Are you an entrepreneur looking to build your own website? Here’s a quick pick-me-up for non-designers to guide you through the basics.
Graphics designers all over the world generally prefers Mac over PCs, so congrats if you’re on one. Apple has been consistently stronger in colour display and design support, but either way, get your device ready and let’s dive right in!
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Use authentic software
It is rather pricey to subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud, but you will soon find out that it’s far superior than using free, cracked software. Be it Photoshop or Illustrator, updates are usually unavailable when you’re on a cracked software. It’s also very time consuming to look for a legitimate crack – most of the time you just end up with malware.
Freebies are not worth a virus-ridden, lagging device, especially when the Mac itself is not cheap. Don’t waste time looking for the latest software crack, head straight to Adobe’s official site and get a subscription.
Students get the software at a discounted price, but even if you’re a freelancer or an entrepreneur, it’s worth paying full price. View shelling out the money as an investment but not an expense.
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Do not overdo it
Once you have your digital design tools all set up, here’s a simple design rule of thumb that should always be at the back of your mind – less is more.
Adobe design software comes with a range of fonts and you might be tempted to put them all to use, but consistency is key. One or at most, two styles are enough: one for the headers (title and sub-headers), and one for the body. If you must use multiple fonts, try to be as organized as possible. Make sure there is strong reason behind each change of font so it’s not confusing to the reader.
As with the saying, ‘simple English is good English,’ any sort of creative work should be focused primarily on getting the message across. If you’re not sure whether you’re overdoing it, come back to your design in a few days with fresh eyes. You’ll instantly notice if something sticks out.
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Leave appropriate blank spaces
This might be quite counter-intuitive to the beginner, but leaving blank spaces actually adds to your design. A cluttered layout is overwhelming and confusing. Readers want to be clearly guided as to where to look, so direct their attention to what’s important by leaving lots of blanks around it. Don’t fill up white spaces thinking you’re maximizing your real estate; a messy layout only deters your audience.
Apple’s ads are prime examples. Notice how they’re always ultra-simple yet super impactful? That’s the way to do it.
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Keep your objects aligned
Sometimes structure is vital to visual appeal. While we want to be unorthodox and creative, a solid framework gives your design a strong backbone so interesting features pop. Aligning key shapes and texts also makes your layout more presentable and professional. Once you’ve identified the objects you want to align, highlight them in one go and choose the way you want to line them up or distribute them.
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Choose palettes made by professionals
Here on Colour Lovers, there are millions of palettes to choose from. Unsure what to go for? You can decide based on the mood of your project or brand, or simply go for the palettes of the year.
Not only is it a dreadful process to pick your colours one by one, it’s also going to take a while before you get it right. Opting for pre-selected combinations will help you jump-start your design process.
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Conduct thorough research
The prevalent style of design varies from culture to culture, so make sure you conduct adequate research before you start putting things together to appeal to your audience. If you’re targeting a foreign market, consider installing a VPN on your Mac or PC to change your virtual location to the target locale. With a changed location, you’ll see search results as if you’re in the area, so you can take inspiration from competitor sites. Even if you’re going for an international and professional look, a VPN can still be of help – just change your location to the United States and take a leaf off their book.
