How To Create Great Design

Unnecessary design is design without meaning. Whether you’re sitting down to create a print advertisement, website mockup, app wireframe or eBook, every element of your composition should serve a purpose. A great design will entwine every component – from colors, to copy, to images – with the understanding that each should play a role in how the message is perceived.  

“People ignore design that ignores people.” – Frank Chimero  

When planning for any type of material, it is essential for creatives to keep your audience in mind. Select relevant elements that will evoke the material’s intended purpose and create an emotional connection. Choose images that help progress your narrative, and enhance it with creative elements that are engaging and appropriate. If an element is not relevant and purposeful, remove it. Never create a design for the sake of design. 

White space is your friend!  

Designers will commonly try to fill every empty part of their design in an attempt to showcase their vast knowledge of the product and extensive creative ability. What they fail to realize is, when working within a limited area, white space can be a powerful design tool if used intelligently. Overwhelming your audience with extraneous material will obscure the core elements of the design and risk replacing appeal with apathy. A simple, bold headline with a similarly engaging image will decrease visual stress caused by extraneous creative elements and direct the viewer’s eye to what’s important in your advertisement – the message.  

“Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent.” – Joe Sparano  

Ever crack your phone screen? You immediately become intrinsically aware of just how thankful you were for a pristine display to view all your apps, emails, texts and photos without a glaring obstruction. It’s human nature to only appreciate something when it’s gone and to take it for granted when it works smoothly. Similarly, people will ignore your design if it’s done well and only notice if it’s off. Once you’ve completed your project, expect your audience to not say anything – this is a good thing. It means you’ve conveyed the message properly.