5 Common Design Mistakes to Avoid - The US Spreadshirt Blog

As a designer, you’re proud of your work. It’s rewarding to receive compliments on a design and think, “heck yeah, I made that!” Those compliments don’t come easily though. It takes a lot of hard work and creativity to produce such strong designs. Whether you’ve been designing for decades or if you’re just starting out, mistakes are going to be made, regardless of your experience.
It’s important to be aware of common design mistakes so you know how to avoid them. We’ve compiled these mistakes in a list, so you can keep them in the back of your mind while creating your next masterpiece!

Don’t Be Too Extra:

We understand how much you want to show off your design capabilities. It takes a lot of time to learn such intricate and tedious techniques. You want your audience to see what you can really do! Unfortunately, it’s common for designers to show off their capabilities a little too much. A beautiful design can turn into chaos when too many effects and design elements are applied. Less is more when it comes to graphic design. Keep that golden rule in mind and your designs will remain elegant and admirable.

The Fix:

Don’t use too many colors
Keep the effects to a minimum
Determine the purpose of your design
Minimize crowding of shapes and objects

Too Much Similarity:

Every designer has their own style. Whether your graphics are animated, realistic or abstract, it’s imperative to offer your customers variety. This doesn’t mean you should change your design style, your design style identifies you as a creator. We’re just trying to place importance on offering consumers designs that aren’t too similar. Nobody is going to buy three shirts with cats sleeping on them. It’s more likely that someone will buy one t-shirt with a cat sleeping, another t-shirt with a cat dancing and another shirt that says, “I love cats.” See what we mean? When there’s a little diversity between your designs, then you’ll be able to cater to a larger audience.

The Fix:

Don’t use the same font in every design
Use different color schemes in each design
Change the sizing and placement of each design

Sloppiness:

Sloppiness seems like a no-brainer. Obviously, you’re only going to put your best designs out there. However, there are forms of sloppiness that are often overlooked. Even something as miniscule as font spacing can make or break a design. Try toggling around with your design tools and seek opportunities for improvement. Pay attention to font weight, font kerning, line weight, accent colors and opacity. Sometimes, changing something small can make a big difference.

The Fix:

Adjust the font weight and font kerning
Make sure lines and borders are the right weight for your design
Add or take away design effects
Use rulers to make sure everything is even, centered and spaced accordingly

Poor Contrast:

Contrast is one of the most important techniques to consider when designing merchandise. There’s nothing more disappointing than ordering a graphic tee online, then realizing how washed out the design looks in person. Don’t let this happen to your customers. Choose the colors of your design wisely and consider how it will appear on colored merchandise. Avoid this mistake and your happy customers will remain happy!

The Fix:

Color wheels are old-school but they’re a good reference
Stick to neutral merchandise colors if your design is complex
Make sure there is a balance of dark and light colors
Don’t put similar tones side-by-side

Lack of Negative Space:

Negative space is not empty space, it’s a whole other element of design. It’s the component that presents your design with balance and stability. Give your eyes a place to rest by incorporating an appropriate amount of negative space, otherwise, your design will appear a little too cluttered. If you feel like you’re trying to cram everything into one allotted space, take a step back and remove any unnecessary design additions. We can’t stress this enough, less is more.

The Fix: