Kristen Mitchell, Author at Go Fish Digital

5 Tips for How to Create Eye-Catching Graphics

Kristen Mitchell — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 13:00:25 +0000

Graphics are a great way to share information. Breaking down large text blocks or sheets of data makes the information easily digestible. Because the information is easier to understand, businesses and individuals are able to reach a wider audience. But it’s not as simple as creating charts and graphs; there is more to consider when creating eye-catching graphics. You don’t have to be a professional to elevate your content, though—you just need to develop an eye for design.

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The easiest way to enhance your graphics is to learn the principles of design. Each principle helps set the foundation for a successful composition. Using them together creates clear, appealing arrangements. There is some debate over the number of principles, but here are five graphic design tips to get your designs going in the right direction.

1. Hierarchy

Before placing anything on the graphic, you need to rank the importance of your information. This determines your hierarchy. The title needs to stand out more than the subtitle, and the data needs to stand out more than the footnote. Determining the importance of each piece of information allows you to arrange accordingly.

2. Contrast

Contrast is the difference between elements. These differences reinforce the hierarchy. Create contrast through the use of different fonts, colors, or sizes. Designers may set the title in a big, bold font, then set the subtitle in a smaller, darker font. This contrast tells the reader that the title is the more important element.

3. White Space

White space or negative space is the space between your elements. Providing white space helps emphasize certain elements and reduces clutter. Balance in design refers to the visual weight each element carries. Spreading your information out provides white space and brings symmetry to the composition.

4. Repetition

The use of repetition reinforces your message to your viewer. In a range of graphics, repeating elements set a standard for the design. Using these standards to create unity allows you to communicate with the audience. For example, using the same background or header layout. This tells the viewer that each graphic belongs within the set. Similarly, be consistent with the typefaces you choose. Here are some typeface inspiration ideas if you’re stuck!

5. Color

It’s important to choose the right color palette for your graphics. Color sets the tone for your audience, so understanding the basics of color is helpful. Warmer colors such as red, orange, or yellow are more exciting; they invoke action. Cooler colors such as blue, green, and purple are relaxing and comforting to the viewer. You also want to choose a color palette with enough contrast, so viewers can easily tell them apart. There are many websites for creating color palettes. You can find some useful ones using these color tools.

Final Thoughts

Implementing each of these design principles will help you make your own eye-catching graphics. The more you understand them, the more you’ll see them all around you. Find designs that inspire you, and figure out what elements they’re using. Once you are comfortable using these principles with the text and charts, try adding more. Including imagery, such as photographs or illustrations, will make graphics even more interesting.

For both new and professional designers, these principles are important and can make a big difference in quality. Using them in new and exciting ways is what makes the graphics eye-catching. If you’re looking to up your design game, check out our website design agency services.

5 Tips for How to Create Eye-Catching Graphics is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

Universal Design and Marketability: How to Improve the Inclusivity of Your Website

Kristen Mitchell — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 13:00:09 +0000

Everyone knows the experience of using a horribly designed website. It may be hard to read, the pictures won’t load, navigating through different pages is a headache, it’s too hard to use. So you leave and find a better website — navigating a poorly performing site is not worth the effort. While it is frustrating, for most of us this is a rare experience. For others, however, it’s a disappointing constant. Websites lacking accessibility can make everyday activities harder for those living with disabilities. So it is the responsibility of companies and designers to make their websites more accessible. Universal Design guidelines ensure everyone is able to experience your website as intended. Not following them could lead to a lot of frustration, meaning you could be losing customers. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘a little compassion goes a long way,” so why not apply it to your audience too?

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Most companies are aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. The ADA does not have specific rules when it comes to websites and apps. It does require that everyone can enjoy meaningful access and equal use of your website. The Department of Justice considers the Web Content and Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 level AA the standard for accessible websites. But these guidelines are the minimum. Companies can do more to enhance their customers’ experience and appeal to a wider audience.

From Accessible to Universal

There are many features of accessible web design, each with its own benefits. Each falls under the umbrella of “Universal Design.” Ronald Mace, along with a team of architects, product designers, and engineers coined the term Universal Design. Mace stated, “Universal design is a design that’s usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.”

The idea was that the standard of design should go beyond the requirements of the ADA. The goal, to the greatest extent possible, is “[s]omething that’s universally designed will work for as many people as possible, regardless of struggles with upper-body movement, strength, and/or sensation, lower body movement strength, and/or sensation, balance, vision, hearing, cognition and memory, activity tolerances, speech and/or communication, chemical sensitivities, sensory tolerance, needs for caregiver assistance, and extremes in height and weight.” The presence of accessibility features creates a divide between those who need them and those that do not. According to Accessible University, “Universal Design removes this separation and provides an environment that all people can use freely and without barriers.”

The Seven Principles of Universal Design

North Carolina State University published the Universal Design Handbook in 1997. Molly Follette Story is the author of the Principles of Universal Design. Universal Design wasn’t created with web design in mind. But it’s possible to achieve this by following the Seven Principles of Universal Design.

Equitable Use

Equitable Use means the design is useful to people with diverse abilities. It recommends providing all users the same means of use. When a design cannot be identically used, provide an equivalent use. Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users to make the design appealing to all. In web design, you can ensure your page is visible to all by following ADA contrast guidelines. It is also best practice to include alt text for images and captions for videos.

Provide Flexibility in Use

Provide Flexibility in Use by accommodating a range of users’ preferences and abilities. Allow the user to adapt the design in a way that works for them. This can mean centering buttons on mobile designs to allow equal access for right- and left-handed users. Websites like Accessible Brand Colors ensure you are providing the correct text size and color options, creating a wider range of legibility.

Simple and Intuitive Use

Simple and Intuitive Use ensures the design is easy for everyone to understand. Eliminate unnecessary complexity to accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills. For example, designing with a consistent text hierarchy across your website. Uniformity allows the user to quickly locate the most important information. You can easily make a well-structured hierarchy with Type Scale.

Perceptible Information

Perceptible Information means communicating necessary information effectively to the user. Avoid overwhelming your user with a wall of text. Instead, use images, charts, or graphs to reiterate information visually. Guarantee key info isn’t skipped over or missed by making it stand out.

Tolerance for Error

Tolerance for Error minimizes adverse consequences of accidents or unintended actions. When designing, include confirmation prompts to prevent users from making errors. It is also best practice to make CTA’s stand out —do so by making buttons clear and avoiding confusing colors.

Low Physical Effort

Low Physical Effort means the design is efficient and comfortable causing minimal fatigue. While this may seem unrelated to web design, you can try to reduce users’ physical and mental fatigue. Ensure your design has clear navigation and the menu is easy to find. As mentioned in earlier steps, make key information and buttons clear and easy to locate. These steps will allow the user to find what they need in an efficient manner.

Size and Space for Approach and Use

Size and Space for Approach and Use ensure ease of approach and use regardless of the user’s mobility. This is another principle intended for physical design, however, it can apply to web design as well. One of the easiest ways to ensure ease of use is by making large, clear buttons. Especially on mobile, this helps users with less dexterity. Providing ample negative space also allows users to avoid unwanted actions.

People tend to view accessibility measures as a hassle. Instead, they should consider the benefit to their friends, elderly parents, even themselves. Universal design ensures that people can access communities with little or no barriers. Incorporating universal design allows your company to appeal to a larger audience. A wider range of people will be able to equally experience your website and become a part of your community. Consider the benefits of adding these features to your website. You can start by making sure your company’s color palette meets ADA standards.

If you’re looking to make your website for ADA compliant, check out our website development services at Go Fish Digital.

Universal Design and Marketability: How to Improve the Inclusivity of Your Website is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

5 Color Tools That Will Improve Your Design Accessibility

Kristen Mitchell — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 13:00:32 +0000

Color plays a significant role in design; it helps create emotions, draw interest, and convey messages. Color is even more important when it comes to design accessibility. According to the World Health Organization, “it is estimated that at least 2.2 billion people [globally] have a vision impairment or blindness.” Inclusive practices, like accessible color schemes, ensure that people with physical or situational disabilities and socio-economic restrictions can interact with your website or graphics. It also ensures that no one visiting your website will miss out on information or functionality.

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To help create a more accessible world, designers can follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The WCAG are a set of accessibility standards that designers can follow when they are creating graphics and web images. And, by following these guidelines, designers can use accessible color schemes to reach a wider audience.

While designers can create their own color palettes, there are many tools available that help designers with this task. Below are five color tools that will make your next design more accessible:

Khroma

Khroma is an AI-powered color generator driven by your color preferences. You start by selecting a minimum of fifty colors you like from the provided palette. Then, it analyzes your choices and provides an endless selection of color combinations. There are also options to search for specific colors and adjust how much your bias affects the color combinations produced. To ensure your design is accessible, you can turn on “Never fail WCAG” in the settings menu. Khroma is one of my favorite websites for choosing a color palette because it remembers my preferences.

Material Design Color Tool

The Color Tool by Material Design allows you to choose colors for your website and test your palettes on six different UI designs in real-time. To test your choices’ accessibility level, this tool determines the legibility of white and black text in various sizes on your backgrounds.

Colorsafe

Colorsafe creates color palettes with WCAG-approved contrast ratios. To use this tool, simply input your desired background color, typeface, font size, and weight, and it will provide a range of accepted options for your text color and the contrast ratio of each choice.

Accessible Brand Colors

Accessible Brand Colors tests how ADA-compliant the colors in your palette are. Your results populate in a chart where each color appears as either a text or background color, with a pass or fail. This chart allows you to see all of your options and choose the color arrangement that works best for your design.

ColorBox

ColorBox by Lyft Design is a tool that uses an algorithm to build accessible color ranges. You can choose the starting and ending colors, the number of steps between the two, and the curves of the hue, saturation, and brightness. You can also lock in specific colors if you’re working with a set color scheme.

Designers and businesses alike should prioritize accessibility. Increasing accessibility ensures that your entire audience has access to all of your site’s information and functionality. You never know who these changes benefit.

To learn more about accessibility and design, check out “Universal Web Design: A Guide to WCAG Compliance” by Alison Iddings.

Design is the process of communicating visually, and we should strive to reach the largest audience possible. The growth of technology has led to so many tools that make our job a lot easier, so don’t be afraid to use them when you’re creating. If you’re not sure about your site’s color scheme, reach out to our website design agency.

5 Color Tools That Will Improve Your Design Accessibility is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.