Graphic design can be overwhelming—especially if you’re just starting out. With all the styles and categories to learn, and even more design principles to apply, graphic design tips for beginners always come in handy. 

In this article, we’ll talk about the graphic design tips for static and layout designs that every beginner can apply right away.

 

What are Static Designs?

Static designs get to the point quickly. So these designs do not move, regardless of the device the person uses.  

The image does not change from one to the next like a slideshow, as it does in both flash and animated GIF banners. 

 

4 Types of Static Designs 

1. Social Media Graphics 

One of the most effective visuals to engage with your audience and increase brand recognition is social media graphics. 

Whether you’re a small business owner, a blogger, or even a major corporation, social media graphics are the best materials to use. Especially when it comes to establishing your presence online.

 

What makes Social Media Graphics Effective

 

A. Content Diversity

Social media is a dynamic and highly competitive platform. So in order to stand out, the image that represents your content needs to be compelling and persuasive to make it effective. 

It could be an image of a customer’s feedback, product promotions, or behind the scenes. 

Overall, playful social media graphics enhance and highlight these factors which then attract a crowd.

 

B. Visual Branding

Staying within the theme of your brand is essential to establishing your identity online. 

This will help your audience identify your brand right away. Since exposure to the same color themes and graphic styles helps with brands recognition.

 

C. People share engaging content

The job of your social media post is to speak to your audience with little to no effort. 

Accordingly, here are some tips on how to create the perfect content: 

• Create with intention 
• Keep it creative 
• Action-oriented content 
• Focus on your strengths and passions 
• Provide extremely valuable information (less “fluff”)

 

2. Podcast Graphics 

It may sound a bit funny, but it’s true. Before your audience even considers listening to your podcast, the first thing they will judge is your podcast graphics. 

So it doesn’t matter how great your podcast is. If your graphics aren’t striking, then they probably won’t even consider listening to it for a second. 

Ensuring that your visuals and content work together will maximize every given opportunity. As a result, striking artwork will always leave a lasting impression—even if the viewer was just browsing through.

 

What makes Podcast Graphics Effective

 

A. The simpler, the better

Designing a podcast logo or a banner is exciting. But the problem is, people tend to forget the most important factor—making sure that it’s memorable and understandable. 

When creating a podcast logo, keep in mind that too many elements in the design can be confusing to the viewer. Unnecessary elements easily overshadow the main objective. 

 

B. Size matters

Users view podcast graphics as tiny thumbnails more than a full image. For this reason, the design should be compatible with any size. 

 

3. Static Display Ads 

Static display ads are advertisements commonly seen online that do not include any moving elements. When done right, static display ads can surely establish a company’s identity online. 

A typical static display ad looks like a banner that has well-tailored content such as compelling texts, playful visuals, and a call to action.

Even until now, creative and effective static display ads have the power to showcase a brand across the internet and to millions of potential customers. So think of it as a newspaper or a billboard ad.  

 

What makes Static Display Ads Effective

 

A. Always consider the platform you’re using

When it comes to social ads, your brand isn’t just competing with your usual competitors—your brand is also competing with their social network. 

Different platforms cater to different people; posting the wrong content can either increase your brands’ popularity or totally plummet it. 

Remember, designers use static display ads to blend in to stand out! 

 

B. Understand who your primary and secondary market is

Static display ads are extremely versatile. Brands can easily tailor their design based on their target market. 

Designers base this information on the users’ demographics, interests, location, and language. 

 

4. Banner Ads 

Banner ads have got to be one of the most dominant forms of advertising it is online. 

These ads refer to the advertisement images embedded on numerous web pages with the intent to promote a product or service and it comes with a direct link to the advertiser’s website. 

 

Types of Banners 

A. Blog Banners 

The first thing your visitors will see is your blog banner. It’s important that blog banners serve their purpose by informing visitors about the products and services you offer. 

This way, it filters out those who are actually interested in your products and services from those who had something else in mind. 

Keep these in mind: 

• Make your visitors think that they came to the right place. The banner should be informative and welcoming. 
• The CTA is the most crucial element in the blog banner, so designers shouldn’t overlook this. What do you want your visitors to do? Make sure it’s clear from the start. 

 

B. Email Banner 

Email banners are promotional materials that are applied to every employee’s email. 

The elements that you should include in the email banner are a link that leads to your landing page, social media channels, contact details, and other sales platforms. 

What makes email banners effective is that you can easily build brand awareness and promote your products and services with little to no effort on your end. 

 

What makes Banner Ads Effective

 

A. Gripping designs

Banner ads have to be exceptionally impressive to attract attention. When it does, the audience will give your message an opportunity to break through.

Things like the use of custom illustrations, brand colors, and intentional text help banner ads stand out.

 

B. Simple designs are the way to go

Adding too many elements to your banner might make the finished product look cluttered and disorganized. Try to communicate one message about one product in one banner. 

 

What are Layout Designs? 

Designers interweave layout designs with other elements of graphic design. Although, these elements do not limit itself to color themes, fonts, and texture. A layout design also summarizes the principles of balance, alignment, space, and proximity. 

 

7 Types of Layout Designs

1. Newsletters

A newsletter is a tool used to communicate regularly with your clients by sending updates pertaining to your products, services, or business announcements directly to their email boxes. 

These messages can contain simple text alone or a template composed of images and formatted text. 

Newsletters are not necessarily used for hard-selling, the tone should sound like an update from a friend instead of an aggressive salesperson. 

 

What makes Newsletters Effective 

 

A. Informative Content

Make sure not to fill your newsletters with self-promotion. To keep your readers engaged, include informative, entertaining, and solution-driven content in your message. 

Focus on the interests of your customers. If the content satisfies them, then they are more likely to share the message on their social media platforms. 

 

B. Send mobile-friendly emails

In a highly digital era, there’s no doubt that a majority of email recipients will open their emails through their smartphones. 

Make it easy for them to interact with your brand by ensuring that your newsletters are mobile-friendly.

 

2. Business Cards 

A business card is a credit-card-sized paper card that has your name, contact details, and business details. 

Business cards are a highly personal and effective form of marketing. It provides your clients every important detail they need to know about you before sealing the deal in just a few seconds. 

Your business card should include: 

• Full Name 
• Job Title
• Business Name and Logo 
• Phone Number 
• Email Address
• Social Media Platforms 
• Business Website 

 

3. Flyers 

A business flyer is a form of paper advertisement that is posted, handed out in a public place, or sent via email to bring attention to a product, service, event, or any business promotion and campaign there is. 

 

Types of Flyers 

1. Corporate Flyers

The goal of corporate flyers is to assist in promoting the summarized products and services the company provides without it being too word-filled and overwhelming. 

Always include the logo of the company, contact information, social media platforms, and images of the relevant product or service.

 

2. Photo-Centric Flyers

These flyers typically consist of bright colored tones that would assist in capturing the attention of the audience while still staying in line with the company’s theme. 

 

A. Leaflets

Businesses make use of leaflets to advertise their products and services. They often use leaflets to let people know about new store locations, special offers like buy one get one promo, and exclusive events. 

 

B. Pamphlet

Pamphlets are unbound booklets that are used to provide information on a specific subject. 

They are commonly used to inform a person rather than selling something to them. These are either folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a leaflet or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book.

The main difference between a leaflet and a pamphlet is that pamphlets have three or more pages about the company or information about the product. A leaflet on the other hand is just one single page. 

C. Brochures

A brochure is an informative paper document. It’s foldable in several ways—it could be in a template, pamphlet, or leaflet form. 

Businesses use them as promotional tools, primarily to introduce a business, product, or service while informing the prospective customers of its benefits.

Brochures can also be a set of related unfolded papers put into a pocket folder or packet. 

 

4. Menu Design 

The menu design is an influential element of any restaurant’s marketing plan. 

The design of the menu should be able to express the restaurant’s persona, operations, and timeless to keep your brand fresh in your regular customers and potential ones mind.

 

What makes Menu Designs Effective 

 

A. Stick with your brands’ persona

Restaurant menu designs, whether it’s for formal shops or playful ones should match the restaurant’s concept, location, and theme. 

 

5. Catalogs 

A catalog can be a book, e-book, or a printed magazine containing details and pictures of items currently being offered for sale. 

What makes catalogs effective for companies is that they can promote their brand whenever it’s displayed in a high-traffic area or by distributing them in supporting stores. 

Oftentimes, customers already have an idea of what they want to purchase in your shop. Although in some cases, they’ll likely find other products they want to buy when they go through a catalog before placing an order.

 

6. E-Commerce Graphics 

With millions of eCommerce stores on the internet today, the only way to stand out is to have breathtaking graphics that have the power to lure online shoppers in an instant.

The graphics of an eCommerce store needs to radiate in your website, advertising campaigns, and social media platforms to get a higher conversion rate.  

 

What makes eCommerce Graphics Effective 

 

A. Product and services transparency

The reason why people are hesitant to purchase a product from a store online is that, first, it’s intangible. They won’t be able to physically touch the product. 

Second, having limited graphics to sell or promote the product makes it difficult to seal the deal. 

Conservative or first-time shoppers won’t question your store if you lay out all the products and services with visuals that support each claim. 

 

B. Establish your brand’s reputation

Since eCommerce shopping is highly dependent on imagery, having a professionally designed website with design elements that support the products and service you offer will establish your brand’s reputation as trustworthy and reliable to the public. 

 

7. Thumbnail Images 

A thumbnail image is a small image that represents a larger one. Designers often use thumbnails to provide snapshots of several images in a single space. 

The term “thumbnail” was originally used to describe physical images or drawings that were miniature in size (roughly the size of a human thumbnail).

Depending on the platform, a thumbnail image should have a certain size, although there is no real definition of a thumbnails’ size:

 

• Google’s image search: If you create a desktop version thumbnail for Google’s image search, they recommend a size of 177 pixels. You can also use smaller thumbnails.
• Amazon: Amazon uses different thumbnail sizes for different applications. Thumbnails with a height of 200 pixels and dynamic width are used on the start page. Preview images on category pages are 150 pixels high.
• YouTube: Desktop thumbnail images on YouTube have a size of 210 x 118 pixels on the start page. This corresponds to the common 16:9 image format. For video suggestions to the right of an already running video, designers use thumbnails with a size of 168 x 94 pixels.
• Pinterest: Pinterest’s image width is 236 pixels; which is a fixed size. So the wider the screen of the viewer, the more images are displayed next to each other.

 

Unlimited Graphic Design with DotYeti 

Need help creating your static and layout designs? DotYeti’s got you covered!

Our teams of Creative Yetis led by professional Art Directors guarantee to set you apart from your competition on every streaming platform. Check out our portfolio and case studies to see how our fantastic design platform has helped our clients grow. 

Take a peek at our pricing page to see the best package that suits your design needs. Can’t find the perfect one? Reach out to one of our Yetis today to create a custom package—just for you.