Pro Graphic Design Hacks for Beginners: Set Your Design Apart

Whether you're just starting out as a graphic designer or an enthusiastic self-learner without a design background, a collection of helpful graphic design tips can be your best companion.

In this post, we've gathered 10 incredibly practical graphic design tips tailored for beginners and those venturing into the world of design on their own. Let's dive right in!

10 Graphic Design Tips for Beginners & Non-Designers

If you're not a pro at design, your creations might not look super fancy. But no need to stress, we're here to help. Check out these top 10 graphic design tips and tricks from the best training series. They'll make your designs look better, even if you're not a design expert.

Tip #1: Simplicity Is Key

The most important tip for people who are new to design is to keep things simple. Complicated designs can be confusing and hard to understand.

To keep it simple, think like a minimalist. Use as little text and different fonts as possible. Keep the colors in check and make sure everything looks balanced.

Look at this flyer template below. It's simple but still catches your eye. Even though it doesn't have many elements, a lively background and bold fonts make it work.

The secret to good design isn't adding as many pictures and stuff as you can. It's about finding a balance between making it look good and getting your message across clearly and effectively.

Tip #2: Pick Colors That Go Together

Choosing the right colors for your design is super important. It's like picking the right outfit to match your style. But don't worry; it's not as hard as it seems.

You can find ready-to-use color combos that work well together. There are many online tools available generally known as 'color theme picker' that can help. Select the tool you like best and check out the color themes they have to offer.

Another cool trick is to take colors from a picture. Using a color tool, click on the color picker, then the plus sign. Upload your image, and you'll get a new set of colors to use.

For even more options, you can try Adobe Color. It's a website that can give you lots of color combos from any picture.

Tip #3: Choose Fonts Wisely

Picking the right fonts can be tricky, especially if you're not a design pro. There are so many fonts to choose from, and it can get overwhelming. Plus, you have to know how to make them work together in your design.

But here's a secret: even professional designers stick to a few classic fonts most of the time. They know what works.

A simple rule to follow is to use one fancy font for headings and a regular, classic one for the text. This combo looks great. You can also stick to just one font family but use different styles of that font. For example, use a bold version for the heading, a regular one for the main text, and italics for subheadings.

If you want to save time and find good font pairs, you can check out a collection of tried-and-true combinations for different situations.

Tip #4: Consider the Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is about making some things more noticeable than others. Think of it like this: big headings are more important than smaller subheadings, and those are more important than a block of text.

The same idea goes for pictures, graphics, icons, and even colors. When you follow visual hierarchy, you guide people's attention to a specific part of your design. This makes it look balanced and helps viewers follow the information easily.

For some, understanding visual hierarchy comes naturally, but others may need to learn it. You can read our blog to get a better idea of how visual hierarchy works.

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Tip #5: Give Your Design Some Breathing Room – Use White Wisely

White space isn't always white; it's just empty space without text or stuff on it. Think of it as the part of your design that takes a deep breath.

Using white space is a bit tricky, but it's essential. You can learn from minimalist design, which believes that 'less is more,' and you only need the essentials in your graphic.

Another cool trick is called negative space. It's when empty areas tell a story, sometimes more than the things in the background or between other elements.

Tip #6: Make Text Easy to Read

Another handy tip is to always ensure that your text is easy to read. This means paying attention to how you place text on backgrounds, the colors and fonts you use for headings, and how elements go with the text and the overall design.

Pick a good font that not only matches your message but is also clear to read. It should work well even when there's a picture or texture in the background.

Do your best to make sure that everything in your design is easy to read and understand. This goes for the actual text and also for things like charts and data.

Tip #7: Use Space Wisely

Having the right amount of space is a super important tool for creating a balanced design. You'll find spaces in margins, between shapes, paragraphs, lines, words, and even letters.

This space is often just empty, like we talked about earlier. But here, it's a kind of rule to help you line up elements, keep them balanced, and make them work together.

For instance, grids use specific space measures to create a foundation for any design. If you want to learn more about grids and spacing, check out the article below.

Tip #8: Consider the Psychology of Color

Remember how we talked about color combinations earlier? Well, colors aren't just pretty; they also have feelings and meanings. Bold and bright colors make people feel different than soft and light colors do. Think about what feelings you want to show in your design and use colors that match.

Colors on the color wheel can go together in different ways, and we call these color harmonies. Finding the right harmony for your project will make your design look even better.

Tip #9: Get the Right Size from the Start

Before you dive into a project, know exactly how big it needs to be. If you start without the right size, you'll have to fix everything to fit the new size later.

For instance, if you're making a presentation, don't use a size meant for vertical infographics. And if you're creating Instagram posts, make sure they're square, wide, or tall, depending on the best dimensions.

Dimensions are measured in two ways: the length and width in pixels and something called 'aspect ratio.' Both are important to know when you're designing.

The aspect ratio is like the shape of your design, and it can have different numbers, but it always looks the same. Social media graphics, for example, need specific shapes, but the actual dimensions can vary depending on how much detail your design has.

Tip #10: Trust the Design Process

Last but not least in our list of design tips for beginners and non-designers is to trust the process. What we mean is, don't rush or skip steps when you're designing something. When you trust the process, you improve your chances of making a design that works.

Wrapping it Up

While graphic design may seem complicated, with these ten simple tips, even beginners and non-designers can create eye-catching visuals. Just remember to keep it simple and select the right colors for your design. If you’re stuck, you can check out Upscend video lectures to help you through the process.

Remember design is more than just making things look nice; it's about expressing ideas, feelings, and stories. So whether you're working on a school project, social media post, or anything else, these tips can help you make designs that people will remember. With practice and these ideas in mind, you're on your way to becoming a design pro! Happy designing!