colors are either muted or extra bright. Sometimes it’s all monochrome.

Clean and clutter-free as well as orderly and organized. This design style was started in the 60s in response to an excessive culture. Minimalism removes anything unnecessary and keeps only the essential elements.

Today in the digital age, it has spawned a neo-minimalist movement. This is evident in graphic and web designs. Some web pages are bare bones. Google displays only a search bar in the middle of its page. Online sites and apps show only a few navigation buttons.

If you want a future-proof design, apply minimalism. Never has the adage “less is more” rang so true.

Data Visualization

Tons of data are produced every day by businesses, governments, and ordinary people. There are data analytics and business intelligence software to crunch those data.

But how do you present information and data to stakeholders or everyday consumers? Addressing a problem – the need to simplify information – required a design solution.

The answer was to visualize data to make it understandable. The concept isn’t new but it is a strong continuing trend. And so came about the use of infographics, slides, presentations, colorful diagrams, animated graphs and charts, and interactive dashboards.

These types of design media are important. Consider that 90% of information sent to the brain is visual. This drives home the point – presenting data with visuals, graphics, and images is more easily absorbed.

Dark Themes

The dark theme is as popular as ever, especially as a UI design. But it was originally used by developers to be more comfortable when coding.

Black background and themes mitigate visual stress which is a result of viewing on-screen content for a long time. People do this all the time in front of computer screens, tablets, and smartphones. Dark designs reduce eye strain. Also, black exudes a chic and modern look.

Soon the style caught on. Now you’ll find major browsers and online apps offering dark theme options for more relaxed browsing. Video platforms provide “night mode” features. There are even “turn light off” buttons on some websites.

This trend is likely to stay as long as people consume and interact with web content from their devices.

Retro Futurism

The past and the future meet. The design style draws inspiration from sci-fi films and visuals. It is heavy on industrial surroundings, apocalyptic landscapes, computers, and machinery.

Often, it combines traditional objects in an out-of-this-world setting. Imagine a grand piano in an immaculately white ballroom with wall-to-wall screens instead of windows. Think of Westworld or Blade Runner and you get the drift.

Some characteristics associated with the retro-futuristic design include:

• Geometric shapes. The future is filled with man-made objects (robots, machines, spaceships) that have either sharp edges or smooth curves.
• Neon lighting. Interiors and urban settings are awash in bright neon lights. However, the countryside wasteland is dark and gloomy.
• Grimy aesthetics. The filthy look coupled with stained apparel comprises the default OOTD.
• Vintage plus tech. Antique objects and classic symbolism mixed with tech elements.

Animated Web Design

Video credit: Sajon

There is an emerging trend of animated web content. You see these in website elements and objects that move on their own or with a simple mouse prompt. The rationale for animated graphics and design is to attract interest and make the website more engaging.

Animation has gone a long way since the days of Flash and GIF. Newer technologies such CSS, HTML5, and WebGL have made the process of animated design faster and easier. Furthermore, the results are more sophisticated and smoother animations.

Why should you join the animation bandwagon?

• Make your website stand out. Over a billion websites are competing for viewers’ attention. Make yours attractive with great design and animation effects.
• To tell visual stories. Your messages and narratives are better told through animated video or simple animation. They are short, stimulating, and direct to the point.
• Enhance the user experience. Smartly placed animation can help visitors navigate your site in an entertaining manner. Your site will be remembered for being intuitive and user-friendly.

Digital Art Rendering

This design trend is getting traction because you don’t have to do the digital art design yourself. All you need is the right picture and image editing software does the rest.

In no time, you’ll have an artistic depiction of your subject converted from a picture. Digital image conversion is popular nowadays. There are many apps that allow you to transform pictures into sketches, drawings, and fine art.

These art renderings have found their way into advertisements, book and album covers, website banners, and even social media.

You can explore the capability of such an advanced tool right here. Yes, Colorcinch is a powerful yet easy-to-use image editing and conversion program. It can create playful digital art for your online pages or sophisticated fine art for your business. Try Colorcinch here. It’s free!

Be Creative

It is an exciting visual design world out there. But the mood and enthusiasm to design and create need to be sustained.

That is why all of us here at Colorcinch rely on tools and resources to get ideas and inspiration. This ultimate guide is one of our ready references. It encourages us to think outside the box. Likewise, it pushes us to be bold and see things from a fresh standpoint.

Lastly, don’t be overwhelmed. When it comes to design there are no rules, only guidelines. In fact, you can test drive that boundless imagination and renewed creativity right now with Colorcinch.

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