And as a designer, one of the most important things to do to differentiate yourself is to show variety in your work and options with designs. This is the reason professional graphic designers always present the client with multiple options. There is no need to be terrified about generating even several versions because it need not be very hard or time-consuming. With the right thought process, you would be able to pull off a number of good designs in that time in which other designers or even you would be struggling with only one!
Motivated to reach that level? You are in the right place. In our latest InDesign tutorial, Martin takes you through the design of an entire magazine spread. He’ll show that with a little out-of-the-box thinking, one design could turn into a number of really exciting alternatives. And by following along with that tutorial (including looking through the comments for helpful links to elements), you’ll find yourself fully equipped to implement some serious design concepts with tons of potential to elevate your work.
Here are a few tips for you in strengthening your compositional and layout skills.
- Sketch Away
Never jump straight into the software. Always begin with a few rough sketches! This step would allow you to play around with the placements of your elements without putting anything firmly into place. You should aim to produce at least three thumbnail sketches before you even touch your design application. It saves time and allows you to consider all options before actually starting to work on refining the design. - Negative Space Use Effectively Negative space plays an important part in achieving visual balance: the empty space around elements. Martin very well demonstrates how even an ordinary icon of a lightbulb can turn into an amazing focal point depending on the place where one positions it leaving space to accommodate the intro copy that makes the design cohesive. The secret is positioning elements thoughtfully-it’s simple but often the simplest shine brightest.
- Gutter, Creep And Margins Don’t forget that gutter and margins are very important when designing for print as well. Of course the gutter is the space where pages are held together. Don’t place important text or images close to the stitching because the pages could be distorted when the two are joined. It may seem like a small detail but very important to overall legibility and visual flow of your design.
- Build Visual Hierarchy Visual hierarchy guides the attention of the viewer. For instance, a statement made by Martin about how the title length increases so that it can span one reginal two-page spread makes a lot of sense. You can create such a hierarchy using typography. For example, kerning makes the space between characters relatively closer than breathing room for your text while at the same time putting emphasis where required.
- Add Entry Points or Drop Caps
Use Drop Caps as a means for linking the headline with body copy, thereby defining an effective entry point into the text for your readers. This visual direction will encourage them to start a journey with your text while establishing the visual structure of the design. - Emphasize Contrast to Create Visual Interest
Contrast has proven over history to be one of the most potent design weapons in your arsenal. Whether putting the finishing touch on a particular section of text or starkly contrasting colors or sizes, contrast creates drama and intrigue. Bold certain words, but don’t just up the weight by one step-increase it by two. Highlighted areas will astoundingly stand out and appear intentional within the created gap.
Final Thoughts: Push Your Creative Boundaries
Whatever you have created may seem like a good solution, but do not stop with just one design. Always create a second option! You want to get those sketches going, develop different layouts, and try out different combinations of design elements for the creative search that can help grow your concept in a way you might never have imagined. By the time you get to the final 1-2 options to go with the client, do a presentation so they can see what their choices are and make very small changes into the final version.
Part of your job is to improve upon your technical skills, so keep practicing, shortcutting, and working with tight confidence with any tool. On another note, make it a habit to analyze and critique other designs that you consider successful, as well as seek their constructive feedback from colleagues and experienced professionals. Trust me; constructive criticism will be one of your pillars of growth.
One option to really bolster your skills would be to check out Yes I’m a Designer’s Pro Membership, which offers personal feedback on all of your work.
