Do you want a more professional-looking website and marketing materials without having to hire a pro? Then you need to learn what the pros know about graphic design. This slideshow covers the basics.
2. The Four Principles
Contrast
Repetition
Alignment
Proximity
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3. Why Are These Principles Important?
Not just about looking pretty
Easier and more inviting to read
Easier to find important information
Communicates relationships between elements
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4. Why Are These Principles Important?
Establishes credibility and trustworthiness
Guides the reader’s eye to important elements
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5. Principle# 1: Contrast
No contrast With contrast
Our Services
Acme Senior Consulting is a comprehensive geriatric care
management company. Empowering older persons and their families
Our Services
Acme Senior Consulting is a comprehensive geriatric care management
is a vital component of our professional services. Our services company. Empowering older persons and their families is a vital component
include: of our professional services. Our services include:
Geriatric Psycho-social Assessment: A crucial first step to assist you Geriatric Psycho-social Assessment: A crucial first step to
in determining the care needed by your aging parents, it includes: assist you in determining the care needed by your aging parents, it includes:
an evaluation of the emotional, mental, social, physical and living an evaluation of the emotional, mental, social, physical and
arrangement needs of your parent or family member. living arrangement needs of your parent or family member.
a written report designed to organize all the current information a written report designed to organize all the current
gathered during this assessment to get you started in providing information gathered during this assessment to get you started
appropriate care. in providing appropriate care.
Geriatric Care Management: Ongoing service to assist you in Geriatric Care Management: Ongoing service to assist you in
coordinating and managing your aging family member or parent's coordinating and managing your aging family member or parent's essential
essential daily living needs, this may include such support services daily living needs, this may include such support services as:
as: Housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, shopping,
Housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, shopping, transportation, transportation, bill payment, medical insurance claims and
bill payment, medical insurance claims and medical appointments; medical appointments;
Reassurance visits to ensure your parent's safety and quality of life; Reassurance visits to ensure your parent's safety and quality of
life;
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6. Principle# 1: Contrast
Establishes relationship between elements
Makes it easier to find information
Makes it more inviting to read
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7. Principle# 1: Contrast
How to Add Contrast
Size
Weight
Color
Style
Negative Space
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8. Principle# 2: Repetition
Our Services
Acme Senior Consulting is a comprehensive geriatric care management company.
Empowering older persons and their families is a vital component of our professional
services. Our services include:
Geriatric Psycho-social Assessment: A crucial first step to assist you
in determining the care needed by your aging parents, it includes:
an evaluation of the emotional, mental, social, physical and living
arrangement needs of your parent or family member.
a written report designed to organize all the current information
gathered during this assessment to get you started in providing
appropriate care.
Geriatric Care Management: Ongoing service to assist you in
coordinating and managing your aging family member or parent's essential daily
living needs, this may include such support services as:
Housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, shopping, transportation,
bill payment, medical insurance claims and medical appointments;
Reassurance visits to ensure your parent's safety and quality of life;
Design Like A Pro | Kelleher Web Design | www.kelleherwebdesign.com
9. Principle# 2: Repetition
Creates a consistent visual language
Establishes relationship between elements
Easier to read
Establishes credibility
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10. Principle# 2: Repetition
Limited color palette
Limited fonts (1-2 serif, 1-2 sans serif)
Repeat image elements and styles
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11. Principle# 2: Repetition
Too many fonts & colors can make you look like a stalker
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12. Principle# 3: Alignment
Our Services
Acme Senior Consulting is a comprehensive geriatric care management company.
Empowering older persons and their families is a vital component of our professional
services. Our services include:
Geriatric Psycho-social Assessment: A crucial first step to assist you
in determining the care needed by your aging parents, it includes:
an evaluation of the emotional, mental, social, physical and living
arrangement needs of your parent or family member.
a written report designed to organize all the current information
gathered during this assessment to get you started in providing
appropriate care.
Geriatric Care Management: Ongoing service to assist you in
coordinating and managing your aging family member or parent's essential daily
living needs, this may include such support services as:
Housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, shopping, transportation,
bill payment, medical insurance claims and medical appointments;
Reassurance visits to ensure your parent's safety and quality of life;
Design Like A Pro | Kelleher Web Design | www.kelleherwebdesign.com
13. Principle# 3: Alignment
Makes text easier to read
Gives a less cluttered look
Easier to guide the user’s eye
Establishes credibility
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14. Principle# 3: Alignment
Use Avoid
Left-align looks good Centered is only
and is easy to read. for wedding
invitations
Right-align is cool, too,
and can create easy-to- Fully-justified text
read lines. creates awkward
spacing between words
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www.kelleherwebdesign.com
15. Principle# 4: Proximity
Uniform proximity Varied proximity
Our Services
Our Services Acme Senior Consulting is a comprehensive geriatric care management
Acme Senior Consulting is a comprehensive geriatric care management company. Empowering older persons and their families is a vital component
company. Empowering older persons and their families is a vital component of our professional services. Our services include:
of our professional services. Our services include:
Geriatric Psycho-social Assessment: A crucial first step to Geriatric Psycho-social Assessment: A crucial first step to
assist you in determining the care needed by your aging parents, it includes: assist you in determining the care needed by your aging parents, it includes:
an evaluation of the emotional, mental, social, physical and
an evaluation of the emotional, mental, social, physical and
living arrangement needs of your parent or family member. living arrangement needs of your parent or family member.
a written report designed to organize all the current a written report designed to organize all the current
information gathered during this assessment to get you started information gathered during this assessment to get you started
in providing appropriate care. in providing appropriate care.
Geriatric Care Management: Ongoing service to assist you in
coordinating and managing your aging family member or parent's essential
Geriatric Care Management: Ongoing service to assist you in
daily living needs, this may include such support services as:
coordinating and managing your aging family member or parent's essential
Housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, shopping, daily living needs, this may include such support services as:
transportation, bill payment, medical insurance claims and
Housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, shopping,
medical appointments;
transportation, bill payment, medical insurance claims and
medical appointments;
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16. Principle# 4: Proximity
Conveys relationship between elements
Makes it easier to find information
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17. Additional Concepts
Color Models
RGB (red, green, blue) – on screen
CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) – print
yellow
Fonts to Avoid
Papyrus– overused, makes work look amateurish
Comic Sans MS –because it’s an ugly font!
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18. Additional Concepts
Less is more (especially fonts & colors)
There are exceptions to every rule
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19. Additional Concepts
Specific to Websites:
Navigation menus must be logical and intuitive (for
users, not just you!)
Make design responsive to screen widths (increasing
number of pageviews are on mobile devices)
Avoid deprecated technology (e.g. Flash)
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20. Additional Concepts
Specific to Websites (cont’d):
To establish unique brand identity, avoid pre-made
themes/templates (or your site will look just like
10,000+ others)
Limit web fonts (increases page load times & too
many can look amateurish)
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21. Resources
Books:
Design for Hackers: Reverse-Engineering Beauty by David
Kadavy
Non-Designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams (not the
comedian)
Web:
http://kuler.adobe.com – Color selection
http://www.google.com/webfonts – Web fonts
Design Like A Pro | Kelleher Web Design | www.kelleherwebdesign.com