Good design takes work, and it takes time. When the effort has not been put into the work, it shows. Even the best designers in the world put effort into their work. It doesn’t get easier, the quality gets better, and the designs become more interesting.
Here are some of the things that I will be considering when grading the Branding and Design assignment for this week.
Use of typography. Good branding starts with good type.
I can easily spend hours pouring through my font library, looking for fonts that have the appropriate qualities and associations for the product/service. The same font can look very different depending on the color, background, elements near it spatially, and if your combining fonts, what font it is paired with will make each look different. I don’t expect students to create their own typeface, but I do expect them to choose the right font, and make the necessary changes so that the brand is unique. Icons are good, but not necessary.
Look and feel. Look and feel best describes best what I’m asking for with this assignment. I’m NOT looking for wireframes. The goal is to create 3 different homepage designs. It’s about color, aesthetics, style, artwork (whether it’s photos you take yourself, illustrations, effects, manipulated (photoshopped) images, etc.) The feelings associated with the style and design you create has to be appropriate for the topic.
Search the web. Look at magazines and books. Get inspired.
The class will give you feedback, but you determine who your audience is.
Enjoy what you are doing. It’s a creative process.