Michael Epps Utley 
Smaller businesses should prioritize good graphic design. It can earn consumer attention and differentiate your organization from direct competitors and more prominent companies, giving it a competitive edge, especially among design-savvy consumers.
Even if you can’t afford to hire a professional designer or graphic agency, it’s still possible for you to create polished and professional designs. Here’s how.
1. Define Your Design Objective
When it comes to business, you know every initiative must have a goal. It helps you determine what path to take to achieve your objective.
The same is valid for marketing design. Starting with a clear objective helps you understand why you are designing something in the first place. It enables you to know what you want the graphic to achieve, keeping you on track to create a design appropriate for your goal.
2. Leverage Brand Colors
Colors are central to everything you design. They set the overall tone and can help direct the eye. Using the correct ones will enhance the attractiveness and appeal of your design.
If possible, use your company brand colors in your graphic designs. People will associate them with your brand, raising its awareness and making it more memorable.
If you don’t have brand colors, professionally selected palettes and generators are available online. Choose one that communicates the essence of your business. Different colors represent different moods, concepts, and feelings. For instance, green is often associated with nature or financial well-being, which is why it is typically a part of the brand palette of banks and environmentally friendly organizations.
3. Select the Right Fonts
Font choices can also have a significant impact on a design. The right ones will convey the correct messages. The wrong ones could run counter to what you hope to convey.
Start by selecting fonts that are easy to read and reflect your brand’s personality. Simple fonts like Arial convey cleanness and modernity. More complex ones like Times reflect formality, experience, and knowledge. Always limit yourself to two fonts for every design. Anything more seems busy. Use the same fonts in every design to enhance brand recognition and consistency.
4. Allow for White Space
When it comes to graphic design, amateurs tend to fill up the space. This is typically a mistake.
White space is not just empty space that needs to be filled. It is a visual opportunity to highlight critical aspects of a design. It can improve the layout and structure of it.
White space does not necessarily mean emptiness or blankness. Any color, texture, pattern, or subtle background image can move the eye over a piece.
5. Stay Up to Date With Current Design Trends
Design trends change frequently. Instagram and other visually based social media platforms help people identify new things they find exciting and attractive. Following trends and learning what could be viewed as passé is essential. A little research could provide the information and inspiration you need to create unique modern visuals.
Graphic Design Hacks: The Final Word
Everything your business shares with the public reflects on your brand. Leverage the tips in this guide to create graphics that present it as polished, professional, and contemporary.
