- Moodboard it out
Create a moodboard of inspirational designs that convey a similar look and feel to what you would like to create in your design. This might include elements like fonts, color palettes, imagery or illustration styles and importantly, layout references that deal with a similar design context.
- Have a plan
Before even touching a computer, it’s important to think about the objective of the design, what you want the viewer to see and take away. Start with a few quick, rough sketches to plan out your page and where all your content will be placed and keep that aforementioned moodboard in tow to stay inspired.
Have a look at this example of a sketchbook from Shillington’s Sonny Cancio and remember, even the world’s most influential designers such as Lance Wyman first planned their designs on paper. Taking a few minutes to map out your design might save you hours on the computer and maybe even a headache or two later.
- Simplify your type
One of the most important aspects of design is clarity, so it’s important that we don’t sacrifice legibility for visual appeal. When in doubt, simplify it out and typography is the perfect place to start.
Check out an inspiring blog like Type Wolf or Type in Use to see how other designers have chosen and applied fonts. There are also over 900 free fonts to snag from Google Fonts which can sometimes make choosing one no easy feat!
However when it comes time to apply them, limit yourself to pairing two fonts in your design. Better yet, choose a single font family with a large variation in weights and styles so you can be sure that the fonts you pair up will be complementary to one another. For example, the Futura font family not only comes in a range of weights from Light through to Extra Black but also has a variety of styles such as Oblique and Condensed.
Read more at https://www.shillingtoneducation.com/blog/graphic-design-tips/
