Despite how easy designing sounds, staring at an empty page is enough to make anyone nervous. Whether you’ve decided it’s time to launch your own website, you need to make event poster or create business advertisement—design matters. With the rise of the internet and quick scrolling, the first impression that you leave on people is the one they are going to remember. The question becomes, how do you make it a good one?
It’s simple in theory but there are a lot of things you have to figure out—like which photos to include and how to lay out the page—and if you don’t have much design knowledge, the process of starting a project can be seriously intimidating. The good news is that there are a number of free tools at the disposal of a new professional on a budget. Being aware of the resources at your disposal can automatically bring your to the next level and provide you with the best first impression possible.
1. Working on the image
It’s true what they say, a picture is worth thousand words! If you decide to use an image start by thinking about your self and your project. Do you have a professional photo you can use? If not consider taking your own. There are also plenty of stock images available to you. Websites like Unsplash allows users to upload their own photos for anyone to use for free. Stocksnap also allows you to search by tags as well.
If you’re not finding what you’re looking for, you might also consider paying for one or two perfect pictures. There are tons of options out there, from large stock image sites like Getty Images—which has an integration with Squarespace offering $10 images to people who buy through the site—to smaller operations like Stocksy and Twenty20 where the cost is usually around $10-$25 per image.
2. Deciding a Color Palette
While many websites and businesses come with a pre-set theme, it’s important to be able to add a little personality to your work. Whether you like black and white or a smattering of go-together shades, Coolors is a great resource for discovering colors that’ll work together. To stop things from getting visually overwhelming, the best route would be to pick a more neutral palette with one or two accent colors. For an easy go-to, try a few shades of gray with a pop of your favorite color and its complementary hue.
3. Finding the font
Typeface can make a huge difference when it comes to stylish and easy-to-read projects. There are a number of different ways to step up your lettering game. Fontpair is an easy solution to finding fonts that will give you professional looking bit of “pizazz”. Additionally, using resources like this article on Canva can help you find the best/worst fonts to use in many different situations.
4. Creating Logo
Unless you’re a design professional, you don’t really need a logo, but it can be a memorable part of your branding which can be used everywhere. Though some logos require special touches or talent – like texture or hand lettering – beautiful and clean designs can be created with a mix of typeface, a few colors and simple icons that fit your brand. Despite what it may seem, you don’t need a professional program or to hire a graphic designer. Many websites, like Squarespace offer professional logos at a small fee ($10) and websites like Canva provide a space to design your own.
To create a logo that speaks to you there are several things to keep in mind. Think about what you want to convey – is it your products? Event? Personality? Emotion? Once you’ve nailed that down, typography and symbols are your next steps. Don’t be afraid to play around with colors. It make take several tries before you find the perfect one!
5. Layout and formatting
One of the holy grail design sites is Canva. It’s a free tool that lets you design a number of different formats and choose from a variety of different layouts. One of the best parts about Canva is it allows you to upload your own image, so you can use one you found earlier and incorporate it into the larger picture of your work. It provides a large variety of tools so feel free to play around!
If you’re reading all of this and thinking that it sounds like a lot, don’t worry—you don’t have to do it all in one sitting. Fresh eyes on the project are usually helpful so do your work in drafts and get feedback from your friends, family or colleagues. The most important part of any project is producing work that you feel passionate about. Take your time and don’t be afraid to keep tinkering until you have something you truly love. Play around with it and have fun!