Blogs

Entering the world of design can be a daunting and, in some cases, even terrifying prospect for many individuals. It can be frightening to envision yourself not only creating your own designs, but also presenting them to the world and awaiting its feedback. However, like anything, a good start is half the battle. In order to become a successful designer, it is vital that you first understand the world of design and everything that it entails. Embarking on a design journey can be incredibly enjoyable, however it also requires hard work and dedication. Although many individuals will enjoy designing simply as a pastime, it is important to consider that if you wish to make a living out of this, then you will need to have the right balance of drive, ambition, and passion.

Additionally, the skill needed to become a successful designer is not something that people are born with, but something that is developed over time. A person may find that they have a talent for design, however in order to become truly skilled at the craft they must put in hours and hours of practice on a consistent basis. Luckily, gaining experience in the world of design can be available to anyone who seeks it. Examples of design can be seen in every aspect of life, as long as you know what to look for. In an effort to become a successful designer, it is important that you see the world through the eyes of a designer. This means that when you see a design that catches your eye, you not only examine the attractive qualities of the design, but also analyse the appeal it has to its target audience, and the reasons why it is so effective. This process will gradually improve your design skills and give you a wealth of experience to call upon when creating your own design ideas.

Furthermore, it can be extremely beneficial to identify a specific area or niche market of design that you would like to target in your designs. This is not vital, especially in the initial stages of becoming a designer, and although it may make life harder in the short term, it will be worth it in the long term. Having a specific style of design to focus on will give you an advantage over other designers who may be unsure of the purpose of their designs. This also allows you to put greater emphasis on the quality of your designs, rather than wasting time and energy altering designs to fit certain markets or purposes. 

Finally, and most importantly, there will never be a perfect time to enter the world of design, so it is best to dive in and learn as you go. Like anything, you will be faced with struggles and issues, but in the end these will all help you to learn and grow as a designer. As you move up in the design world you will see the improvements in your work and with consistent hard work combined with the right attitude you will become an excellent designer.

Graphic design refers to the communication of a message through the use of visual elements such as typography, illustration, photography, moving images, and many others. This is something that has greatly impacted the world in the areas of business, advertising, and everyday life, as nowadays a day won’t go by in which the average person is not faced with a design product, challenge or idea to think about. 

Some of the earliest examples of graphic design can be seen in newspapers and books in the form of typography, although it can be argued that ancient cave drawings are an even older form of graphic design. Following the success of design in newspapers and books, posters began to increase in popularity, as they allowed messages to be spread to the public with a sense of encouragement and persuasiveness that was unachievable beforehand. As the television began to emerge, with it came a change in the design world and a transition into the world of television advertising. This new approach grew rapidly and before long what was once a black and white poster on a wall was now a colourful, vibrant moving image design on a television screen. 

Nowadays, graphic design can be seen on almost every website, mobile phone, and billboard in the world. In comparison to its original capacity, the capabilities of graphic design nowadays are astounding. The implementation of this tool into any business model, website or product will drastically improve its success and effectiveness. Not only can graphic design increase profitability for businesses, but it can also improve the lives of its users on a daily basis. Graphic designers are always analysing their markets and trying to find new ways to improve their customer experience. This is particularly apparent in individuals with disabilities, who rely on designers to create images or designs that cater to their specific needs and allow them to operate systems as easily and straightforward as possible. Additionally, the use of graphic design is hugely popular in the gaming industry nowadays, as designers are always looking for new ideas and ways to impress customers within their games. Certain games require graphic designs to appear as realistic as possible, while others are created in the aim of simulating a fictional character, while also providing an enjoyable gaming experience. Therefore, the graphic designs in any game can truly maximise its potential in terms of profitability as well as the overall enjoyment of the game in its customers.

Although there are no absolute certainties for the world of graphic design in the coming years, it is assumed that it will only grow in popularity and success. As technology continues to improve, so too will the possibilities of graphic design. It is expected that new methods of design creation as well as animations will become available. Graphic designers will not only survive but begin to thrive in this world as their ideas and skills become more and more valuable as time goes on.

Any design can be a combination of various styles, themes, ideas and colours, however there is always a reasonable logic behind any design as it must always be extremely well thought out before it is created. While a certain amount of creativity and freedom is important in a successful design, the key component is the logic behind the creation which allows it to function effectively.

There are various elements of a design that need to be logically analysed before producing a creation. For example, the initial idea for the design must be backed by logic in terms of its feasibility and overall attraction. This means that the idea must make sense in a real-life scenario and function as a design should in that scenario. Furthermore, it is important that there is logic behind the style of the design, something that may be easily overlooked. An unsuitable design style may be detrimental to the success of the design and therefore it is essential that there is a strong reasoning and meaning behind the chosen style of the design.

Similarly, the colours in a design need to be logically analysed and chosen before implementation. This is also something that may be seen as insignificant or not important in the overall design, however an unsuitable or illogical colour scheme in a design can drastically reduce its effectiveness and success. For example, in a design aimed at an audience of young children, a more colourful and vibrant design will be more appealing and effective, however when targeting a more serious audience such as an older group of businessmen, a more tranquil and subdued colour scheme may be more appropriate.

One of the most important aspects of creating a design is establishing the target audience beforehand. This requires a lot of logical thinking and analysis as it will be the ultimate decider of whether or not the design is successful. The target audience is often neglected until the design is already created, and in this case, if the design is not suitable for its audience it will be a failure, regardless of how visually pleasing and enticing it may appear. 

Another aspect that needs to be logically examined in a design is the level of detail and complexity it showcases. This also ties into the target audience, as certain viewers will appreciate complexity more than others, and alternatively some will prefer a more simple and straightforward design. For this reason, it is vital that designers mirror the level of complexity in their design with the requirements of their target audience, in order to give the design, the best opportunity to be as successful as possible. Furthermore, the amount of empty space in a design should also be examined logically. This may not be an extremely important aspect to a design, however an overfilled or underfilled space can be detrimental to the appeal and overall success of a design. 

Logic is ultimately the driver of any design, regardless of its styles, themes, and variations. The successful implementation of logic in the design process maximises all other aspects and truly allows the design to be as effective as possible. 

Many people may view the task of designing a poster as an incredibly daunting and stressful one, however in most cases it is nowhere near as difficult as it is perceived to be. When initially tackling the prospect of designing a poster it can often be tough to figure out where to start. For this reason, it is important to plan out the process of your design before you try to create an image or blueprint for your poster. There are several elements to consider when designing a poster, however once these are analysed it can be truly a straightforward task for anyone to design a poster.

The first element to consider when designing a poster is the type of poster you wish to design and what the purpose of the poster will be and the audience it is targeting. Without a thorough understanding of the purpose of the poster and its audience it is impossible to design a truly effective poster. The use of various techniques, components and colours can be beneficial, detrimental, or simply pointless depending on the event or product the poster will eventually be advertising.  For example, a poster advertising an exciting event such as a festival or public gathering should contain a relatively simple design yet bright and vibrant colours in order to attract as many viewers as possible and retain their attention once they have seen the poster. In contrast to this, a poster advertising a brand such as a financial institution or large corporation may need to contain a more complicated design in order to convey more information, while also making use of a more subtle range of colours as a means of appearing professional while providing information about the brand or company. 

Once you have determined the purpose of the poster you are designing, you can then move on choosing one of the multiple styles and variations available for the design of the poster. It is important in this scenario to match the level of sophistication in the design with the purpose of the poster. As mentioned above, a poster for a festival is likely to contain a straightforward design while a business advertisement may be more complex. This is an incredibly important aspect as it will ultimately lead to the success or failure of the poster. If an overly simplistic poster is used in an environment in which viewers are expecting a more intricate and complicated design, the outcome can be either positive or negative. In some cases, the break from the sophistication the viewers are used to can be a welcome relief and therefore the poster will be a success, however if the design is received as childish and unprofessional it will not be taken well and may even be removed from its location.

In addition to this, once the design of the poster has been decided, the next step is to choose a colour scheme to work in combination with the design. Much like the design itself, the colours chosen can make or break a poster and be a major decider in its popularity among viewers. For example, a poster advertising childrens toys is recommended to contain bright and vibrant colours in order to catch the attention of children in supermarkets, toy stores and other similar locations. This is a straightforward element in the design of a poster, however it is incredibly important and when completed effectively it can dramatically increase the potential for success of the poster and everything it represents.

In contrast to popular belief, designing a poster is not rocket science and once the process is planned out and tackled structurally it can be an enjoyable and rewarding procedure. Among the most important elements of poster design are the purpose of the poster as well as the design features and colour themes involved. It is vital to be aware of your audience before creating a poster in order to know how to truly capture their attention and produce a poster that they find attractive and interesting. This is also an incredibly important element when considering the design styles and colour variations of your poster. Various audiences will react differently to various design styles and what works well for one group of viewers may not work well for another. This may appear as an added element of stress for designers, however it is truly a blessing in disguise as it allows anyone who wishes to design a poster to simply determine the purpose of their poster and their target audience and consequently use this information to determine the most suitable design techniques and colours to use in order to create the perfect poster.

There are many ideas and potentially popular techniques to improve the world of graphic design in 2021, however the use of softened colour themes appears to be a major prospect that is sure to be seen throughout the design community in the near and distant future.

There are several aspects the use of softened colour themes can bring to a piece of graphic design, one of which is the added sense of calmness and security it carries. The soft colours allow the viewer to feel safe and remove any feelings of anxiety or worry they may have in that moment. This simple choice of colour can dramatically change the mood and feelings of the viewer towards the piece of graphic design and can ultimately lead to a large increase of viewers enjoyment of the piece. Although some viewers may take something like a sense of security in a design for granted, many will appreciate the personal touch from the creator and will even feel a connection between the viewer and the designer through the design. This is something that is difficult to produce and is extremely valuable in the world of graphic design.

The use of low saturation in the colours of a design can also be a beneficial element as it can help the designer to find the perfect balance between a piece that is vibrant and lively yet still subtle and easily taken in. The use of overly bright and saturated colours can be off putting for some viewers as they will feel the design is too eccentric and energetic for them. While it is important for a graphic design to convey personality, it does not necessarily need to dazzle its viewers. In many cases a more subtle design with low saturation in its colour scheme can add the perfect amount of life and individuality to a piece, while also not appearing dull or boring to any viewers.

Nowadays more and more people are seeing the beauty of reconnecting with nature and the use of softened colour schemes can work excellently in combination with this. The use of more natural and organic colours can consciously and subconsciously remind viewers of the elements of nature which they enjoy, and which bring happiness to their lives. This can be extremely beneficial for the success of a graphic design as many viewers will associate positive feelings with the design they are viewing and are therefore more likely to enjoy the design. Furthermore, when this design is representing a certain product or brand, they are more likely to purchase the product or even find out more about the brand involved.

As the use of softened colour schemes creates a sense of safety and security in a design, it can be an extremely effective tool in combining the world of graphic design with the world of health and mental wellbeing. Many healthcare and mental health brands will see this style of design as an incredibly suitable option for their brands as they will want their customers to feel as safe and comfortable as possible when purchasing and using their products or services. A person suffering from anxiety or a similar mental issue can truly appreciate the calmness and tranquillity found in a design containing softened colour schemes and, in a world, where mental health problems appear to unfortunately be on the rise, this can be an incredibly beneficial option for healthcare and mental wellbeing brands. Furthermore, the use of softened colours rather than bright, vibrant colours are likely to appear more friendly and comfortable for those with more serious mental health issues and therefore these designs will be a more caring and empathetic option for these people.

In addition to this, the use of softened colour themes can help to make a graphic design appear as a type of shelter from chaos. Nowadays so many designs are filled with dazzling colours and bright, scintillating elements, which can be overwhelming for some viewers and ultimately deter them from certain designs and images. In contrast to this, the use of a design with more subtle, pleasant, and warm colours can be profusely more attractive to viewers as they will feel more comfortable and relaxed when viewing the piece. A truly exceptional piece of graphic design has the ability to make the viewer forget about any stresses and worries they may have in their lives at any given moment, and the use of softened colour themes gives a designer a much greater opportunity to achieve this ability. 

1. Boring designs

As a viewer there is nothing worse than a boring, lifeless design, especially when you are expecting something exciting and vibrant. One of the most important elements of a graphic design is the level of attractiveness it has for viewers and potential customers. This will suffer greatly if the design has no unique or energetic qualities, in particular if the image is representing a brand or company that prides itself on bringing spirit and enthusiasm to its customers lives.

2. Dull colours

In combination with a boring design, a selection of dull and lifeless colours will only be detrimental to the success of a graphic design. The key element of a promising design is that it stands out from its competitors and has a sense of individuality. It becomes incredibly difficult to achieve this if the image is being created using bland and boring colours. For this reason, it is recommended to add a certain amount of colour and liveliness to most graphic designs.

3. Overly Complicated designs

One of the most frustrating elements of a graphic design for a viewer is the use of complicated and confusing features. This can make a design difficult to look at and understand and will therefore ultimately take away from the success of the creation. Graphic design innovators may feel the more complex the design is, the more viewers it will attract, and this is the case for some items, however for most it will usually deter viewers from the brand.   

4. Overly basic designs

While over complicating a design can be an issue, creating designs that are too basic and straightforward can also be problematic. For certain products, a slightly complex design can bring an air of curiosity to an image and encourage the viewer to truly think about the message the design is trying to convey. In this case an excessively basic idea will not bring any added success to the creator. In general, it is advised to find a suitable balance between simplicity and complexity for a graphic design.

5. Too much colour/brightness

While a dull and lifeless design can be a major problem, an image that is too bright and colourful can be difficult for some viewers to look at. A design that is excessively dazzling will only make it appear unprofessional and, in some cases, even childish. For this reason, it is important to find the right balance between the darker and lighter tones of colours in order to make a graphic design successful.

6. Errors in grammar/spelling

Easy grammatical errors can be incredibly frustrating for viewers to find in a graphic design, especially one that they were finding enjoyable. Therefore, it is essential to check and double check all designs containing text before releasing them in order to ensure they are all entirely free of any grammatical or spelling errors. Something as simple as a missing exclamation mark can be detrimental to the success of a piece of graphic design.

7. Poor font choice

Much like finding the balance between a complicated and basic design, the same goes for the font choice used in the design. This may seem unimportant and meaningless to some viewers, however to some it will make or break the image. An unnecessarily bold or unusual font style can be off putting in an unsuitable design, while at the same time an excessively basic font choice can take away from the success of a more intricate graphic design. 

8. Underlining

While in many pieces of text or imagery, the use of the underline tool can be used to add emphasis and personality, in a graphic design it nearly always takes away from the attractiveness of the piece. A successful design should already be emphatic and unique and shouldn’t require an underline as in many cases this will simply convey the feeling that the piece is desperate for attention, something that is not attractive to viewers.

9. Overfilling space

The use of blank spaces is something that needs to be assessed carefully before completing a graphic design. Many creators will feel they need to fill every blank space and leave nothing vacant. This however may be detrimental to the prosperity of the design as it can end up looking unnecessarily complicated and cluttered. Often the best thing to do is to shape the current design to fit the space well, rather than adding to the design in order to try to fill as much space as possible.

10. Design is subjective

At the end of the day, no single graphic design will be everyone's cup of tea. As much as it is frustrating for the viewers and creators of these designs, it is and always will be impossible to please everyone. For this reason, it is important to create designs that you enjoy and are happy with, rather than trying to create a graphic design that everyone will enjoy, as this will only leave you disappointed.

Creating your own graphic design can be a different experience for every individual that embarks on this journey. While the prospect of creating a social media, website, or print design may be exciting and intriguing for some, it may be an entirely frustrating, daunting, or simply fearful expedition for others. Many clients will have several unrealistic expectations and assumptions about the graphic design process and maybe surprised and in some cases disappointed by the outcome, they are met within reality.

Many individuals will have expectations of their graphic designs that are unfortunately unrealistic and will ultimately leave them dissatisfied with their work. However, this is not due to a lack of quality in the designs created but rather an expected standard that is too high and entirely unachievable. For example, some users may approach the task of creating a design with high hopes and the expectation that it will be easy to produce a popular new creation that impresses people and enhances the image of a website, social media page or business logo. These users may then be frustrated when in reality they may struggle to generate the creativity needed to fabricate a unique image. Furthermore, users may find it difficult to impose their personality and individuality on a graphic design, leaving it somewhat boring and unimpressive.

Another expectation users may have regarding their graphic designs is that once a design is put in place in their chosen location, such as a social media page, the new design will transform the page entirely. Although a unique and interesting image is extremely important for a social media page or website, it can only enhance the page up to a certain extent. A page or site with an exceptional logo design but with limited and uninteresting content will not be hugely popular. In contrast to this, a page with incredibly entertaining content may lose out on a huge number of viewers and website traffic if it does not make use of an engaging and inviting graphic design in order to initially capture the viewer's attention.

The expected ease at which creativity and inspiration will be found when creating a graphic design can be detrimental to an individual as they will only be confused and annoyed when they find themselves struggling to come up with a new, unique idea for a design. Not only being creative but also being able to convert this creativity into an image or graphic design is not something that comes naturally to everyone, however many people simply assume that they will be able to do this with relative ease. This leads to frustration and an increased level of stress among these individuals when they sit down and try to force their creativity out and into some sort of idea for a graphic design. 

Furthermore, once a design has been created, the creator may expect every viewer to thoroughly enjoy it and to receive nothing but positive feedback on their creation. In reality, no matter how good the design is or how perfect and flawless the creator may feel it is, there will always be people who do not like it or simply wish to give a negative comment. These comments can be hurtful, especially when the design is something you have spent time and effort on, however negative feedback will only hurt more when you brainwash yourself into not expecting to receive it at all. There is no such thing as a perfect design and even if the majority of people enjoy an image, one or two may not and may even feel the need to comment negatively on the creation. It is important to not take any criticism to heart and try to understand what it is this person doesn't like about your design. The best way to handle negative comments is to try to use them to aid and improve your designs in the future. 

An additional expectation users may have is that they will be able to create an intricate and complicated design that is also aesthetically pleasing to viewers. This can be quite challenging to do and therefore may leave some individuals upset and confused when they struggle to construct a detailed and labyrinthine design. Not only can it be incredibly difficult to produce a design that contains complex and elaborate details, but it may even take away from the success and popularity of the design. In some cases, simplicity is more effective and some viewers may find a more basic design more enticing and enjoyable than an unnecessarily complicated one.

Here are 5 tips to keep your typography looking great!

1. Use font families

Popular fonts usually do not stand alone and are part of a "font family". These families have different weight and italic options which all work well together. Using related fonts helps develop a sense of unity in your designs.

2. Use only a few fonts

Strong visuals tend to use a very limited number of font families and not too many different fonts within those families. A good guide would be to use no more than 2 or 3 fonts in your design.

3. Type hierarchy 

Establishing hierarchy is an important function of type. Obvious font sizes and choices establish a clear content order for the eye to follow and ensures your are communicating effectively.

4. Create Contrast

Contrasting colours, sizes and font styles and layering fonts over graphics is a great way to create interest within your design. Using high contrast within your design and font choices will help you communicate clearer and keep viewers engaged with the design.

5. Alignment

For easy reading make sure your text is aligned in an orderly way. A good way to begin aligning things is keep things in their logical groups. For example you may align a heading and a sub heading and then align further details or contact information somewhere else in the design. Also keep your alignment consistent throughout the design -  don’t left align half of the text and suddenly switch to centre or right aligned.

We hope these tips help you and happy designing!

Some of the web safe fonts can’t go wrong with!

1. Arial

Arial is a clean and simple font used like the default one most of the time.

It’s one of the most widely used sans-serif fonts (which means no little curls at the end of each letter). It’s often substituted on Windows devices for other interesting font choices.

2. Roboto

Roboto is a sans-serif typeface that was developed by Google to be their system font for Android.

3. Playfair Display

The font Icomes in a range of weights from italic to bold, however, it’s often used in the lighter weight in headers due to its aesthetically-pleasing nature.

4. Helvetica

Helvetica is one of the world’s most popular fonts. It’s also one of the oldest – has been around since 1957. However, despite being quite a classic font, its enduring popularity can be attributed to its universal, modern appeal.

5. Montserrat

This geometric sans-serif font can be easily used almost anywhere on your website, whether it’s in a header or as smaller text.

Dzyn Space is a NZ owned online design tool that allows you to create social media, web and print designs by using a simple drag-and-drop technique.

Dzyn Space is easy to use and will save you time and money.

Sign up for an Early Bird Package and you will receive 2 hours of design time – valued at approx. $200 – from one of our designers for FREE.  

If you are unsure if Dzyn Space will work for you – contact John at john@dzynspace.co.nz. We will be happy to help!