Creators

23 Graphic Design Tips For Beginners

By
Packsia
|
October 1, 2024
|
5
minute read
Whether you're working on social media posts or event invitations, design can make or break your content. So, to help you make the most of your visuals, we’ve gathered 23 easy-to-follow tips, many of which are from Canva itself!

At Packsia, we know that creating content can sometimes be a challenge, especially when it comes to design. Our vertical videos do a lot of the heavy lifting by offering stunning visuals, but making sure your designs complement those videos is the next step to creating truly professional-looking content. Canva is one of our go-to tools for creating content, allowing you to enhance your videos with high-quality design—even if you don’t have a graphic design degree.

Whether you're working on social media posts or event invitations, design can make or break your content. So, to help you make the most of your visuals, we’ve gathered 23 easy-to-follow tips, many of which are from Canva itself! These tips will help ensure your design looks as good as your Packsia video, even if you’re just getting started.

Ready to shed your beginner status and graduate to the next level? Here are 23 graphic design tips you can follow when creating your next design with a Packsia video.

Limit Your Typefaces

When you’re designing with video content, it’s important to keep your fonts simple. Too many typefaces can overwhelm the design and distract from the video itself. Stick to 1-2 fonts and use their variations—like bold or italic—for clear hierarchy and emphasis.

Don’t Be Scared of Scale

Scale can make a big impact in design. Larger text or graphic elements can highlight important information. When combined with a video, scaling certain words or shapes can guide the viewer’s focus without pulling attention away from the moving visuals.

Respect the Space Between Elements

Good design is all about balance. When you’re combining videos and text, spacing matters. Use letter spacing and margins to create visual breathing room so your text doesn’t clash with the video’s movement. A well-spaced design ensures readability and harmony.

Keep Your Color Scheme Simple

With video content already commanding attention, your design’s color scheme should be simple. Stick to 1-3 primary colors that complement your video without distracting from it. Use variations of these hues to keep the design consistent and polished.

Create Crisp, Clear Imagery (or Videos!)

Contrast is key when you’re adding text to videos. Make sure your text color stands out against the background of the video. If necessary, adjust the brightness or use filters to ensure your message is clear and easy to read.

Fonts Set the Mood

Fonts play a major role in setting the tone for your design. Choose a typeface that matches the style of your video. Whether it’s playful and rounded like Quicksand or bold and modern like a geometric sans-serif, the right font can enhance your video’s mood.

Use Alignment to Create Order

Alignment helps guide the viewer’s eyes across your design. Whether it’s text or additional graphic elements, aligning them with your video content ensures a smooth, visually pleasing layout. This also makes your design feel more intentional and cohesive.

Simplicity Is Key

When designing alongside video content, simplicity is the way to go. Avoid overloading the design with too many fonts, colors, or shapes. Keep it clean and focused so your video remains the star, and the design elements enhance it, not compete with it.

Maintain Consistency

If you’re working on multiple slides or pieces of content, consistency is crucial. Duplicate your design layout for each page and only change what’s necessary. This ensures a cohesive look and feel across your entire project, complementing your Packsia videos.

Keep It Fresh

At Packsia, we always encourage creativity! Push your design skills by experimenting with new layouts or fonts. Avoid relying too heavily on trends—find what works best with your videos and embrace your unique style.

Organize Content with Hierarchy

In any design, especially with videos, hierarchy helps direct attention. The most important part of your design should stand out the most. Use size, color, or positioning to ensure your viewers see the key message first, followed by supporting details.

Experiment with Symmetry

Symmetry creates balance in your design. Whether aligning text or video elements, symmetry ensures everything looks intentional. This is particularly important when layering videos with graphic elements. Luckily in Canva, the guides on your design will help you keep everything in the perfect place and well-balanced.

Take Breaks to Recharge

Designing can be exhausting! Take regular breaks to recharge and return with fresh eyes. Often, stepping away helps you spot areas that need improvement or new ideas you hadn’t considered. If you’re not crunched for time, we even recommend sleeping on it and revisiting your design the next day!

Embrace White Space

White space (or negative space) is essential for a clean design. Surround your text and elements with space to keep your layout open and readable. This ensures that the design feels uncluttered, allowing your video content to shine.

Do Your Research

Before starting a new design project, it’s important to do your research. Gather inspiration, learn what your audience responds to, and get a clear idea of your design goals. This groundwork will inform your design choices and lead to better results!

Stay On Brand

If you’re working with a brand, make sure to follow their guidelines to a T. This means exact fonts, color codes, and more should be considered before designing. If you don’t have a brand guide, mood boards are a great way to organize your visual ideas. Collect color palettes, fonts, and other design elements that complement your video and stick with those for a while. This helps you maintain a consistent style across your entire project.

Find Inspiration and Innovate

Don’t hesitate to draw inspiration from designs you admire, but make sure to put your own spin on them. Take what works well and adapt it to your video content, creating something that feels fresh and original. Canva offers hundreds of templates for you to use, which can be a great starting point when looking for design inspo!

Stay Aware Of What’s Hot

Current trends can shape the tone of your design. Staying aware of what’s happening in the world of fonts and trending colors can influence your design choices, ensuring your content feels timely and relevant.

Use Contrast to Make Elements Pop

Contrast can make your design more dynamic. Whether it’s using light text on a dark video background or vice versa, strong contrast will ensure that your message is legible and visually striking.

Brighten Up Your Graphics (and Videos!)

Add energy to your design by incorporating bright, bold elements. Just make sure they don’t overpower your video content. A careful balance of bold colors and subtle design can elevate your visual without overwhelming it.

Keep a Notebook Handy

Inspiration can come at any moment, so it’s always good to have a notebook nearby. Jot down design ideas, color combinations, or layout sketches as they come. You never know when a quick idea will turn into your next great design.

Embrace Trial & Error

Design is a process of trial and error, especially when working with videos. Experiment with different layouts and elements until you find the right combination. Don’t be afraid to try something new—and remember, the undo button is always there!

Don’t Leave Videos (or Images!) “Naked”

When incorporating videos or images into your design, make sure they’re framed or aligned properly. This helps the visual elements feel integrated rather than floating awkwardly in the layout. It’s a small detail, but it adds a professional touch.

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With these tips, you’ll be able to design beautiful, professional-looking visuals that enhance your Packsia videos. By keeping things simple, experimenting with scale and contrast, and ensuring your design complements your video content, you’ll create stunning, cohesive designs that captivate your audience. Now, go ahead and get started on your next jaw-dropping design! We can’t wait to see what you create.