Perfection!!
What do you think perfection is?
Do you think we are all perfect; perfect in the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we carry ourselves or even in our work?
We are perfect or not that is situational, but we all surely try to be a perfectionist. What is important here is to understand the fact that we are all humans and we tend to make mistakes. But that does not give us the liberty to make mistakes and be careless in our work.
As a budding designer, one must be aware of these common mistakes graphic designers make. It is significant to know these in order to find ways to overcome them.
Here’s a List of Some Common Mistakes Graphic Designers Make
1. Not Understanding the Brief
Understanding the brief given to the designers is extremely important. If the designer does not know what exactly a client wants, they may end up creating or delivering something totally different. This is one common mistake graphic designers make.
2. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a strict no-no. It is not acceptable to copy someone else’s designs and use it with your name. It is unethical and can also lead to certain legal issues. A designer may lose their clients in that case. None of the clients would want to hire someone who copies other’s work!
3. Using Incorrect Typography
The choice of fonts plays a very important role in the overall appearance of the final product. Using inappropriate fonts can lead to difficulty in reading. The fonts must be legible and also not strenuous to the eyes. Thus, incorrect usage of topography is one of the common mistakes graphic designers make. Read this: 7 Principles of Typographic Contrast
4. Using Different Fonts
A designer must keep in mind that he must not use too many fonts at a time. Using different fonts together leads to a lot of confusion and makes the outcome very cluttered. In order to give it a professional look, a designer must use a maximum of two different fonts in one go. Read this: 10 Golden Rules to Combining Fonts
5. Proofreading
Not proofreading your work before finalizing is one of the most common mistakes graphic designers make. Showing a work full of errors is such a failure on the designer’s part. Apart from using various spell check and grammar tools, a designer must himself check his work for errors and rectify them before submitting.
6. Consulting Another Designer
It is not done to ask another designer to check or cross-check your work. Hence taking feedback from another designer is not right as the other person may get to your weaknesses as a designer, which is not good in itself.
7. Following Trends
A design must be able to withstand at all times. Restricting your work to just the latest trend may make the design obsolete any day. Thus, a design must be evergreen. This is one very common mistake graphic designers make.
8. Not Using Shortcuts
Shortcut keys are like a gift given to the designers by the developers which also save their working time. Imagine using a whole lot of commands every time you want to copy, paste or cut something. Using shortcut keys is the best also as it gives a stronger hold on your work. Read this: Adobe CC Shortcuts Cheat Sheet
9. Considering Context
Keeping in mind the use of the design, a designer must prepare a final output. No client would want a design which is irrelevant to his product or the range of products. A designer must avoid making such mistake.
10. Using Stock Images
Using stock images is not a good idea always. We agree that getting a professional shoot done is also a little heavy on the budget, but that doesn’t mean that designers can over-use the stock images. This can also lead to using same images too frequently.
11. Procrastination
Not doing your work on time and delaying it till the last minute is not acceptable. This leads to poor quality of output and it is also unprofessional. This, in turn, will ruin your reputation and also some clients may just never return. No one hires a lazy designer after all!
12. Not Considering The Audience
All businesses are client centered. If the designer overlooks the target audience the purpose of the project and its design might get lost. Thus, it is always required by the designers to make a design which is targeted towards the right audience.
13. Knowing Limits
A designer should be well aware of his strengths and weaknesses. A project which is completely out of a designer’s scope cannot fetch him the best outputs. Thus, a designer must take up only projects which are in his limits. Read this: How to Say No to Client and Refuse Bad Projects
14. Not Meeting The Clients
Not meeting the clients timely is the biggest and most common mistakes graphic designers make. Meeting the client often, knowing his requirements well, keeping him well informed about the work in progress makes the client feel happy and keeps him involved in the project. This will also yield a better output for sure. Read this: Client First Meeting Tips
15. Not Staying Up-to-date
Not adapting to the changes in the technology and not staying up to date may kick a designer straight out of the market. It is must for a designer to use the latest know-how to be in the market and to achieve his designing goals.
There are changes happening every day. As a graphic designer, it’s your responsibility to stay up to date with all the latest developments and tools that can speed up your workflow and make your life easier.
16. Ignoring a Contract
Not signing a contract can turn out to be a disaster for the designers. If there is no legal contract, the clients may easily get away even without paying the designer at times. Thus, a contact is important as it binds both the parties to be loyally involved into genuine business with each other.
17. Low Self-confidence
The designer cannot have low self-confidence. This will hamper his work big time. A designer needs to be confident and street smart. He should be able to handle the clients well. A confident designer can complete his project well within the stipulated time and deliver the best outcome.
18. Not Starting in Black and White
At times promotional mediums do not allow colored graphics. In this case, a black and white may come to a designer’s rescue. To begin a design in color may prove to be a mistake. It also happens sometimes that our design may not look equally promising in black and white. Your design artwork may look good with colors but not in black and white.
19. Lack of Communication
Another big mistake is not having proper communication with the clients. The client might want to convey some changes, or he might want to get involved in the designing process, but a lack of communication from the designer’s end might be a hindrance. Read this: Clients Want Solution, Not Service From Designers Also read, How Designers Should Treat with Clients
20. Taking Criticism Personally
People vary in their perspectives and thus it is not necessary that a designer’s work will always be appreciated. A designer might also have to face certain criticisms during his work life. Taking criticisms positively can help a designer get better at his work; whereas, taking criticisms might end up the designer getting upset and frustrated and will also lead to a bad outcome.
The final word…
We hope that these tips will be helpful for all the designers and even to people in other professions. Avoid these common mistakes graphic designers make and pay attention to the minutest detail while at work. This will surely be beneficial for you in the long run.