1. 10 Graphic Design Tips
for Non-Designers
IxDWorks & Tallinn Summer School 2014
Valeria Gasik, Daria Tokranova, Roger Puks
Tuesday, July 29, 14
2. 1.Good design has a reason
(...and isn’t random)
• Who are you designing for? What is the attitude of
your project? What is the message you want to
deliver?
• Why? Education and teaching, calling for action,
featuring and spotlighting?
• Do your research: Google your way to the market
knowledge.
Tuesday, July 29, 14
3. Simple and easy? Serious and official?
Beautiful and girly? Good old retro?
Tuesday, July 29, 14
4. 2. Minimal is NOT lazy.
(Laconic design is a good design)
Tuesday, July 29, 14
5. White color is not a reason to panic :)
Tuesday, July 29, 14
6. 3.Images can say a lot
(so don’t let them say stupid things)
Make sure your visual:
• ...has good quality (hi-res, no watermarks, avoid or correct
“noise”/chromatic aberration, good focus and light)
• ...tastefully used (don’t over-design with lot’s of graphics)
• ...fits to the concept
Tuesday, July 29, 14
7. 4. Pick your colors carefully
(and stick to 2-4 color palette)
Tuesday, July 29, 14
10. Pantone color of theYear
2014 - Radiant Orchid
Tuesday, July 29, 14
11. 5. Nail the typography
•Go simple!
• Limit use of different fonts to 2 (max 3)
• A good font can “be” your design
• Avoid “funny”,“gimmicky” and crazy
fonts.
• Find font that works for you and use it
with pride :)
Tuesday, July 29, 14
16. 6.Create a hierarchy
• Choose ONE important thing in your
design and build everything else around it
• Emphasize and accentuate key-elements
with one color/font
• Don’t try to get everything to stand out
Tuesday, July 29, 14
17. 7. Seek for inspiration
• Check moodboard libraries or create your
own (can go digital with Moodboard app or
crafty with just scissors and printed media)
Tuesday, July 29, 14
18. • Do sketches and doodles, just for yourself.
(things that you love, ideas that are better expressed on paper — anything)
• Invest time in your good taste — observe
good design and beautiful things around you.
(Communicate your tacit knowledge and gradually develop you aesthetic sense
and taste by setting a minimum of beautiful things you should see per day. It can
be a magazine, a blog, a gallery, a museum — everything you think will add a tiny
drop to the ocean of your good taste.)
Tuesday, July 29, 14
19. 8. Steal good ideas
(never copy and imitate!)
• Good ideas, that are worth to be continued
and developed further
• Techniques and styles, but only for re-
mixing with your own personality
• Design elements like great colorschemes,
font combinations, interesting composition
etc
• Your old designs and ideas
Do “steal”:
Tuesday, July 29, 14
20. 9. Don’t steal anything else
• Make sure images you use are purchased and
licensed accordingly
(every visual in Google Images has an owner and some of those owners are
well equipped with good lawyers)
• Re-check font license for commercial
projects
• Sound libraries and music tracks
• Even when license formalities are set,
crediting authors is a good manner
Tuesday, July 29, 14
21. 10. Use common sense
• Double check for spelling/grammatical
errors
• Be modern but not “trendy” as it goes old
• Add content that is relevant (unique and
interesting to read)
• Don’t over-design! (there has to be a
moment of letting go.)
• Listen to feedback from everyone, yet listen
to critiques of professionals only.
Tuesday, July 29, 14
22. Bonus. Be yourself :)
• Use your personal hobbies and interests,
knowledge and skill set to make your
design unique
• Make your own photos/illustrations
• Work on your style and vision
Tuesday, July 29, 14
