The Seven Deadly Sins Of Graphic Design

Deadly Sins Of Graphic DesignAs a young and upcoming graphic designer, you are always bound to make minor errors as you continue learning. Such mistakes make your work to look unprofessional and unattractive. In order for you to to produce better work, you should always strive to avoid making these minor mistakes as you design.

The following are The Seven Deadly Sin of Graphic Design that you should avoid:

1. Inadequate or Overuse Special Effects

Even though it is a great idea to for you to give the page content a unique and impressive visual appeal, you should not use a lot of special effects. Overuse of special effects distracts the attention of the readers. On the other hand, inadequate use of special effects gives the page content a very dull appearance. Therefore, you should use the special effects and preset filters such as embossing, highlights, size, transparency, and shadows in a wise manner.

2. Poor Layout

The page content should be clear and readable both when viewed on the screen of a computer/laptop and in print. You should ensure that advertisement and image placement, and line spacing and layout all focus on the page content’s white space.

3.Use of Wrong Fonts

As a good graphic designer, you should avoid using exaggerated fonts. Use standard and clear fonts that can compliment the design of the page content.

4. Incorrect Use of Colour

Colours define the real essence and beauty of any graphic design project. It is therefore very advisable for you to learn how to use the colour schemes correctly on different projects. The two best and commonly used colour models are the RGB model and the CMYL model. The RGB model is very suitable and convenient for electronic media while the CMYK model is best for printing.

5. Improper Language

The language that you use on your graphic design should be comprehensible to the targeted audience. Learn and know how to use the different types of language constructs correctly. You should also avoid writing word or texts that have spelling and grammar errors. A content page that is full of readable and comprehensible sentences not only gets the attention of the readers, but also makes the reading to be interesting and enjoyable.
7 Deadly Sins Of Graphic Design

6. Misuse of Images

Putting a too many images on the page content not only distorts the meaning of the design project but also causes distraction to the targeted audience. Instead of putting too many images, you should focus on giving out more relevant text.

Avoid the temptation of downloading and using images from the internet unnecessarily. Most of these images are protected by copyright laws and might give you legal problems in the future. You should therefore look for original images and use them sparingly on the page content.

7. Plagiarism

Even though it is good for you to be inspired by the work of other people, copying them is not a good idea. Coming up with plagiarised work is not only unlawful, but also unprofessional. If you really want to give your client the best quality, you should come up with very unique, creative and captivating content.


Brighton graphic designer – Simon Heard wrote this post for SinageDesign.co.uk one of the city’s leading illustration and typography agencies.

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