No matter how small of a business or organization you are, you deserve (and need!) well-designed marketing pieces. People are attracted to good design, and it increases your credibility! In this post, we will go over ten design ideas to help you look better...
- Hierarchy - Not everything in your newsletter or brochure needs to be bold, or all caps. Keep headings larger and bold, and paragraph or sub-text smaller. Before starting a project, prioritize information and decide what you really want the audience to see. If a person were to only glance at your newsletter, what would you want them to see as they skim through? Give the eyes a place to start when they see your design!
- Color - Often, people get caught up in using colors. People want to use lots of color so that their piece 'pops' and stands out among the rest. Too much color can be distracting, and the wrong colors can turn people off (like yellow text). With the right hierarchy and layout, you won't need 15 colors to make your piece stand out. Choose a color scheme of 3-4 colors, and stick with it!
- Don't Stretch Text - Please, please, please stop stretching your text boxes. Your headline does not have to fill the entire line across your page. Sometimes, you just have to "fiddle with" the text and layout to get the look you are wanting. But, stretching a text box is not the answer, friends!
- White Space - While we're talking about layouts and filling space, this is another great thing to include in your marketing pieces: white space! Just like your eyes need a place to start, your eyes need room to breathe. There are good ways to use white space, and there are bad ways to use it. It's all about balance. Know the difference!
- High Quality Images - Using high quality images on your website, newsletter and other marketing pieces is another way to create credibility. No one wants to see low-res images or clip art. But, this does NOT mean you can simply grab a photo from Google images. Current Fair Use image copyright laws state that you are liable for using copyrighted images even if it was an accident, you took it down, you cite the source or photographer or you don't make money from it. Here is a great list of free and legal photos you can utilize!
- Typography - If it's not color that people go crazy about, it's fonts. But, really, it's simple: two (or three) fonts MAX per piece. Typically, you contrast sans serif fonts (headlines) with serif fonts (paragraph text). These are not the case 100% of the time, but more often than not, this is the best route to go.
- Balance - Try to have some balance in your piece between graphics and text. More and more, people do not like to read. If you can, put the basics (the "need to know") on your piece, and refer them to your website for the rest of the details! Another aspect of balance to consider – your piece does not have to be symmetrical. Avoid putting things in the dead center and in the four corners!
- Purpose - Everything you use in your design should have a purpose. Avoid decorative graphics. Be intentional about the images, color and typography you use. Every element in a design should be intentional because it's conveying a message. (click to tweet!)
- Know Your Audience - This goes hand-in-hand with being intentional about your design. Your design and copy should (intentionally) be different if you are marketing towards college students versus senior citizens, stay-at-home moms versus single ladies, etc.
- Don't Mimic - No one likes a copycat (plus, it can get you in trouble!) So, take this opportunity to be creative. Copying a design/look could cause confusion for your audience. Do you want people confusing your coffee shop with the one a few miles away? NO. Your audience should see your piece and know right away that it's you!