When deciding on what content to include on visual material, there are a few key design principles to understand before investing time, energy and money into your next creative endeavour.

Restraint

Ensure your visual content conveys just the right amount of information. Really think about what your key message is; the more information included can confuse your audience or make your main message redundant.

This also applies to your colour palette. Yes, even colour can become an extraneous visual element that your audience doesn’t necessarily require. Pick one or two main colours and one to two accent colours is a good rule-of-thumb.

Where’s Wally?

When choosing imagery, remember that anything visual will add information that your audience will need to acknowledge. Remember Where’s Wally? Trying to pick a single, distinctive man out of a sea of visual chaos. Now let’s imagine your visual material being similar. Where does your audience look? Don’t make other elements equal in visual real estate.

Stand-up and shout

Your image should be easily identifiable. Choosing an image that has a hero element and lots of white space, your audience won’t be processing unnecessary information.

Spaced Out

Give your visual elements plenty of breathing space. This allows the viewer the ability to process each element without interference. It also ensures that what you want acknowledged will be.

You have the power

Now we have the tools to make informed decisions on correct applications of visual content. Remember to restrict extraneous information. Don’t turn your message into Where’s Wally! Make imagery simple with one hero element and leave plenty of breathing space between elements.

If you need any help with graphic design, give Redsteps a call or send us an email today.