Design Basics
From the Small Business Growth Strategies Series
Presented by
“Everything is design. Everything!”
- Paul Rand
Design can be the difference between a thriving and
failing business.
Questions to Ask
Who are we speaking to?
What are we trying to communicate?
How do we want our audience to experience what we’re
presenting?
Elements of Design
Balance
In design, balance refers to the equal distribution of visual weight. Proper balance results in an aesthetically pleasing design.
Symmetrical Balance
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Asymmetrical Balance
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Rule of Thirds
With two pairs of imaginary lines, the rule of thirds divides pages into thirds vertically and horizontally, resulting in three rows, three columns, nine sections and four
intersections.
Rule of Thirds
The most important elements of a photograph or image should placed near
one or more of the four intersections highlighted below.
Rule of Thirds
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Visual Center of a Page
The center of a page and the visual center of a page are not the same thing. The visual center of a page happens to be slightly above and to the
right of the actual center of the page.
Visual Center of a Page
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White Space
Also referred to as negative space, white space is the portion of a page that is left
unmarked. White space is actually a bit of a misnomer since the space does not
necessarily need to be white.
White Space
White space can be used for a variety of reasons. It can be used to create a more elegant design, remove clutter or focus
attention on a specific spot.
Google Uses White Space
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Contrast
Contrast is the use of different colors, sizes, fonts and other visual elements to demand and
keep attention. Contrast allows designers to create a visual hierarchy of importance.
Color Contrast
Color is not only the most popular way to demonstrate contrast, but arguably the most
powerful. The three most common ways to use colors together are in a complementary,
analogous or triad fashion.
Complementary Colors
Opposite each other on the color wheel and create the strongest contrast. When mixed
together in the right proportions, they produce either black or white. Blue and yellow, for
example, are complementary colors
Analogous Colors
Adjacent each other on the color wheel. Warm colors could be used next to other warm
colors, or cool colors next to other cool colors. For example, red, orange and yellow are
analogous colors.
Triad Colors
Equally spaced apart on the color wheel and can be used together to create a theme.
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Designers for Hire
99 Designs
List what you need and how much you’re willing to pay and let designers compete for
your business.
Fiverr
Find a broad range of services, including design services, starting at $5 and pay a
freelancer for what you need.
Design Software
Photoshop The most popular image editing software in existence. Manipulate images in a variety of
ways, from simple formatting options to balancing colors and tones.
Biggest downside: it’s expensive
GIMP Open-source piece of image editing software.
Stands for the GNU Image Manipulation Program. In recent years many experts have said
there’s no longer much of a downside to the Photoshop alternative.
Biggest upside: it’s free
Design-Friendly Website Builders
Like Paul Rand said, design is everything, and it’s everywhere. We encourage you to look for
the design elements we covered in everyday life, use what works best for your business and play around with some of the tools we mentioned.
Conclusion
“We hope you found this informa2on useful. If there are any other topics
you’d like to see us cover, please let us know. And if taking this approach helps your small business succeed, we’d love to hear about it. You can reach us at [email protected]!” Acuity Scheduling
@AcuitySchedulin
Acuity Scheduling is an online scheduling platform that saves thousands of small businesses time by allowing their customers to book appointments online, on their own time,
at any time, from anywhere in the world. For more information about services and pricing, visit
AcuityScheduling.com.
About Acuity Scheduling