8 New Year’s Resolutions for designers
Every New Year’s Eve, I sit down and write my resolutions to motivate me to do better at work and in life. To be honest, I break most of them. On 2008’s New Year’s Eve, I wrote that I would wake up at 5:00 AM daily to be more productive.
The morning of January 1, 2009, I snoozed my alarm clock 3x and finally woke up at 5:05 AM.
Sigh… Why did I even bother?
14 years later, I still write my resolutions year after year; not because I want to accomplish all of them but to be self-aware.
I want to better identify my triggers and whenever I feel I’m about to give in, I try my best to avoid or correct a potential mistake.
New Year’s Resolutions for designers
In Deer Designer, where all designs are made by living and breathing artistic humans, mistakes are made and there is always room for improvement.
With the help of our deer Quality Analysts, I’ve collected a list of resolutions for designers so they can become even better.
If you do digital or graphic design for a living, add these to your list of resolutions for you to develop the discipline you need to be a cut above the rest.
– I will use proper contrast in my designs so the copy is more legible
Contrast is not just about light vs dark colours. It organizes your design and establishes a hierarchy.
With proper contrast, your design can actually lead your viewer’s eyes to what you intend for them to focus on. In addition to emphasizing the focal point of your design, good contrast adds visual interest.
– I will avoid ghost pixels
Many platforms reject media with the wrong dimensions. Ghost pixels are a common culprit to this. For example, if you save a 200x200px design from Illustrator and it shows as 200x201px, that’s called a ghost pixel.
To fix this, just manually remove the decimal values from each axis (x and y) of the artboard. You can also use the “Rearrange all artboards” feature.
– I will remove white gaps
White gaps look unprofessional. Unless they are intentionally part of the design, white gaps must be removed.
– I will use guidelines to check alignments
Alignment is critical in design because it follows how people naturally scan the image. When done right, it helps balance your image, establish a visual link between related elements and make the design appealing.
– I will copy-paste the client’s copy to avoid misspellings
Writing errors ruin a brand’s credibility. Some spellings are intentionally misspelt as part of a campaign and this instruction must come directly from the client. Intentional or not, it is better to copy-paste what is given to avoid errors.
– I will always check for orphan texts when creating a paragraph
Orphan texts are usually represented by a very short line at the end of a paragraph or column, most commonly “one word” or the end of a hyphenated word.
Since it leaves too much white space between paragraphs or at the bottom of a page, an orphan is considered poor typography.
This distracts the reader’s attention and reduces readability. Change the copy to fix it, making sure that the last line extends past the midpoint of the paragraph.
– I will make sure that my padding is consistent
Padding, also known as white space, is the empty space between and around individual elements of a page layout.
These elements can be text, images, cards, buttons, icons, and so on. Consistent padding adds visual clarity and balance to a layout.
– I will use text tracking wisely and avoid using excessive bold font weight for the copy
Tracking (or font-space) is the process of increasing or decreasing the horizontal spacing between a set of characters.
It is most commonly used to adjust and fine-tune overall letter spacing, but it can also create a more readable, pleasing texture to the copy.
What could I do to avoid making the same mistakes in 2022?
After years of making and breaking New Year’s resolutions, I realized one thing: It’s not enough to make a list. I have to be strategic and mindfully follow steps to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.
In regards to design tasks, here are some actionable steps you can turn into a habit to avoid errors:
- Make a list of things to review
- Triple-check the client’s brief
- Always check the deliverables and the design files
- Make sure the copy is 100% correct before sending it to the QA (or whoever’s approving it)
A brand new you for 2022
Self-improvement has a domino effect. You can also affect and inspire others to do better at work if they see you improve yourself. Raising your standards elevates the design community as well. Keep it up, for yourself and for your craft.
