What are the elements that make a design effective?

I have a gorgeous friend. She was a model who had also won a few beauty pageants. She’s now pursuing her dream as a journalist and a lead anchor for a local broadcasting company. She was born to be in front of the camera.

My friend is not only attractive, but she is also intelligent. 

She started a food kiosk business, and while it was still in its early stages, she always manned the booth and entertained guests. She was dressed in a black strappy top and shorts, and (unsurprisingly), she drew in more customers.

She took advantage of her good looks!

She was one of my bridesmaids a few years ago, and I invited her to my bachelorette party. 

To have some fun, my girlfriends and I went to a club. It wasn’t long before my friend’s presence was noticed. After all, she is the prettiest of the bunch.

Guys were drooling over her and trying to separate her from the group. It was extremely annoying. I pushed them away as the bride-to-be. 

This was inevitable, and that’s fine, but her looks got in the way of everyone else’s enjoyment of the evening.

You see, not everything that is beautiful is always effective.

Design is the creative process of bringing life to dull texts and visuals by skillfully fusing art and technology. The finished products are usually eye-catching posters, logos, banner ads, and so on that convey a specific message to the audience.

But what elements influence the success of a design? Check this out:

Originality and innovativeness

Technological advancements in graphic design such as AI (artificial intelligence), AR (augmented reality), and VUI (voice UI) set the latest trends in the industry. They raise the quality bar for each design.

A design created from scratch by a creative human, on the other hand, is unquestionably unique. Having a creative mind to churn out the needs and desires of the target market before designing is a skill that machines cannot process.

This is why business owners prefer to work with on-demand design services. Because services like Deer Designer employ real creative humans who are all accountable for creating bespoke designs that are unique to your brand.

Simplicity and functionality

When a design is easy on the eyes, it is considered good. But that isn’t enough. When it is both aesthetically pleasing and psychologically appealing to the audience, it becomes effective.

Its effectiveness is measured by the design’s ability to represent the value of the product/service you’re trying to sell. For example, when a potential customer sees an ad, they believe in the usefulness of what you’re selling and then buy it.

Truth in advertising

Copy (the placement, fonts used, how they’re crafted, and so on) is an integral part of your overall design. 

They must be readable, honest, and self-explanatory. True, a good design highlights a product’s strengths. However, it should not promise what it cannot deliver.

The fundamentals of graphic design

The fundamentals of design are not set in stone. One can be combined with another based on who makes it and for whom or what it is intended. 

Understanding and applying these basic principles help designers in achieving their goals and optimise the functionality of their designs.

• Balance and alignment can be achieved by having all the visual elements cohesively arranged and aligned in a way that’s not messy and easy to understand.
• Rhythm and movement. When combined, this enables designers to come up with a specific design that implies or evokes a sense of motion.
• Repetition in design helps strengthen the consistency and hierarchical structure of the design – which any designer hopes would leave a lasting impression on the audience.
• Contrast and emphasis help create the focal point of a particular design by using two opposing elements, or colours that naturally draw attention. This is commonly used in links or buttons, or an area within the content itself that needs to be heightened or emphasized.
• White space or “negative space” enhances the visual experience of a viewer by keeping all the other elements organized and balanced. Logos for instance are kept more visible and neat with the help of the white space around them.

A designer’s ultimate goal

The designer’s goal is to make each project a masterpiece. For professionals, this is easy. But you can’t call it that if it’s cluttered and unappealing. 

Especially if it disappoints a prospective customer or causes them to reconsider making a purchase.

As a result, it is critical to keep the design simple yet effective. The last thing you want is for your audience to be confused and leave because you didn’t pay attention to the details of your design.