By: Agata Khoury, Art Director
In today’s competitive market, graphic design is crucial in defining your brand’s identity and success. However, even the best intentions can lead to design blunders that harm your brand’s image. Here are five common design mistakes that could hurt your brand and how we do our best to avoid them. In fact, we strive to adhere to these principles MARQUEE with every project.
1. Neglecting Consistency
One of the core principles of graphic design is consistency. Without it, your brand can appear disjointed and unprofessional, and frankly, as though someone else designed it. This means using the same color palette, typography, and logo design across all your marketing materials. Inconsistent design elements can confuse your audience and weaken brand recognition.
THE MARQUEE TIP: We develop a concise brand style guide to ensure that every piece of content aligns with your brand’s identity. We develop a comprehensive style guide defining logo usage, color schemes, typography, voice and tone, and other relevant elements. And, of course, the Don’ts – it’s just as important to explain what not to do as it is to explain what is okay to do.
2. Overcomplicating Your Designs
Many businesses overcomplicate their designs in an attempt to stand out. This can lead to cluttered visuals that are difficult for your audience to interpret. The famous Tropicana rebrand disaster is a prime example of this. In 2009, Tropicana redesigned its packaging, opting for a simplistic approach that ultimately confused and alienated its loyal customers. The new design was so poorly received that Tropicana reverted to the original design within a month.
THE MARQUEE TIP As I learned in college, K.I.S.S. – keep it simple, stupid. Yes, often, I live by the less is more idea, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun and give exciting options for clients if it makes sense for the project/brand. At MARQUEE, we embrace simplicity. Clear, uncluttered designs can be far more effective.
3. Ignoring Mobile Optimization
With the growing use of mobile devices, ensuring that your designs are optimized for all screen sizes is essential. Ignoring this can lead to a poor user experience and drive potential customers away.
THE MARQUEE TIP: When developing websites, we always use responsive design principles to ensure that your graphic design website, portfolios, and marketing materials look great on any device. We also test our designs on various screen sizes to ensure they are mobile-friendly.
4. Using Low-Quality Images
High-quality images are a staple of good graphic design. Using low-resolution or generic stock photos can make your brand appear unprofessional and cheap. This is especially important when building a graphic design portfolio or showcasing your services.
MARQUEE HAS EXCELLENT RESOURCES: We have a plethora of options for accessing high-quality images. MARQUEE has made the investment to have access to a variety of libraries. The images we use are optimal for our clients’ needs and representative of their brand, making the content more engaging and credible.
5. Overlooking User Experience (UX)
Design is not just about aesthetics; it’s also about functionality. A beautiful design that is difficult to navigate will frustrate users and detract from their overall experience. This applies to everything from your website to your marketing materials.
MARQUEE ENSURES A GOOD USER EXPERIENCE: We focus on creating intuitive and user-friendly designs. We consider the user’s journey and ensure that your designs enhance their experience. Graphic design apps and UX tools can help you create beautiful and functional designs.
Avoiding these common design mistakes can significantly enhance your brand’s image and effectiveness. At MARQUEE, we specialize in creating cohesive, impactful designs that resonate with your audience. Whether you need a complete brand overhaul or just a few tweaks to your existing design, our team of experts is here to help. Contact MARQUEE today to see how our graphic design services can elevate your brand and ensure you stand out in a crowded market.
