5 Tips to a unique Business Card!

Business cards are a reflection of you and your business. When designed effectively they can help make a great first impression and seal the deal between you and a client. Here are a few key tips to take into consideration when designing a unique business card!

 Orientation and Shape

Most business cards orientation is horizontal. However, by changing it to a vertical orientation, you can make your card stand out from the crowd. In addition, experiment with a different business card shape. Most business cards are in a rectangular format, however a square is an elegant shape that presents an original business card format. You could also place it on an angle like a diamond, to generate a more original design.

Contrasting Colours

By implementing contrasting colours within your design it allows your business card to  remain simple and interesting.

Transparency 

Transparency paper adds an effective and unique touch to your design. Either overlapped or seperate, it allows light through to reveal what appears underneath. Another effect you can create using transparency paper is to apply ink on the card to generate windows. You could do this with either your type, logo or graphic.

Interchangeable Graphics

Interchangeable Graphics associated with your business adds variety to your cards. The designs will still remain cohesive, however create more interest and fun with your design.

Clarify your message

Implement Graphics that display the service you or your client provides. Make sure the message is clear to the viewer.

There you have it, a few tips to keep in mind when designing business cards! Happy Designing!

 

Design Trends 2016!

Design Trends don’t simply appear! They become popular gradually over time and disappear slowly without people even noticing. As designers you should become aware of these shifts coming and leaving the design industry.

Here are a few possible trends to keep an eye out for in 2016!

Geometric Shapes!

Geometric Shapes and patterns are constantly seen as a motif within designs popular in 2016! This trend can be applied in various ways including graphic elements, backgrounds and illustrative techniques!

Hint: Check out “Low Poly” which was derived from the 3D Modelling technique implemented in video games. It is used outside of the gaming world now in web and print designs.

Figure and Ground!

 

Figure and Ground is implemented within any successful design! Negative and Positive Space can add double meaning to your design, and is used mainly in creating logos and branding projects. It also allows your design to look simplistic and minimal.

Minimalistic and Abstract Styles!

This trend portrays designs that present aspects of minimalism, focussing on deconstructing and distorting graphic forms, rearranging them to create new designs. Using geometric shapes and bold colours is an effective way of creating a minimalist design.

Custom Illustrations and Graphics!

Custom illustrations and graphics are regularly replacing stock photos and images. As designers we want to remain original and ensure our work is not generic. How embarrassing would it be if the same image you used in your design was on a competitor’s website or poster. Therefore, it is important to do the extra work to make sure your graphics and illustrations stand out from the crowd.

Dramatic Typography! 

Typography isn’t all about the legibility! Obviously it is important that the audience can read it, but it is much more than that. Typography makes a statement! You can create character and give your text personality through size, colour, texture, arrangement and pattern.

Make sure you don’t just implement a trend in your design to look trendy! Ensure it fits the project you are completing and be original!

How to Create an Effective Layout!

It is important when designing layouts for print or the web that you ensure you communicate information clearly and effectively. To create a successful layout, it requires placement, arrangement and formatting of elements. You may find yourself at times placing elements on a page, just because you think it looks good, however cannot explain why! Well here are some top tips to help create an effective Layout.

1. Create a focal point

It is important to have a focal point within your composition to draw interest in your layout. Make sure you chose an element that communicates the message you are conveying within your design, whether it be an image, graphic or text. Some ways to create a focal point is through the principles including scale, contrast and repetition.

2. Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds is an easy and effective technique that divides your design into three rows and three columns. Where the horizontal and vertical lines meet is where the focal points should be located. This allows for an effective and striking layout.

3. White Space

You don’t always need to fill every segment of the design for it to feel finished. White space when used appropriately can enhance your designs clarity and ensure it is balanced correctly, allowing it to breathe.

4. Scale and Hierarchy

Scale and Hierarchy can be either the make or break of your design. It is important to arrange the design elements in order of visual signal importance. This is where scale is necessary, you can enlarge and make an element bolder or reduce and make an element faint to create an effective hierarchy within the design.

5. Alignment

It is important that you align all elements on the page. Don’t just throw them on page and call it finished! Alignment between elements creates a sharp, neat and effective layout that is easy to navigate and is legible.

6. Repetition

Repeating an element within your design can provide a strong sense of cohesion and display a balanced composition. To create a consistent layout, you could repeat specific elements in your design. This could be a typeface style, a graphic motif or an image. Repeating an element within a multi page layout allows each page to flow effectively.

There are many things that must be taken into consideration when designing a  composition. Keep persisting with you designs, you may not get it the first or second time, but you will get there!

How to create Successful Stationery!

Ever wanted to know how to design effective stationery for yourself or a clients business? Well here are six important tips to keep in mind when designing stationery.

Colour Scheme:

Colour is important in making sure your stationery stands out from the crowd. Make sure you consider the colour you use; does it match your logo design? Does it reflect the business you are designing for? Does it draw the audiences attention in a positive way? These are important questions you should ask yourself when designing stationery for a company.

Paper Stock quality:

The paper you chose to print your stationery on can influence how cheap or expensive your business is perceived through your clientele. If you are designing stationery for a business that is known for it’s ‘low prices,’ you might stick to photocopy paper, as the consumer understands it is cheap. However, if you are designing for a high premium company it is essential to use high quality paper, for example, glossy or textured paper.

Contact Information:

Always include the correct information on all elements of your stationery. You should include:

• The company name
• Mailing address
• Phone number
• Fax number
• Website
• Email
• ABN Number

Make sure you check the Australia Post website to ensure all measurements are up to standard for posting your stationery.

Fonts/Typeface

Make sure your design is legible! The information you present in your designs must be clear and easy to read. Stick to two fonts at the most. Remember you can use a family of fonts to show contrast and variety in your design, without cluttering it.

Imagery

If you do use imagery on your stationery make sure it is consistent across all designs. Good imagery to use in your designs could include:

• An image of the CEO of the business.
• The building of the business.
• An image or graphic closely aligned with your logo.

Do not use clip art or similar imagery! It looks tacky and unprofessional.

Spacing:

You may feel the urge to fill the design with imagery and text so there is no white space. This will aid to a cluttered design that will distract your client from the important things, like contact information. It is important to know as designers that less is more when creating stationery! White space is important and should be used to create a successful design.

 

 

Five Visual Branding Tips your business should know

Creating an effective visual brand is important when developing your business! Here are a five key tips on how to build a professional visual brand for your business.

1.Consistency

It is very important that businesses remain consistent in their branding. If you chose a colour or a typeface that does not meet the businesses style, you can confuse your target market with other brands, even your competitors. To ensure you do not become inconsistent with your branding, it is a good idea to establish a style guide.

2. Be Original

Don’t be tempted to copy other buisnesses branding! It is so easy to want to use and adapt other successful designs. Don’t! You will lose trust with your audience and can end up in all sorts of illegal trouble. Push yourself to be original and your business will defiantly benefit from it.

3. Chose a Target Audience

It is important to pick a specific demographic for your brand. Although you may like the idea of appealing to everyone it is very challenging and almost impossible to archive this. So pick a niche and portray a visual brand that reflects the values of your target audience.

4. Select appropriate visuals

Ensure that the visuals including fonts, colours and imagery, appeal to the target audience! Stay away from the cliche and stereotypical images, they will make your company look unprofessional and degrade your brand.

5. Your Brand isn’t all about the logo

Your brand doesn’t revolve just around your logo! It is important to have an application friendly logo that can adapt to imagery and other colours within your brand. As well as work towards creating your brand style.

Print vs. Web Design

Have you ever thought what are the key differences between print and web design is? Maybe you thought they were fairly similar. That print design is presented as a hard copy and can be physically held, whilst web design is viewed on a screen. This is true, however there are a few important differences between the two that people in industry often don’t know, including workflow and file formats and terminology.

How does your design engage the users senses?

Print and web design share a visual quality in common.

Static vs. Interactive

Print design is static, because after it has gone to print it can not change, unless you update it and reprint it again. This costs time and money and is not ideal. However, web design is interactive and can be changed and updated regularly without spending too much money. Therefore, web designers must consider the continuing functionality of the website.

Are you able to navigate through the design?

Navigating through a print design is fairy easy as you usually flip or unfold a page. In comparison the web is not so straight forward. There are many different layouts, that are not necessarily viewed in chronological order, like a book. A menu widget is often helpful in allowing the user access what they are looking for efficiently.

What is a responsive design?

With the amount of new gadgets being released it is important that our web design adapts to the different screen sizes and how it changes when the user interacts with it (e.g. zoom in and out). We must consider how we need to change the design to function best for each device as well as ensure the aesthetics are read clearly.

Resolution:

Resolution is really important to understand in print and web design, as it determines the image and graphic quality within the design.

Have you ever heard the term ‘DPI’ (dots per inch) or ‘PPI’ (pixels per inch)? Some people get them confused and think they are interchangeable, however this is not the case.

DPI is implemented within the printing process. It is the density of the dots of ink printed every inch on the surface. It has nothing to do with the dimensions of a printed design like PPI does. Furthermore DPI has nothing to do with web design, as it is specifically for printing purposes.

PPI is the number of pixels displayed in an inch of screen space. If you want a higher quality image it is important that you use a high number of pixels.

When creating websites the standard resolution is 72 PPI, in comparison to print which is 300 PPI (Please note that most designers refer to this as 300 DPI).

What colour do I use for print and web/screen design?

The colour for print and web design is the same right? Actually, the colour display is different. CMYK is used for Print, whilst RGB is used for the screen based designs. It is important that the designer ensures that the colours remain consistent within their designs. How do I achieve that? You may ask. The Pantone Matching System, provides you with a reference number for each Pantone colour. This is different to the colour codes used within CMYK and RGB.

There you have it, some of the main differences between Print and Web design that you must take into consideration when designing.

The 5 Main Types of Logos..

It is important to understand that a logo is the visual representation of a company and needs to symbolise their values and beliefs and must appeal to the target market.

Here are some important questions you can ask yourself when creating a logo:

• Who is the target market?
• What is the company or businesses emphasis?
• What is the logo trying to communicate?
• Will the style appeal to the target market?
• Does the logo look aesthetically pleasing?
• Is the logo legible when I increase or decrease it’s size?

 

Symbol or Icon

The logo is portrayed in a simplistic manner, focusing on the main attributes of the image that is being represented. It is important to design a conceptual logo, rather than a literal illustration of the image. Most people remember simple icons or symbols rather than detailed illustrative artworks. Here are a few examples of successful Symbol or icon logos below:

Word Mark

These logos display the company or business name. To create a word mark logo a customised typeface is created to advocate the business brand. Here are some examples of Word Mark logos below:

Letter Mark 

Letter mark logos are typographical in appearance and are stimulated by the initials of the company brand. They are used to represent a company if the name is too long, or is to hard to pronounce, or not distinct enough in weight. Here are a few examples below of letter mark logos.

Combination Mark

So what is a combination logo? If we think of the word combination it usually means merging two elements together. Therefore a combination logo would be a letter mark logo and icon or symbol logo combined together. Combination logos provide flexibility for companies as they can use them together or by themselves and still be well recognised by the consumer. Here are some great examples of logos below:

Emblem Logo

Emblem Logos include the company name within the design. The elements can not be used separately like Combination Mark logos. Here are some good examples below of Emblem Logos:

So there you have it, the 5 main types of logos created in industry!

Happy designing!

The Six Steps of Effective Advertising

Have you ever wondered what makes a successful advertisement? Well you are in luck because these six steps will provide you with a helpful guide on how to create a functional advertisement!

Step 1: Attract Attention! This can be achieved by using scale, to eventually create a visual hierarchy within your design.

 

Step 2: Tell a Story. Implement a headline in your design to add to the concept!

Step 3: Explain the Benefits of your product!

Step 4: Sell the Product! Show the product in the advertisement. Ensure it is large enough for the consumer to know exactly what you are selling.

 

Step 5: Tell us the brand you are selling. This may appear in the form of a logo.

Step 6: Tell us how to respond. Where can we purchase the product? You may like to show logos of businesses where you can purchase the product from.

By applying the principles and elements of design and implementing these six steps in your advertisement, you will be sure to present a coherent and an effective design!

The Art of Typography

Ever wondered how to enhance the type you use within your designs and make it looks aesthetically pleasing and easy to read? Here is a range of common terms and tricks you should know to improve your designs!

1. Ensure the Typeface’s Mood Reflects the Message.

Do you have a favourite typeface you use every opportunity you get? Maybe you use Helvetica because it is clean, simple and easy to read. Let’s be honest we see it everywhere, from independent firms to big corporations all over the world. However, we as designers must ask ourselves are we getting the most out of our font choice?

All typefaces have there own mood or personality. Whether it be groovy, fancy, horror or silly. Majority of fonts aren’t ‘one-size-fits all’, so you will need to determine what message you are trying to convey and select a font that reflects that. This will ensure your design is powerful and communicates your message more effectively and persuasively.

Image found at Design Inspiration.

2. Ensure the Mood is Targeted at your Audience

You have selected a font that reciprocates the mood of the message. Awesome! However, not everyone will interpret the mood of the selected typeface as you have. It is important to consider the target audience when choosing your font, to ensure they respond the way you intend them to. For example, someone might see a certain typeface as trendy, in comparison to someone raised in a different culture setting, who may find the same typeface out of date.

What typeface do I choose when I’m designing for a wide range of people, not a specific group? I hear you ask. Try and pick a more neutral typeface, that doesn’t have an obvious personality or mood and blends in with it’s surroundings. Serifs and San Serif Fonts look effective when designing for broad audience.

3. Ensure the Font Point Size reflects the Design Context

It is important that your audience can read your text, there is no point placing text within the design if no one can read it.

Rule of thumb: Body text should be between 10 and 12 points for print projects and 15 to 20 pixels for web design. Note the ideal size may differ, depending on the characteristics of the font.

4. Visual Hierarchy 

Typographic hierarchy is important to navigate the reader through the information presented in the design. It is important for designs that are text-heavy, for example newsletters, magazines and books.

The basics of setting up a hierarchy in your design involve the following:

•Using text size to prioritize information by importance

•Using sufficient spacing to create an easy-to-scan structure

•Grouping related items together

•Including clear sections (with headings, subheadings, etc).

Photo by Thomas Clare on Behance.

5. Spacing and Alignment is Crucial 

Spacing and alignment can make a huge difference between creating an organised design, to a cluttered and illegible design.

– Tracking is the consistent amount of horizontal space between all letters in a passage of text. Adjusting this setting will make the text look tighter or looser. You should aim to find a happy medium, depending on the typeface that you choose.

– Leading is the vertical spacing between the text.

6. Don’t overlook Kerning 

What is kerning I hear you ask? Often we get it confused with tracking, however it is different it is the amount of space between a single pair of letters or other characters. Kerning is the last thing we as designers check to make sure our type looks professional. Most typefaces have auto kerning, however for large point size it is important to do a visual check and adjust the kerning as required.

Image found at Design Mantic.

7. Ensure you don’t use too many Typefaces and Weight Styles

It is important that we don’t apply to many fonts to our designs, as they will confuse the audience and look cluttered.

Rule of thumb: Don’t use more then three different typefaces in a design.

Selecting fonts to combine in a design can be difficult at times. There are a couple of options to solve this solution:

1. You can’t go wrong with a basic sans serif and serif font!
2. Pick a typeface family and adjust the weights and styles. But don’t over do it!

Image found at Inspired Mag.

Hope these tips and tricks help enhance the typography within your designs!

Applying the Principles of Design

Do you ever ask yourself where to place the text, elements and objects when designing a poster, advertisement or brochure? Or do you place them where you think looks appropriate, but can’t justify why you composed your design that way? The design principles are the guidelines required to creating a successful design and provides us with a reason for placing elements within the layout.

Asymmetrical Balance:

Asymmetrical balanced designs are not mirrored on each side of the visual axis like symmetrical designs, however are still visually balanced with elements on the other side of the page. Asymmetrical balanced compositions are informal and often attract a younger target market. It is important for designers to take this into consideration whilst creating material for a younger audience. This is evident in Xavier Esclusa Trias Poster for The San Sebastián International Film Festival, called Zabaltegi.

Symmetrical Balance:

Symmetrical balanced designs create a balanced composition where the visual elements are placed on both sides of a visual axis, mirroring each other. Symmetrical compositions are formal designs that appeal mainly to a more conservative audience. As a result, we as designers should create symmetrical compositions when designing wedding invitations and formal posters for events. For example, Nate Koehler‘s wedding invitation is symmetrically balanced, as it is designed for a formal purpose.

Visual Hierarchy:

Visual Hierarchy refers to the order of importance of visual elements within a composition. It is crucial that we as designers consider hierarchy within our compositions. One mistake that is often made is making all elements on the page the same size or visual weight. This makes it harder for the viewer to establish what to look at first. The poster of the Black Swan below demonstrates how to implement visual hierarchy effectively.

Cropping and Scale:

It is important that designers create a visual hierarchy within their design. It is ideal to have a dominant visual element, known as the focal point. We as designers can create the focal point by incorporating the design principle, Cropping. This allows us to remove the access elements around an image and emphasise the important details.

Scale helps us designers to make sense of our design. It can be used to portray realism or to decorate the design and create a focal point. It provides the design with a sense of visual hierarchy which is important in maintaining a well balanced design.

Cropping and Scale is used in most effective designs and is portrayed clearly in the Modernist Swiss style Posters by Quinn Marin.

Contrast:

Contrast is the key factor to ensuring your design ‘pops!’ It refers to the visual elements in your design being in opposition of each other. This can be achieved through colours opposite on the colour wheel, the thickness of lines and different textures such as smooth and rough. We as designers can implement the principle of contrast in our work to create a dynamic design. This is evident in my design ‘Silence,’ where colour and tone are the obvious elements that contrast in the design.

Repetition and Pattern:

Repetition reinforces the visual message portrayed and allows the designer to create a focal point that draws the audience in. Repeating elements within the design will form a pattern and can be used to attract the audiences attention. However, the image does not necessarily have to be all the same size, by implementing the principle of scale and visual hierarchy, and adjusting the opacity level of the image, you the designer can subtly reinforce the message. This is observed in my design ‘He stripped away her self-worth layer by layer.’

Figure & Ground: Negative Space is the ‘space in between’

Figure and Ground is also known as positive and negative space where figure is referred to as positive space, whilst ground is known as negative space. Initially, as designers we start off with a blank page, this provides us with our ground or negative space. When we add elements to the page we are adding figure, which becomes positive space on top of the negative space.

Check out artist M.C. Escher’s was widely regarded the king path-forger of negative space! Escher created numerous tessellations that focused on one shape leading into another via figure and ground. This is evident in his woodcut print Sky & Water I.

 

In conclusion, there are many different design principles out there to try. Some rules may not always apply to your specific project, but implement them where you think it is appropriate, to ensure your design is successful!