Creative Graphic Design Hacks: Elevate Your Brand Aesthetics
In today’s world, every brand looks the same – bland, forgettable, and monotonous. It takes more than just talent and technical skills to break free from that cycle. You need creative graphic design hacks to transform your brand's aesthetics.
The best part? Anyone can learn them. Yes, even you – whether you are a seasoned creative director or a team of designers. In this article, we will discuss 11 creative graphic design hacks to unleash your creativity and leave a lasting impression on your audience like never before.
11 Must-Try Creative Graphic Design Hacks To Maximize User Engagement & Interaction
Let’s take a look at 11 creative graphic design hacks that are guaranteed to add serious flair to your creations.
1. Use Negative Space Creatively
Negative space, or white space is the empty space around and between the design elements. Instead of cramming every inch, you leave some parts empty. It helps balance your design and draw attention to key elements.
Here's how you can use negative space creatively in your designs:
A cluttered design can be overwhelming and confusing. Negative space helps declutter your design and give it a clean, polished look.
Surround important elements with negative space to draw attention to them. It gives them breathing room so they can stand out.
Negative space makes your design easier to read and understand. If you are designing a poster or a website, give your words some space to make them more legible.
Use negative space to balance out the visual weight of your design elements. If you have a large, bold motion graphic on one side, use negative space on the other to even things out and create harmony.
Example: Stripe
Stripe provides payment processing solutions to businesses. When you visit Stripe's website, you will notice how they use ample negative space throughout. The homepage is mostly white with sparse text and large, striking images. The empty space keeps focus on the key messages and calls to action.
When you scroll down, you will see sections with minimal text and plenty of space around them. This approach makes the content easy to digest and gives it a modern, sophisticated feel. Stripe uses negative space to guide your attention where they want it, whether it is a product feature or a customer testimonial.
2. Experiment With Typography
As a graphic designer, you have many fonts, sizes, colors, and styles at your disposal. Here's how you can get creative with typography to increase brand identity:
Combine different fonts to create contrast and hierarchy in your designs. Use one font for headlines or titles and another for body text to keep things interesting.
Choose fonts wisely. Pick the ones that show your brand’s personality and tone. Play around with different styles – from elegant serif fonts to modern sans-serifs. Find what works best for you.
Pay attention to spacing. Adjust them between letters (kerning) and lines (leading) to improve readability and visual appeal. Too much or too little space can make your text look cluttered or hard to read.
Experiment with font sizes, weights, and styles to draw attention to your design’s key elements. Use bold or italic text to make important information stand out and use hierarchy to guide the viewer's eye through the design.
Example: 3wishes
3wishes, an online lingerie and costume retailer, uses typography brilliantly. You will notice a mix of playful and elegant fonts that reflect the fun and adventurous nature of their products. Headlines and product names are displayed in bold and eye-catching fonts. Meanwhile, body text is kept clean and legible for easy readability while browsing.
Different font sizes are used throughout the website to emphasize important information like product names and prices. 3wishes carefully adjusted the spacing between letters and lines for readability and aesthetics.
3. Create Depth With Shadows & Gradients
This technique adds dimension and visual interest to your creative design. Here's how you can use shadows and gradients to your advantage:
Add subtle drop shadows to elements to make them appear lifted from the background. Adjust the shadow's opacity, blur, and angle to achieve the desired effect.
Try layering gradients on top of each other to create interesting effects or use them as backgrounds to make your design pop.
Pay attention to how light falls on your design and add shadows accordingly. This creates a sense of realism and makes your design feel more three-dimensional.
Think about how objects in your design would appear in real life and adjust the depth of field accordingly. Blur background elements to create a sense of distance and make foreground elements stand out.
Apply shadows and gradients to the text to make it pop off the page. Experiment with layer styles to find the right combination for your design.
Example: Apple
Apple uses subtle shadows around product images to make them pop off the page and create a sense of depth. This enhances the realism and makes images look more lifelike. They also use gradients on call-to-action elements to make them look more interactive and inviting to click on.
Apple adds gradients in the background to add visual interest. The gradients transition smoothly between colors to create a sense of depth and movement that draws your eye.
4. Add Geometric Shapes
Geometric shapes make the design clean and on-brand. Let’s see how you can use geometric shapes to make your designs visually striking:
Add geometric shapes to create balance and structure in your design. Experiment with different shapes to find what works best for your composition.
Geometric shapes add visual interest and complexity to your design. Use them to break up space, add texture, or create patterns that draw attention.
Layer geometric shapes to create a sense of depth and dimension in your design. Play with opacity, size, and overlapping to get interesting effects.
Incorporate geometric shapes that match your brand’s aesthetic and personality. Whether your brand is modern and minimalist or bold and playful, choose shapes that align with your brand's vibe.
Example: Chaty
Chaty is a WordPress chat widget plugin for websites. You will notice that they used geometric shapes like circles, semi-circles, and rectangles as background elements and icons. Geometric lines separate different sections of the webpage so that the visitors can easily navigate and understand the infographics content.
Important elements are surrounded by geometric shapes which draw attention to them. Vibrant colors within the geometric shapes add excitement and energy to the overall design and make them modern.
5. Play With Textures & Patterns
Textures are the way surfaces look and feel while patterns are repeated decorative designs. When you use your design skills to combine these 2, you create designs that grab attention and make an impact. Here's how you can do it:
Overlay textures to create depth and dimension in your design. Play with opacity and blending modes to get the effect.
Experiment with patterns. Combine different patterns to add complexity to your design. Use contrasting patterns to create visual interest.
Select textures that complement your visual concept. For example, if you are creating a rustic-themed graphic, use textures like wood or burlap.
Instead of plain backgrounds, use textured backgrounds for visual richness. Textured backgrounds make your content stand out and create a more immersive experience.
Think about where your design will be used. Customize your textures and patterns accordingly. For example, when designing a website, consider how the textures will look on different screen sizes and resolutions.
Example: Oak Street Bootmakers
Oak Street Bootmakers sells handcrafted leather boots and accessories. They use a subtle leather texture as the background which shows the brand's focus on craftsmanship and quality materials.
High-quality product images show the leather textures and the stitching details. Throughout the site, they used subtle patterns like herringbone to add visual interest without overwhelming the overall design. Most importantly, they are consistent with the brand's aesthetic.
6. Use Asymmetry For Visual Interest
Asymmetry in design means things aren't perfectly balanced. Instead of putting everything neatly in the center or making both sides identical, you intentionally create a sense of imbalance. Let’s see how you can use it:
Group elements in 3s or 5s instead of pairs for a more dynamic layout.
Use asymmetry to create focal points. Place important elements asymmetrically to get user attention.
Accept that not everything has to be perfectly balanced in your design. Let elements be positioned off-center or at different distances from each other.
Play with the scale and proportion of elements. Vary the element size to add depth and dimension to your design while maintaining asymmetrical balance.
While asymmetrical designs don’t have perfect symmetry, they still need to maintain some balance. Distribute visual weight across the composition – place larger, bolder elements alongside smaller, subtler ones.
Example: Wix
Wix's homepage features a grid layout where elements are arranged asymmetrically. Different-sized blocks are positioned off-center to create a sense of movement and energy. Text and graphics overlap with images and other elements. This creates asymmetrical balance and visual interest.
Wix uses varied spacing between elements to create asymmetrical balance. Some elements are closely grouped while others are spaced farther apart, adding visual rhythm to the design.
7. Utilize Visual Hierarchy To Guide The Viewer
Visual hierarchy is basically the arrangement and presentation of elements in a design in a way that prioritizes their importance. Here are visual hierarchy strategies you can use in your designs:
Start with a plan. Finalize the information hierarchy you want to convey. Find out what the most important elements are and how you want to emphasize them.
Align elements naturally. It could be centered, left-aligned, or right-aligned, consistency in alignment creates a sense of order.
Bright colors and high contrast draw attention. Use color and contrast to make important elements stand out from the rest of the design.
Align important elements to create a clear visual path for visitors to follow. The way elements are aligned and arranged on a page can affect how they are perceived.
Larger elements grab more attention than smaller ones. Make important elements larger. Headlines and key messages should be bigger than supporting text or secondary information.
Example: Prosple
Prosple is an online job board for graduate students. On their homepage, you will see a clear focal point: a prominent headline. It is large, bold, and positioned at the top of the page. Below the headline, Prosple uses size, color, and contrast to prioritize different content sections.
Each industry is prominently displayed with a bold and large font size with subdivisions into employers. For instance, in the Banking, Accounting & Advisory sectors, Prosple further categorizes the top employers like PwC Australia, RSM Australia, and Commonwealth Bank.
These subheadings are displayed with a slightly smaller font size compared to the main sector headings but are still prominent enough to stand out. This way, they are arranging elements to show their order of importance.
8. Use Grids For Alignment & Consistency
Grids are invisible lines that help you organize elements on your design canvas. You can consider it as a framework for the placement of text, images, and other elements. Let’s see how you can use grids to show your creativity:
Start by defining a grid system for your design. Decide on the number of columns, gutter width, and overall layout.
Use the grid lines to align elements consistently throughout your design.
For consistency across different pages or sections, stick to the grid system you established. It creates a cohesive and professional-looking design.
Don't be afraid to experiment with variations to create visual interest. You can adjust column widths and spacing, or even break the grid intentionally to add dynamism to your design.
Experiment with grids based on the golden ratio (approximately 1:1.618) to create visually pleasing proportions.
Design grids with responsiveness in mind. Use techniques like responsive breakpoints to adjust the grid layout accordingly.
Example: Whop
Whop is an online marketplace where you can sell digital products through subscriptions, memberships, or one-time purchases. It has a grid-based layout that organizes product listings into neat rows and columns.
Each product is displayed within its own grid cell with consistent spacing between items. Elements like product images, titles, and prices are all aligned to the grid lines. This ensures alignment and consistency across its website.
9. Apply The Rule Of Thirds For Balanced Compositions
It is a simple yet effective technique that artists and designers use to create visually appealing layouts.
The rule of thirds divides your canvas or design space into 9 equal parts using 2 horizontal and two vertical lines, creating a grid. The main elements of your design should align with or intersect these lines and their intersections, rather than being placed dead center.
Let’s see how you can use the rule of thirds for problem-solving in your designs:
Position the focal point or main subject of your design at one of the 4 intersection points of the grid.
Distribute other elements of your design along the gridlines to create a sense of balance and harmony.
Use the gridlines to guide the viewer's eye through the composition, leading them to important elements or areas.
Use the areas between the gridlines to create breathing room in your design. This helps avoid overcrowding and improves readability.
Example: National Geographic
National Geographic features stunning photographs as hero images on its website. These images are carefully composed using the rule of thirds with major elements positioned along the grid lines or at their intersections.
The article layouts on the National Geographic website also follow the rule of thirds. Text, images, and other elements are placed to create balance and visual interest.
In photo galleries showcasing National Geographic's imagery, each photo is composed using the rule of thirds to draw the viewer’s attention and create a sense of depth and movement.
10. Experiment With Different Blend Modes For Creative Effects
Blend modes control how pixels from one layer interact with pixels from another layer. Instead of just stacking layers on top of each other, blend modes let you mix them in different ways, like blending colors, adding highlights, or creating dramatic contrasts. Let’s see how you can do it:
Try blending multiple images together using modes like "Difference" or "Exclusion" for intriguing and abstract effects.
Overlay a texture layer on top of your design and play with blend modes like "Overlay" or "Soft Light" to add depth and texture.
Use blend modes like "Color" or "Hue" to apply color adjustments to your images or designs without altering their brightness or contrast.
Experiment with blend modes like "Multiply" for shadows and "Screen" for highlights to add depth and dimension to your graphics.
Example: Pointer Pro
Pointer Pro is an interactive assessment and quiz software. It uses blend modes to overlay text and graphics onto images for a cohesive and visually appealing design.
Throughout the website, Pointer Pro applies blend modes to enhance the colors and contrast of images and graphics. This gives a modern and dynamic look that enhances the overall user experience.
They also add texture and depth to elements on the website like buttons and icons. This creates a more tactile and immersive user experience.
11. Use Color Psychology To Evoke Specific Emotions
Different colors can trigger different emotional responses. If you learn this art, you can tap into people's feelings through the colors you choose for the presentation of your brand. Here’s how you can do it:
Understand common color associations and emotions linked to them. For example, red is associated with passion and energy while blue is associated with calmness and trust.
Contrast draws attention to certain elements of your design. Pair complementary colors to make your message pop.
Think about the emotions you want to convey with your advertising or design. Then, pick colors that align with those emotions.
Keep in mind that color meanings can differ across cultures. What might symbolize luck or happiness in one culture could mean something entirely different in another.
Sometimes, what looks good on paper doesn't have the same impact in practice. Don't be afraid to experiment and adjust your color choices based on how people respond.
Example: Spotify
Spotify's website cleverly uses color psychology to trigger excitement and energy. Its signature green color is associated with freshness, growth, and energy. It shows the platform's dynamic and vibrant nature.
Spotify pairs its green with black and white. This creates a high-contrast look that commands attention and emphasizes important information. In areas where the focus should be on the content rather than the design, it uses neutral grays to maintain balance and readability.
Conclusion
The best way to make the most of the creative graphic design hacks that we discussed is to mix and match them. Only then you can find what works best for your brand. So don't be afraid to think outside the box and push the boundaries.
With the right combination, you can take your brand's aesthetics to new heights and leave a lasting impression on your audience for years to come.
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