Creating digital ad designs that catch the attention of regular passer-byers is not an easy task at all. Graphic design plays an important role in marketing campaigns and ads as it can really make a product stand out when it is a design that leaves a lasting impact on people’s minds. The design has to be curated to right amount of balance in many different elements in order for people to want to stop, read further details on it and be interested in your message.
Major companies throughout the world all stay true to their own recognizable styles and themes when designing an ad, from the colour schemes to the font style. Although they are both athletic brands with similarities, you could always tell apart a Nike billboard from an Adidas billboard solely based on the graphic designs alone. A brand has to find their own style and stay consistent all throughout their digital designs as people who see them often will start to familiarize with the overall image of the brand.
How exactly do we create unique designs that make our brand/products stand out?
1. Plan your project beforehand
It is important that you plan out the direction of where you want this design to go before you even start the designing process. Planning out the narrative and theme for your design will lead you to decide on major elements such as the colour schemes and fonts. Not all background colours and fonts go together, hence, it is important that you curate the idea for your design so that it will look uniformed and turn out a lot more professional.
2. Research and gain inspiration
If you are feeling short on ideas for your design, the internet is bound to be your place of saviour. Spend some time, surf the web for creative designs, identify what you want in your design and also flaws that you’d try to prevent. Don’t be afraid to borrow ideas or imitate other designs as well, if it works for them, it might work for you too.
3. Sketch your draft by hand
Before digitally creating your design on a design software, you should sketch out your design by hand in a sketch book or maybe an iPad. This will give you a brief image of the final outcome of the project. You could use a grid to start planning the alignment of your images and texts in this process. Having a well-sought out grid will help make your design appear more structured and professional.
4. Keep it minimalistic
Many graphic designers are now opting for more simplistic and minimalistic designs because the end result will look more modern and pleasing to the eyes of viewers. Minimalistic designs allow the image to look clean and uncluttered, allowing the viewers to see a clear message without any unwanted distractions.
5. Contrasing font styles
In graphic design, the term opposites attract really stands true for the pairing of font sizes and styles. If you are putting in a big and bold main title for your design, be sure to tone down the font for the rest of the wordings. Too much of the same striking font will not be particularly pleasing to the eyes, it will make the viewer unsure of where to look. Besides that, keep in mind to not use too many different font styles as well, 2-3 font styles and sizes are usually ideal.
6. Readable information
Text font size, style and colour complementing is very important for the visual appeal of your project. You also need to ensure that your readers are able to easily read the information displayed on the design. Placing darker fonts on lighter background and vice versa will help make the words appear striking. Try to avoid using complicating cursive font styles or font styles that are too thin as well, pick an optimum style that corresponds to the message and professionalism.
7. Numbers and statistics
When designing promotional materials or advertisements, try to make your piece less wordy. People would not want to read a brochure or billboard filled with text and details. Instead, try to include more statistical data and numbers for infographics as people will be more engaged with numbers. When displaying numbers and figures, try using charts or icons to display information.
8. Don't be afraid to experiment
The most important tip of all about digital designing is to not be afraid to explore your creative ideas and be bold with your design. As an artist, it is essential that you use your creativity to create something extraordinary. Don’t be afraid to explore 3D-fonts, unconventional layouts, coloured fonts, dramatic patterns etc. The sky really is the limit with digital design.
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