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. The versatility of design also extends to digital elements like popup templates, which play a crucial role in creating interactive and engaging user experiences online.
• 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 mobile app 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.

The post The Principles & Elements of Design – The ULTIMATE Guide appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

As a graphic designer, you have a unique skill set that can be leveraged to create and sell digital assets online. Digital assets are any type of digital content that can be sold online like online courses, or licensed for use, such as stock photos, illustrations, icons, and more. By creating and selling digital artworks online, you can generate passive income while showcasing your design skills to a global audience.

The global digital asset management market size is projected to reach USD 8.0 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 13.6% during the forecast period, according to a report published on Marketsandmarkets.com.

In this article, we’ll explore the steps you need to take to create and sell digital assets online as a graphic designer.

1. Identify Your Niche

The first step in creating and selling digital artworks online is to identify your niche. As a graphic designer, you likely have a specific area of expertise, such as creating illustrations, designing logos, or creating digital patterns. By focusing on a specific niche, you can hone your skills and stand out in a crowded marketplace.

To identify your niche, consider your experience and skill set, as well as the market demand for specific types of digital assets. Research what types of digital assets are currently popular and in demand, and assess your own skills and expertise to determine which areas you can excel in.

2. Create Digital Assets

Once you have identified your niche, the next step is to create digital assets. There are many different types of digital assets you can create, including illustrations, icons, logos, fonts, and more. Choose a few specific types of digital assets that align with your niche and that you enjoy creating.

To craft digital assets, you’ll require essential software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, or the versatile Colorcinch. For those seeking anime-style transformations of their photos, there’s a plethora of online tools to turn your vision into reality. Additionally, you can tap into online resources, providing cost-effective or free templates and design elements, to effortlessly create stunning digital assets.

When creating digital artworks, it’s important to follow best practices to ensure that your assets are high-quality and appealing to potential buyers. Use high-resolution images and pay attention to typography and color schemes. Moreover, ensure that your digital assets are optimized for web use.

3. Branding

Once you have created your digital assets, the next step is branding. Creating a strong brand identity can help your digital assets stand out in a crowded marketplace and attract more buyers.

Explore the option of designing a logo using a free online logo maker. Additionally, consider creating a website or portfolio where you can showcase your digital assets, along with captivating previews or mockups. Your packaging should be visually appealing and professional, with attention paid to typography, color, and layout.

You can use an engaging interactive pitch deck maker to showcase your assets and impress future buyers or even potential investors that are interested in your creative work.

4. Selling Your Digital Assets

There are many platforms where you can sell your digital assets, such as Creative Market, Envato Elements, and Shutterstock. Each platform has its own requirements and fees, so it’s important to do your research before choosing a platform.

Third-party platforms offer an alternative option to create a website for selling digital products. Among the popular choices are Dukaan, Gumroad, Amazon, and Etsy.

When selling your digital assets, marketing is key. Promote your digital assets on social media and through email marketing campaigns. Utilize flyer templates to effectively market and sell your digital assets – showcase their features and benefits in visually captivating promotional materials. You can also offer discounts or freebies to entice potential buyers.

Your product descriptions and listings should be detailed and informative, with attention paid to search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure that your digital assets appear in search results. In addition to this, to successfully promote your digital assets via email, consider having a DKIM generator to ensure that your messages deliver to email recipients’ inboxes.

5. Building a Customer Base

To succeed in selling digital assets online, it’s important to build a customer base. Consider building a website or portfolio to showcase your digital assets. Use social media platforms to promote your work and connect with potential customers. You can also build a mailing list to stay in touch with customers and offer exclusive discounts or promotions.

Providing excellent customer service is also important. Respond to customer inquiries in a timely manner, offer refunds or exchanges when necessary. Provide clear and detailed instructions for downloading and using your digital assets.

6. Pricing and Revenue

Pricing your digital assets can be tricky. As you want to strike a balance between earning a fair price for your work and making your digital assets accessible to potential buyers. Research what similar digital assets are selling for on various platforms and set your prices accordingly.

It’s also important to consider revenue strategies to increase your earnings. Consider offering bundles of related digital assets or creating custom digital assets for clients. You can also offer exclusive access to new digital assets or offer discounts to repeat customers to encourage loyalty.

Conclusion

Creating and selling digital assets online can be a lucrative way for graphic designers to earn passive income and showcase their skills to a global audience. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can identify your niche, create high-quality digital assets, brand and package your assets, and sell them on various platforms while building a loyal customer base.

Remember to price your digital assets competitively and strategically. Always focus on providing excellent customer service to ensure the success of your digital asset business. With dedication and hard work, you can turn your graphic design skills into a thriving online business.

About Guest Author: Piyush Shah

Piyush is a skilled SEO professional with 7 years of experience. He is currently working as Head of SEO at Dukaan. He writes about SEO, Marketing, and E-commerce and has had his content published on reputed websites.

The post How to Create and Sell Digital Assets Online as a Graphic Designer appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

With so many balls to juggle, designers need to be as organized, efficient, and productive as possible. So, here are 10 productivity tips for designers.

Being productive is essential for working better especially when you are creative.

Graphic designers have a lot to do and sometimes it can take a toll on their routine, work efficiency, and health. Trying to do too much can also put you in a productivity trap, and you may end up procrastinating and wasting time.

But to save your day, we have come up with 10 productivity tips and hacks that will help you achieve your goals on time and with efficiency.

Let’s get started!

1. Set Clear & Realistic Goals

Designers, as creative individuals, can find it difficult to stay on task and complete tasks on time. However, having a clearly defined objective and a plan for getting there can help a lot.

Setting goals for oneself could lead to more productivity. You can keep your focus on the task at hand by setting concise, attainable goals.

Your desire to keep moving forward will increase as you get closer to your goal. The more determined you are to succeed, the more effort you will put forth. As a result, you can develop and learn, making the work more enjoyable for you.

2. Create a To-Do List

The best way to stay on top of your tasks and daily/weekly/monthly goals is to create a to-do list. Planning out all of your work and tasks from different projects you need to work on in advance makes it easier to stay organized and hold yourself accountable. You will have a plan ready to refer to and make sure you’re on the track.

The best way to do this is by utilizing free online project management software and task management apps like SmartTask, Todoist, etc. These apps allow you to set your goals, create to-do lists of all you need to do, create tasks and subtasks accordingly, centralize all your communication related to your work, and easily track the due dates, progress, and milestones.

Additionally, incorporating useful project plan templates can further streamline your planning process, providing a structured framework for organizing tasks and ensuring efficient project management.

3. Use Time Management Techniques

Adopting the right time management techniques help professionals work more efficiently, streamline their workflows, and work better. Here are some of the techniques that can help you get more organized and productive:

GTD or Get Things Done

This process works to help you move planned tasks aside by recording them on a piece of paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items. You can also do this with the help of a to-do list app. The GTD approach consists of five straightforward practices: capture, clarify, organize, review, and engage.

Pomodoro Technique

With this method, you divide your job into timed segments (generally 25 minutes) using a timer. Each interval is referred to as a “Pomodoro,” named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created. After each Pomodoro, you can take a short break (generally 5 minutes) and come back. This technique works well for creative thinkers.

The Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a decision-making tool that helps you decide between tasks that are important, not important, urgent, and not urgent. It divides tasks into four boxes that indicate which you should focus on first and which you should delegate or delete.

Kanban

People can see all the work they need to perform at once thanks to Kanban, which uses the power of visualization. A kanban board is a tool being utilized, and the tasks are organized in columns that show where they are in the execution process. The to-do, in-progress, and done columns are on the simplest Kanban board. Kanban is efficient because it enables you to concentrate on and complete your most crucial activity before moving on to the next.

Time Blocking

Time blocking is a planning technique that breaks up your day into smaller timepieces. You concentrate on a single activity or a set of related tasks for the duration of each block of time. By focusing solely on the task at hand, your tasks are finished faster and with greater precision.

4. Make Use of the Right Technology

Technology has drastically changed the way things work, and the same is true for graphic designers. Now there are plenty of tools on the market that help designers get the most out of their efforts while saving a lot of time. If you work on a Mac, consider using a powerful and effective Mac cleaner to optimize the performance of your device.

There are productivity tools that help with planning, organizing, and time tracking (SmartTask, Todoist, TimeCamp) which enables you to focus on the actual work rather than just understanding what should be done. Then there are collaboration and communication tools that aid in efficient collaboration and communication with designers, teams, and clients (Slack, Zoom, Discord). For efficient time management and task coordination, consider utilizing online appointment scheduling software alongside these productivity tools to streamline your daily schedule.

Again, choosing the right design software as per your skills and expertise is also very important for better productivity and ease of work. For example, if you are a beginner and don’t know much about designing, tools like Colorcinch can be the right one to start with. Or if you want to sketch, draw or convert your handwriting to text, you need a pad that allows you write on a laptop digitally. And if you need to create eye-catching flyers or banners to market your brand, why not utilize a flyer maker.

So, make sure you know what areas you need help in and pick the tools accordingly to streamline your graphic design process.

5. Build a Healthy Routine

The most important thing is to develop a routine during working hours. Your routine should have room for everything from taking breaks to having lunch to taking care of your health. Also, while working in a proper routine and environment, you will find yourself more focused and productive.

If you don’t fix certain work hours and daily routines, you will end up doing one task in another’s time, stretching your work hours throughout the day, and leaving less time for your personal life.

In short, you will end up disrupting your work-life balance, which can eventually lead to bigger issues such as dissatisfaction, reduced productivity, mental stress, and more.

6. Reduce Digital Distractions

Falling down the rabbit hole of using social platforms at work can be extremely tempting and distracting.

So, if you are constantly checking your emails and messages, it is a concern in terms of productivity, and you end up wasting time that could have been spent on producing more quality work.

To avoid such scenarios, you need to minimize your digital interactions. You can plan a certain time slot for just checking email and messages, etc., and turn off the social alerts and notifications for the rest of the time to concentrate better on work.

7. Keep Moving

If you’re working in a creative role, it’s important to declutter your mind and keep the flow of fresh thoughts and ideas coming in. But the longer you work on the designs without taking breaks or doing anything else at all except working, the more sedentary your mind and body become.

However, the best way to get out of the clutter is to stay active, and having a regular fitness routine has enhanced my productivity.

8. Take Care of Your Mental Health

Mental health problems are experienced by 1 out of 6.8 in the workplace. And 12.7% of all sickness absence days are due to mental health conditions.

There will always be certain circumstances that might hamper your mental health and productivity. So you should consider these factors and understand the balance between our state of mind and work. Patience and time efficiency are often key personality traits in these situations.

Always remember that it is your mental health that comes first, and if you are mentally healthy, you can think better and work better.

9. Take Regular Breaks

Most of us spend our workdays sitting at our desks, chained to our cubicles, straining our eyes in front of the computer screen, hoping for more. But on the contrary, overworking or not taking breaks in between leads to reduced productivity, stress, and bad mental health, ultimately hampering overall performance.

Stepping out of the chaos of the workday not only gives our minds but also all our other senses a much-needed break. Taking adequate breaks throughout the workday also improves focus significantly.

You can plan your lunch or go for a walk when you feel drained or distracted. These breaks will also help you clear your mind and boost your creativity level, which is very important for graphic designers.

10. Stay Away from Unproductive Meetings

We now work in a more collaborative environment, and graphic design undoubtedly entails attending numerous meetings to discuss plans, issues, work briefs, feedback, and so on.

But there are times when the meeting can turn into an unproductive discussion that leads to a lot of wasted time, confusion and reduced productivity.

To avoid this, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to discuss, and invite only the necessary people and decision-makers to the meeting. Also, avoid adding too many people to the meeting, which can unnecessarily stretch the meeting.

Wrapping Up

Graphic designers are required to produce a greater amount of work every day, either individually or as a team. It can take a lot of time to complete a design project if you are not well-prepared or often find yourself procrastinating.

And adopting the right practices will help you stay on track. So, following the above productivity tips will help you fight procrastination, get more work done on time, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

About Guest Author: Shyamal Parikh

Shyamal is the Founder of SmartTask, an online work management/automation software. He actively shares strategies and techniques that improve a team’s productivity.

The post 10 Actionable Productivity Tips & Hacks for Graphic Designers appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Do you want to get that rough look on your images? Nowadays, there are plenty of free resources to choose from with just a click of your mouse, and enhancing your photos has never been more accessible. One popular effect on photo enhancement is the grunge texture.

You can only achieve that vintage look with these 10 free grunge overlays available to download for everyone. Just pick the texture that will best fit the goal you are editing towards and click. It’s never been easier.

In this article, we will be giving you our picks of the best grunge texture available online plus a bonus tutorial on how to achieve the grunge effect using an online editor.

What is Grunge Texture?

The grunge texture is a photo style that’s been trending among recent photographers and editors. Grunge is taken from the original word meaning grimy or rough, and the photo effect is similar to that definition.

Grunge textures or overlays have a rugged look that creates an organic or realistic effect on your photos. The finished look gives a vintage or rebellious look depending on the editor’s intent, as it is less uniform and structured.

The Characteristics of a Grunge-styled Photo

A grunge-styled photo can be identified by gritty backgrounds, rough textures like crumpled or torn paper, faded or aged materials, and even urban architecture or scenery. When added to an image, these effects can range from extreme to subtle changes.

The general colors used for grunge photos range around the shades of brown, beige, grey, and black. Editors and photographers remove bright colors and replace them with tamer, subtle, and natural colors.

History of Grunge Filters in Photography

Grunge filter photography is a style of photography that has been around for years, although it’s gained popularity recently. The idea behind grunge filter photography is that the images are supposed to look like they were taken with a dirty camera or on an old film camera.

There’s no one way to achieve this effect and no single tool or technique that defines it, although most people use photo filters or apps on their phones to do so. Grunge filters have become a staple in modern photography because they harken back to the old ways while also looking fresh and exciting.

10 Free  And Paid Grunge Textures Online

1. Prairie Girl Soft Grunge Textures

The prairie girl, soft grunge texture pack is a gorgeous set of 20 overlays. The package consists of light pastel-colored textures similar to thin and roughly applied paint on walls. The soft and natural look is perfect for creating elegant designs on printed stationery or packaging.

2. Rust Textures

This rust texture pack comprises 50 designs, all handmade with exceptional quality. The dark browns and oranges mix agreeably to create a rusty effect that would go well on websites or dramatic backgrounds.

3. Film Dust Grunge Textures

If you want a cinematic vintage look, then the film dust grunge textures will do the job. The pack contains 12 handmade textures that combine the elements of dust and grain effect to imitate the old films that used to dominate the silver screen.

4. Heavy Grunge Textures

The heavy grunge textures are a pack created from original surfaces, with 10 grunge textures available for download. The provided overlays are simple and easy on the eye effects of rough concrete or metal surfaces, depending on your choice.

5. Grainy Gradient Textures

The grainy gradient texture pack is a brighter take on the grunge effect. The collection contains 50 textures with many mixed, vibrant colors that give a sort of 90s CD-era look.

6. Wrinkle Paper Textures

One way to achieve a sense of nostalgia in your photos is to add the classic wrinkled paper effect to get that vintage look. The wrinkled paper textures have six overlay options for you to choose from, all available with just a click.

7. Dirty Grunge Textures

The dirty grunge textures have 5 overlays that give off old and roughened surfaces. Adding this texture with the grimy and messy look will give your images an abandoned or weary vibe.

8. Plastic Shmashtic Textures

Get a more modern and rough effect by trying out the plastic shmashtic textures. This collection has 65 plastic textures and objects that you can add to your images. The extensive array of options allows you to choose the best for your image’s enhancement.

9. Free Tortured Paper Texture

The tortured paper texture collection is a delicate yet rough effect that can be added to your image for a dramatic and melancholy feel. The pack had 30 textures of paper being ‘tortured’ with materials ranging from acetone to candles.

10. Soft Grunge Textures

The soft grunge textures were handmade and created by spreading ink or paint onto paper, giving them a softer effect if you want to achieve an aged look for your photos. Complete with five options, add it onto posters or presentations to level them up a step higher.

How To Add Grunge Texture Online Using Colorcinch

There is an easy way to achieve the overlay effect without using Photoshop. We will show you how to add grunge texture to your photos using Colorcinch.

Step 1: Open Colorcinch and Upload an image.

Step 2: Click Overlay on the left side of the panel and it will open a tab of overlay filters. Navigate through it and pick Texture.

Step 3: Choose a Texture filter and adjust the Slider to change the opacity. Click Apply if you are satisfied with the adjustments.

Bonus Tip: You can have more control over the Texture Filter by clicking on Settings. Try the different Blend Modes until you get your desired output.

Let’s take a look at the final output:

Summary

With the many free packs and options available to editors and photographers online, the community has reached an era of easy and accessible artwork. The vintage grunge look is a popular trend as it gives photos the ideal outcome of an old-fashioned finish.

Choose from these 10 free grunge textures to give your photos the boost they need. Or to save you from all the hassle, use the tips we gave you.

The post Grunge Overlays: Where to Find Them and How to Create Your Own 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.

Watch out for these design trends!

Trends, trends, trends. You either hate them, love them, or don’t bother with them at all.

But the thing about trends is … they happen for a reason.

People establish trends when they notice an uprise in audience engagement. So, if they notice their audience is veering toward black and white photography over color, then their next step will be integrating more black and white photography into their portfolios.

If they notice that clean, modern fonts are in demand over dramatic, complex fonts, then what’s their next move? Steering away from complex fonts and opting for more modern ones instead.

In other words, trends are like guides. They’re here to steer us in the right direction or at the very least, show us a few new tricks of the trade.

By staying ahead of photo and design trends, you can ensure that you’re creating the visuals your audience is drawn to most.

If you’re curious what trends to be on the lookout for in 2022, we’ve got just the article for you.

In today’s article, we’re peeling back the curtain on photo and design trends along with why they’re important. We’re also sharing five trends you can start taking advantage of right away.

Ready to get started?

Here’s what you’ll learn today:

• Why is it important to take advantage of photo and design trends in 2022?

1. Using imagery to support diversity and inclusion movements
2. Making information more digestible with descriptive icons
3. Optimizing email marketing campaigns with responsive templates
4. Personalizing blog content with custom featured images
5. Enhancing palettes with the “color of the year”

• How to choose the right photo and design trends to capitalize on in 2022
• Wrap up

Why is it important to take advantage of photo and design trends in 2022?

Taking advantage of photo and design trends is important if you want your work and business to be seen. It’s not about throwing out your trademark photo and design choices. It’s about finding ways to add in new techniques to make your work even better.

Hopping on the trend bus may seem overwhelming, but the key is to capitalize on trends that make the most sense for your goals.

For instance, if you’re a portrait photographer, then keeping up with the latest urban photography trends may not be necessary. But trends like using vertical composition and trying your hand at iPhoneography might be worth checking out.

The same goes for design. If you’re a graphic designer specializing in logo creation, taking advantage of trends like 360 photography may not make sense. But trends like implementing the color of the year and optimizing for readability could uplevel your work in powerful ways.

Here are some other reasons it’s important to take advantage of photo and design trends:

1. Encourage virality by integrating the most current, popular trends

If increasing awareness is a goal of yours, infusing trends into your work might give you that extra visibility oomph you’re looking for.

2. Shapeshift your skills according to your audience’s changing needs and demands

Never lose sight of your audience’s changing demands. Nurture your audience with new photography and design work during every stage in the customer journey.

3. Learn new ways to demonstrate and work with art

Keep your muses and inspiration close by learning new ways to approach your art.

4. Always remain in a state of learning

Going through the same motions for years on end without learning new skills can turn design and photography stale. Implementing trends into your work can help you remain in a learning state — and improve your art in the long run.

1. Using imagery to support diversity and inclusion movements

While it’s unfortunate how late this trend popped up, we’re thankful it finally did.

Diversity and inclusion efforts are taking the world by storm, and the same couldn’t be more true for design and photography.

In today’s photography and design, we’re seeing more black, brown, Asian, and Arab people featured in campaigns, among other minority groups, too. We’re also seeing more body-positive images, including people of all shapes and sizes, and people with disabilities featured, as well.

In fact, diversity and inclusion trends are so prominent they’ve been making their way into branded style guides and company culture expectations.

If you peruse blogs often, you’ll see increasingly more diversity in featured images, like the one below in an article about gifting money to children.

You’ll also notice that digital illustrations are more inclusive as well. From changing skin tones to using plus-size figures, illustrated people are no longer small and fair-toned but rather display a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

Some other ways diversity and inclusion movements are showing up in photography and design trends include:

• Gifs and memes (appropriate ones, of course)
• Stock images
• Company videos and testimonials
• Pop-culture references
• Fashion and hair photos

2. Making information more digestible with descriptive icons

In a Google-focused world, information is like currency — but only if it’s digestible.

The days of jargon-filled writing and using complex graphics are long gone. Today, information must be valuable, relatable, personalized, and most importantly, easy to understand.

The cost of not making information easy to understand? Risking not being seen.

If your information is cluttered and lacks proper structure and images, search engines won’t rank your content well. If organic marketing is a key pillar in your growth plan, that’s a big deal.

When it comes to trends, we’re seeing a lot of descriptive icons that make information more digestible.

For instance, if you take a look at the information listed on this invoice parsing page, you’ll notice descriptive icons are placed above features, like this example shows:

Reading a plethora of features isn’t just tiring. It’s boring, too.

Including something as simple as descriptive icons can make the content easy to scan, read, and understand.

3. Optimizing email marketing campaigns with responsive templates

Email marketing is one of the best ways to stay in touch with your audience. But in a sea of newsletter subscriptions, how can you be sure your content will stand out?

There are several email marketing trends you can follow, like creating a VIP members club or implementing high-impact videos.

But the trend we’re highlighting today gets a few extra points. Why? Because it’s a trend that’ll never go out of style.

It’s called: using responsive email templates.

With responsive email templates, you can always count on a look, feel, design, and structure designed with the reader in mind.

In other words, you’ll spend less time getting the technical stuff down right, and more time writing valuable content for your email subscribers.

Here are some ways to make the most out of responsive email templates:

• Choose templates in line with your brand’s colors, logo, and aesthetics
• Choose templates that are simple and place less emphasis on the “bells and whistles”
• Test your top picks to see which templates your audience connects with most
• Learn from existing templates and use that information to create your own

4. Personalizing blog content with custom featured images

While stock images are still in demand, when it comes to featured images, they’re becoming less and less popular.

Why?

Audiences are becoming pickier about the blog content and images they want to consume. What’s more, audiences are starting to notice the same stock images dispersed across other blogs and channels.

Imagine you just stumbled across an article you’re eager to get information from, and you notice the header image is the same as another article you read.

It loses its sparkle, doesn’t it? You might even begin to question whether the content in the article is unique enough to deliver the value you’re looking for.

So, what’s taking the place of these overused stock images?

Custom featured images.

For instance, if you look at this blog on building a SaaS marketing strategy, you’ll notice the featured image at the top was custom-designed:

Not only does the custom image differentiate this article from others, but it also helps to further establish a brand image.

In other words, custom images make your content unique and solidify your brand image at the same time.

In the future, we’re anticipating that custom images will supersede stock images on all fronts. We’re expecting they’ll take the place of stock images entirely, not just in feature images.

5. Enhancing palettes with the color of the year: Peri Purple

Hopping on color trends is another popular option in 2022, and what better way to take advantage of this trend than to implement the color of the year into your photos and design?

Color is a top pillar of great design, and the new Pantone color of the year, Peri Purple, is expected to be a hit. Previous color trends that have made their mark include Millennial Pink and Gen-Z Green.

Here’s what Peri Purple looks like:

Peri Purple is meant to symbolize the global spirit of the moment — where physical and digital lives are merging in new ways. In a pandemic world, Peri Purple is just the color we need.

Peri Purple has blue qualities and violet-red undertones, so if blues, reds, oranges, purples, and/or yellows are in your brand colors, you’ll love this trend.

You can also play with variations of Peri Purple in case the exact tone isn’t a good match for your brand.

Take a look at some of the other variations below:

While tons of brands are taking advantage of this color trend, we especially like the way this travel nursing companies brand is doing it:

In this example, you’ll notice the brand features a banner at the top of the page with a background that includes several variations of Peri Purple.

This is a fun way to play with color without overwhelming your audience since all hues in the spectrum are soft and natural.

Here are some ways you can infuse the color of the year into your graphics and visuals:

• Integrate Peri Purple in your email backgrounds
• Add a variation of Peri Purple to your website banners
• Use Peri Purple as a background color in your infographic templates
• Use a variation of Peri Purple as a background in your photoshoots
• Add Peri Purple to your brand palette for the year — switch it out for the new color of the year when it changes
• Snap a photo of all of your products that include Peri Purple or variations of it — use the image in your product photography marketing plan

How to choose the right photo and design trends to capitalize on in 2022

The trends we covered in this article don’t even scratch the surface of what’s popular right now.

In fact, if you’re looking for even more trends, you’ll love our article called 14 Latest Photography Trends You Should Not Miss Out in 2022.

But the problem with so many trends is it can be confusing to know which to try out.

In this section, we’re taking the guesswork out and sharing six easy steps to decide which trends to capitalize on, first.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Consider your priorities

Why do you want to integrate trends into your design and photography? Are you feeling stuck? Are you looking to improve your current aesthetics? In this step, get laser clear on your priorities.

2. Choose specific, actionable goals

What do you hope to gain by integrating trends into your design and photography work — and how will you know that you’ve succeeded?

For instance, do you want to gain more visibility? Are you hoping to encourage virality? Do you want to be more inclusive?

Jot down specific, actionable goals.

3. Analyze current photography and design trends

Read through your favorite photography and design blogs (cough, cough …) to spot the latest trends. Write down a list of the top ten trends you think will help you reach your goals.

4. Pick your trends

Study the trends a bit more and reduce your list to three to five trends, for simplicity’s sake.

5. Test your trends

Implement your new trends and set metrics to see what’s working and what’s not. Use social media posts, online surveys, or one-on-one meetings to ask your audience for feedback for a deeper insight into what they’re thinking.

6. Pivot and drop trend if necessary

Analyze which trends are helping you reach your goals and which ones aren’t. Pivot when needed and drop any trends that aren’t helping you get closer to your goals.

Wrap Up

Trends happen for a reason. They’re like guides — here to steer us in the right direction and teach us something new.

Staying ahead of photo and design trends means creating visuals your audience cares most about — and growing your reach in the process.

In today’s article, we peeled back the curtain on photo and design trends. We shared the importance of taking advantage of trends and gave you five examples to reference. We also shared how to choose the right trends to capitalize on in 2022.

Here’s a quick refresher of the photo and design trends we covered today:

• Using imagery to support diversity and inclusion movements
• Making information more digestible with descriptive icons
• Optimizing email marketing campaigns with responsive templates
• Personalizing blog content with custom featured images
• Enhancing palettes with the “color of the year”

Looking forward to trying out any of these trends? Have you tried any of them recently? Leave a comment below to let us know what you think.

Looking for a photo editor plus a suite of photo and design tools you can access on the go?

Then you’ll love Colorcinch tools. Head to this page to edit your first photo today. No sign-up required.

About Guest Author: Vikas Kalwani

Vikas is a product-led growth marketer and B2B Marketing Specialist skilled in SEO, Content Marketing, and Social Media Marketing. He manages partnerships at uSERP and is a mentor at 500 Global.

The post Top 5 Design Trends to Watch Out for in 2022 appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

A wise man once said, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but the truth is that people DO judge a book by its cover.

Similarly, a blog logo is like a book cover. It is the first thing your visitors notice about your blog.

It’s also a visual representation of your brand identity, values, and vision. Just think about Nike, Apple, McDonald’s, etc., logos.

These logos are instantly recognizable, and each carries specific connotations in our minds. When you see one of these logos, you immediately think about who they are as a brand and what they sell.

That’s the power of having a good logo.

So, if you’re going to start a professional blog, you need to design a logo that stands out from the crowd.

The good news is that creating an iconic logo doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. It can be pretty straightforward if you know what tools to use.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of designing a blog logo. As a bonus, we will list some of the best free logo designing tools.

But first.

Why Do You Need a Logo for Your Blog?

A logo is one of the first ways your target audience becomes familiar with your blog and brand. It tells who you are and what they can learn from reading your blog. But, without a logo, readers may not be able to identify your blog again quickly.

Furthermore, when people see a professionally designed logo for a company or blog, they’re more likely to believe that the company is reputable and trustworthy. This can lead to increased sales and help your business grow.

In short, a blog logo is crucial for:

1. Grabbing users’ attention
2. It builds brand recognition and identity
3. It builds trust
4. Show off your professionalism
5. Help you marketing

Now you know the benefits of having a blog logo, let’s see what type of logo you should create.

What Type of Blog Logo Should You Design?

Blogs are not just for individuals. A blog can be a hobby, a company, or even a brand blog. As with any business, you want to stand out from the competition, and one way to do that is with a great logo.

The purpose of your logo will depend on the type of blog you have, but in general, it should reflect your professionalism and represent your brand.

There are several types of logos used by blogs. Some people prefer text-based, some logo-based, and some graphical logos. And while there are many different types of image formats to use, some stand out better than others.

To create your blog’s logo, consider using one of the following designs.

1. Wordmark Logo

A text-based or Wordmark logo is a simple design that includes only the name of your blog. This type of logo is often used by established brands that are recognizable without the need for any graphical elements.

Wordmark logos are often used by companies and brands like Coca-Cola, Google, Microsoft, etc.

To create a Wordmark logo, you can select any font and color for each letter. You can also choose different font sizes, spacing, and formatting text.

If you have a shorter name, you can place two words together or stack them one on top of another. In the end, the goal is to find something that looks great and represents your brand well.

2. Pictorial Mark Logo

A graphic-based or pictorial mark logo is a type of logo that uses graphics or illustrations that represents the brand’s values, ethics, and ideals.

Some graphic logos use just one image; others might use multiple images to represent the company.

These logos are ideal for businesses who want to communicate an abstract concept through their logo design. For example, Nike’s swoosh is the company’s graphic-based logo, but the text “Nike” isn’t included.

Graphic-based logos are usually simpler than typographic logos, and they are primarily used as representations of blogs that have established themselves as brands.

3. Combination of Both

This type of logo is a combination of both graphics and text. In other words, it contains a graphic image (called a logomark) and the company’s name written in text. Some great examples of such logos are Disney, Dell, Pizzahut, etc.

The following seven-step process will guide you in creating a beautiful logo that will look great on your blog.

7 Steps for Designing a Blog Logo

1. Think About Your Audience

The first and most crucial step in designing a blog logo is to think about your audience. The more specific you can be about your target audience, the better.

To get a clearer picture of your audience, ask yourself:

• Who am I writing for?
• Are you targeting millennials or baby boomers?
• Writing for women or men?
• Are they young or older?
• How will my brand change over time?

These are just a few questions to ask before you start designing your blog logo, which will help identify the best color scheme, typography, and design elements for your brand.

For example, if you design a logo for an older audience, consider avoiding trendy typefaces in favor of something more traditional.

And if you have multiple audiences in mind, consider creating more than one version of your blog logo, so it appeals to each one.

2. Use Design Sites for Inspiration

Unless you are a professional logo designer, your first attempts at creating a logo are unlikely to impress your audience. The best way to avoid this is to look at great logos for ideas.

When looking for inspiration, don’t just look at other blogs in your niche.

Instead, look around at logos from big brands in any industry and see if you can find any elements you like. The more variety, the better! You never know what might spark an idea or help you find the right combination of colors or fonts.

Get inspiration from a marketplace such as Creative Market, which offers millions of graphics, icons, stock photography, and pre-made logo designs.

Explore the site for ideas or buy any interesting assets. By looking at all the different items available on the site, you can better understand what logos you can create.

3. Choose a Color Palette that Reflects Your Website

Every blog has a color scheme that makes it unique — whether you’ve chosen one or not.

Before you start designing your logo, you want to ensure that the colors you choose work with your brand and overall blog aesthetic.

If your website has a crisp, clean look, you want to select colors that reflect that style choice. If you have a more artistic, bohemian feel to your site design, you’ll need to pick colors that evoke that mood.

As you start brainstorming your blog logo ideas, it’s best to choose 3-5 color palettes that match the overall look of your website.

One of the best ways to create a color palette is with Adobe Color.

This free tool allows you to browse through thousands of color palettes created by other designers.

You can also create your own using the color wheel and even adjust your chosen colors until you find the perfect combination for your brand.

4. Pick the Right Font

After picking a color palette, choosing a font for your blog logo design is next. There are a lot of fonts out there, and it can be overwhelming to pick the perfect one. So, here are some valuable tips for choosing fonts.

First, start picking two fonts max. The best blog logos use one or two fonts, and some use just one.

Secondly, avoid using too many fonts; this can make your logo look messy and difficult to read. Instead, use a clean font that’s easy to read. This will ensure your logo looks great on smaller devices like mobile and tablets.

In addition, the font you choose should fit with the tone of your site; for example, if your site is fun and casual, then a stylish script font might be a good choice, but if it’s more formal, then a serif or sans-serif font would be better.

Luckily, there are some online tools like BrandCrowd help you design thousands of text logos in just seconds.

Enter your blog name and click on the search button to get started. Within seconds, you will have dozens of attractive logo options. You can use these logos or edit them freely to suit your purposes.

5. Make a Few Versions

Sometimes a single logo isn’t enough. There are times when you need to use it in different situations and colors.

A good example is a website’s favicon, which is the icon that appears on your browser tab. It might be small and light on detail, but it needs to be recognizable as your logo, right?

Making multiple variations of your logo will help you make sure it looks good everywhere they are used.

So, when designing your logo, it is essential to create at least three variations. You can use the same core design and only tweak the colors or size to make these variations.

For example, if your first version uses a complex font and has an illustration, your second version could use a simpler font and focus on the illustration.

6. Create Your Logo Using a Logo Designer Tool

If you are not familiar with design principles or don’t have enough budget to hire any designers, you can still design your blog logo with the help of free online design tools. Remember that the cost of logo design doesn’t determine if it is the best logo for you or not. You can absolutely design your own logo or have a professional logo designer do it for you.

There are several logo designing platforms available, and we recommend using Colorcinch.

Colorcinch is an online free logo maker tool that allows you to create your unique logo in just a few clicks. The process is straightforward and intuitive, even for people with no graphics skills.

You can use the default image or upload your photo from Facebook or your computer. You can also change the logo’s color, add a picture, add text, and more.

Colorcinch is free to use. However, the free version of the tool comes with several limitations. If you want access to all the premium features and graphic collections, you need to upgrade to the premium version, costing you only $3.99 per month.

7. Upload the Logo to Your Blog

Once your logo is ready, it’s time to upload it to your website as a transparent PNG file. This will ensure it looks great on all backgrounds.

1. Uploading logo to your WordPress site

If you are using WordPress CMS, follow these steps.

Step 1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel.

Step 2. Go to Appearance > Customize > Site Identity.

Step 3. Under the Site Title and Tagline, you can see the Site Icon option.

From there, upload your logo and hit the Publish button.

2. Uploading logo to your Wix site

Step 1. Go to the Settings tab and click on the Business Info.

Step 2. Click on the Add Logo option under Your Profile section.

Step 3. Upload your logo and then Save it.

3. Uploading logo to your Squarespace site

To upload a logo to your Squarespace site, follow these steps.

Step 1. Click on Edit of your site preview.

Step 2. Hover over the header and click Edit Site Header.

Step 3. Click Site Title & Logo.

Step 4. Then Upload Your Logo and click Save.

That’s it! Now, you have successfully uploaded a logo to your website.

You can also check what your logo looks like by opening it on another browser.

Wrapping Up

Now that you are familiar with creating a logo, it’s time to apply your knowledge and make it yourself.

Before you begin designing a logo, you need to determine what kind of logo you want to create; there are many different kinds of logos, and each one needs a slightly different approach.

Reflecting on your business, making an initial sketch, and researching the logo design process will be much easier.

I hope you found this little guide on “how to design a blog logo” helpful and informative. Hop on and try our powerful image editing tool for free.

About Guest Author: Jyoti Ray

Jyoti is the founder of WPMyWeb.com, which specializes in social media, marketing, and SEO. He writes and has been featured on JeffBullas, SurveyAnyplace, SearchEngineWatch, and more.

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Your website is often the first experience people have with your business, so you must design it right. Your website is where you’ll start to build a relationship with your customers, including the location where you’ll generate leads and build brand awareness. Having a website with poor design can negatively impact your sales by causing people to leave your website before they even get a chance to look at your offerings.

A business’ website should always be designed with the audience in mind and provide a good user experience. If your website isn’t performing as well as you want it to, you may need to take a look into improving your website design. Here are unique ideas to improve your website design and user experience.

1. Remove Distractions

While you want your website to be unique, you don’t want to overdesign it and have elements that distract visitors from the messages you’re trying to convey. For example, complicated animations, long content, and too many colors can detract from telling potential customers who you are and what you offer.

Your audience has a short attention span, so your website needs to be clear about what users can expect to find in different site areas and why they should choose you over the competition.

Always start by having brand guidelines to work off of. Your brand guidelines should tell you the types of fonts and colors to use throughout the website, including imagery, logos, and iconography. Without a guideline, it will be challenging to design pages with a clear message. You should also avoid too many design elements, including interactions and animations. If there’s too much movement on the site, it can be overwhelming for the end-user.

Check out ShareAble for Hires’ homepage design, for example.

As you can see below, the website follows clear brand guidelines while not detracting from its main message, which is the benefit of its service for small businesses. They also have two button colors, one for those who are already members and another for those who want to try out the service. Their fonts and spacings are also cohesive and look good together, whether light, medium, or bolded.

In this same example, the hero image also demonstrates the brand messaging of offering fast background checks without distracting from the main copy.

2. Social Proof

If you enjoy online shopping, you might read the reviews for every product before buying it. Most people prefer to purchase products that have at least four stars. When looking at reviews, you start to trust the product and believe it will deliver on its promises. The same is true when it comes to your website. Social proof in the form of testimonials from real people increases trust with your customers and makes them more likely to convert.

There are different types of testimonials to choose from. Many successful businesses opt for video testimonials so your website visitors can see a real person speak about the product or service. Videos also hold your audience’s attention for longer, giving your brand more time to develop trust.

You can also choose text testimonials. But you must ensure they look legit and your audience will believe they came from real people.

3. Create a Call-to-Action

When a visitor is on your side, you want to guide them to different places to nurture them and eventually lead them to convert, such as contacting through a call widget, making a purchase or filling out a form. You should always lead your website visitors down a path without making them do too much work or think on their own. You can point them in the right direction with quality call-to-action (CTAs).

The placement of your CTAs matters. Placing them in front of your audience makes them more likely to click the buttons you want them to click. A few good places for CTAs are the top right of your navigation, the bottom of web pages, and below sections where you ask them to take action on your website.

When considering your CTA’s, never lose sight of the buyer’s journey. You can put CTAs anywhere on your site, but if someone isn’t ready to make a purchase, they won’t take action of any kind. So instead, understand where your user is in the customer journey from the page they’re on.

For example, if they’re on a website reading a blog about how to choose the best dog bed, they’re probably not ready to make a decision yet, so a CTA asking them to buy your dog bed isn’t going to work. Instead, they might be interested in getting in touch with your enterprise contact center for further information about a specific product before they purchase.

4. Organize Your Navigation

Website navigation is a crucial design element that inexperienced web designers often overlook. The navigation displays the site’s main areas that your users can visit. This allows them to visit certain pages rather than looking through many pages of your website to find the information they need.

Sites with confusing navigation typically have high bounce rates because users don’t know where to begin to find the right information. Overstuffing navigation, confusing text, and a lack of organization can make it challenging to navigate your website. If users can’t find what they came to the website to find, they’ll leave.

If you want to improve your website navigation, you should consider your navigation hierarchy. Some pages of your website are more important than others and should be front and center for your users. Organized navigation helps your user find what they’re looking for, which means lower bounce rates and higher conversions.

Effective project management ensures that these improvements are implemented systematically and efficiently.

5. Have a Scrolling Homepage

A few years ago, website owners believed having a home page that was too long would scare customers away, forcing them to shove as much information as possible onto a tiny screen. However, nowadays, people expect your website to scroll. If users notice your website doesn’t scroll, they may think your website has thin content that won’t hold up to the competition.

Having a scrolling homepage allows you to put anything you want on it, including testimonials and reasons why your customers should choose you over the competition.

6. Optimize for Mobile

Every website should be responsive to be easily accessed on mobile devices. Consumer-facing companies should make mobile a main priority. Most of your visitors will be searching for you using their smartphones. Optimizing your website for mobile means being visually responsive. But it also means tailoring your mobile version to address the needs of mobile visitors. For example, someone coming to your website via their smartphone might have different expectations than someone on a desktop.

7. Test Everything

Every time you make a design change to your website, you should know its impact. You can easily A/B test different design elements with Google Optimize or another website A/B testing software to learn what changes impact your website and whether those impacts are positive or negative. By continuing to test your website design, you can find ways to increase conversions without too much effort.

These unique and mind blowing ideas ideas are not only good for your website design. They can also help you build a relationship with your audience and generate leads.

About Guest Author: Matt Casadona

Matt has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. He is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys San Diego life, traveling, and music.

The post 7 Unique and Mind-Blowing Ideas To Better Your Website Design appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.