Everybody knows that it’s the content that matters most. The problem is that if your design fails at calling the customer’s attention, then probably very few people will actually get a chance to familiarize themselves with your content. While there is no doubt regarding the importance of content, the issue of what exactly constitutes good and bad graphic design is still open to discussions. Unfortunately, there are many things that can go wrong. And while dull and boring visuals definitely won’t contribute to better engagement, this is not the biggest trouble your brand can get into.
Messing with your brand’s visual identity is a risky business you sure wouldn’t like to face. For example, Gap gave up on their new logo after only one week since it had been introduced, following an angry backlash from its customers. Obviously, it is not the only company in the world that made mistakes in terms of graphic design. But things are getting more complicated when it comes to those mistakes that you can’t spot. Here are some most typical myths and mistakes about graphic design you should do your best to avoid.
1. Color Misbalance
Some design experts believe that wildly bright, contrasting and hardy combinable colors are a guaranteed eye-catcher. Yet, this is a myth. True, sometimes the brand can hit the jackpot by using bright unconventional colors, but only in a logo. Such colors can attract attention as well as stand out, if compared to others. Since many bright colors have big potential in terms of color psychology, they can prove useful in conveying emotions and feelings. The problem here is that these colors are usually uncomfortable for the eye, at times even irritating. And the last thing on the earth you want to do is to cause discomfort for your potential customers. Thus, unless it’s thoroughly considered and well-justified, you should give preference to a natural, organic palette.
2. Leaving Posters Out
When you hear someone saying that posters have long since been dead and are not used in today’s graphic design, don’t listen to this nonsense. Indeed, posters appeared a long time ago and were probably among the first advertising techniques. Many new tools have emerged since that time, but posters are as efficient and effective as ever. In the past, the main idea behind creating a poster was to capture the attention of a moving person and quickly convey the message. And this is exactly what your brand needs in the current fast-paced life. You should experiment with poster making in different ways and find variants that suit your perfectly.
3. Lack of Images
It often happens that content marketing specialists focus all their efforts on the textual content, description of products or services the brand offers, the content layout and setting, that they completely overlook images, because they think they are not that crucial. But the bitter truth is that every picture you decide against adding is a missed opportunity to strengthen connection with the target audience. By adding images, you can attract the attention of those users who usually skim through an article or email and scan content on social media for something interesting rather than reading everything from the beginning to the end.
4. Disharmony between the Content and Design
There is a big misperception that the visual component doesn’t necessarily need to be connected with the product or even the brand in general. The reasoning behind this approach is that all we need is to catch the customer’s eye with an image, and the content will do the rest. In practice, it does work like that. Images that lack brand identity won’t prove successful at the end of the day. In case you use stock images, you should also take effort to find those pictures that resonate with your brand concept, its mission, values and brand colors.
5. Designing for the Wrong Audience
Another widely-spread myth you can come across states that you should strive to make your design universal so that it resonates with every single customer. This proves wrong because targeting everyone in practical terms means targeting no one in particular. Customers fall into many various categories depending on their age, location, lifestyle, personal preferences and views, occupation etc. It’s impossible to cover all of them by one-design-fits-all strategy. The baseline is that you should understand very clearly who your target audience is and create design specifically for them.
Wrapping Up
Err is human, and there is nothing you can do to eliminate errors completely. The good news is that once you recognize a flaw, you can quickly sort it out. You should do your best to develop a design mindset that contributes greatly to increased engagement and more positive reactions that, in turn, will result in tangible successful results.