Just as there are best practices, there are also things to avoid in designing and printing brochures, catalogs, postcards and all sorts of marketing collateral. Enumerating some of the best tips in design isn’t tantamount to listing down these said design no-no’s. So we’re giving you a heads up in this short list of four things to avoid in print design:
Clashing Headlines and Images
In designing print media, there will always be a focal point, a central image or message that the audience’s eyes will naturally gravitate towards. This focal point will also be the starting line – the first point of interest that pulls in your audience. Sub-central points would lead your audience’s attention to other elements of your design until they can fully digest the whole message your design is trying to relay.
The Coca-Cola’s brand text and trademark bottle shape are two powerful elements – one text, the other graphic. Here, they don’t clash but work with each other.
The problem is, sometimes a headline or tagline is just as strong as a main image or graphic element, and instead of one helping the other, they clash. Don’t ever let two main elements fight each other for attention. If you really need a strong image to go with a strong headline, merge these two elements for greater effect. Use typographical styles or even infographics.
Bad Font and Color Choice
Explicit adverse reactions to disastrous font and color choices are obvious, but the more subtle impacts of font or colors that seem okay but may in fact have some negative effect are harder to spot.
Color and fonts play huge roles in your design. Choose which of them to use wisely.
To illustrate this point, studies of the most common advertising elements have found that attractive women tend to make men impatient. This in turn sets a male audience’s mind into a sort of short-term way of thinking. In effect, while attractive women may seem like great all-around marketing elements, they are actually detrimental to marketing long-term products and services such as insurance.
Widows and Orphans
Dangling and lost widows and orphans get tuned out because people have simply gotten good at tuning out unwanted advertising. Or in this case, unwanted elements. They will be neglected and thus your entire message won’t push through. Worse, your entire print media might be neglected.
No use, no excuse.
There is no good use for widows and orphans in print design. And frankly, with the power of modern desktop publishing technology, there really is no excuse for still being unable to get rid of these unwanted elements.
Jumbled Layouts
Appreciate the fact that your modern audience lives in a fast-paced and dynamic world of technology and innovation. There’s less time to do everything we want to do and we can’t waste too much time on just one thing.
It’s plain to see which layout is smoother to the eye, and kinder to perception.
Bad design takes up 50% more concentration than good design. This means 50% more effort and 50% more time. The bottom-line is that people simply won’t waste 50% more of both because of the perception that they can’t afford to on poorly designed . As much as possible whenever you get into brochure, catalog or postcard printing, use clean layouts and simple designs that aren’t hard to navigate with the eyes.
Recent Comments