Designing graphics demands immersive artistic skills. Web and graphic designing professionals know how to demonstrate art and how to create its impact on the audience. However, even experienced eyes occasionally fail to appraise a design and require a checkpoint list to certify it.

For the most part, creative designers rely on their gut feelings to determine whether or not their work is excellent enough to be seen by a wider audience. However, there are ways to establish a more objective and dependable process to make sure that the design stands good from a broader perspective and gets a larger acceptance.

Appoint a Design Validation System Built On These Check-Points

#1 Is the design well-executed?

An issue that has to be solved is generally the driving force behind the requirement for a design. It could be anything from a website that demands to be more user-friendly to a product that has to appeal to a certain demographic to a new firm that requires a logo.

This is the initial checkpoint for determining the quality of a design. If it does not resolve the issue, there is no need to continue; the design is most likely not good. As long as its primary function is not met, how wonderful it appears doesn’t matter.

Understand the needs and desires of your target audience to ensure that your design will be successful. Start by asking the question “Why?” until you get a clear picture of what your design is supposed to accomplish. After a few inquiries, you may discover that the customer is actually looking for a different product than what they initially thought they were looking for. To be sure that you’re trying to tackle the appropriate problem, you need to first identify what that problem is.

#2 Is the tone conveyed correctly?

To determine whether or not a tone is acceptable, you’ll first need to know two things: the brand and the audience you’re targeting.

Brand

The term “brand” is typically linked with corporations, although it is not exclusive to them; many objects, including you, may have a brand. A person’s brand is the impression that others have, and the same holds true for businesses and other organizations.

When a corporation uses good design, they may regain control of their brand and change public perception in the direction they choose. This is what a professional digital branding agency does to build the right brand image to best serve businesses’ underlying communication and engagement objective. 

Audience

If a corporation has a specific audience in mind, it might be anything from a wide demographic range to a very specific niche. After knowing how the firm wants to be regarded and who the design is intended for, the only issue left is what type of design would be most suited for that organization.

To appeal to a larger audience, a company’s design typically has to be simpler and more conventional, which is why many organizations lose some of their “soul” as they develop. This occurs because some design tricks that work well for narrow niches would fall flat with a bigger audience, and thus the firm “sacrifices” them in order to attract more customers. 

However, if your target audience is limited and narrowly defined, you may rely on these gimmicks to enhance the design’s visual appeal and engagement value. 

A nice way to illustrate this is to compare McDonald’s to your neighborhood burger business. In essence, they’re selling the same item, but their methods of communication are vastly different.

#3 Will The Design Be Able To Withstand The Passage Of Time?

Although a timeless design would be ideal, it may not always be required or even recommended. It all relies on the purpose of the design and how long it will last.

There’s no harm in taking advantage of the current year’s trends if you are developing a website for a product that will be replaced or upgraded within two years. This will assist you in making your design appear trendy, modern, and relevant. Keep an eye on the trends and attempt to keep ahead of them.

There is nothing worse than riding the wave too late; this simply serves to make you appear awful as if you are attempting to catch up rather than initiating the trend.

A logo that’s meant to be there for several decades or more should absolutely avoid design trends that have a limited shelf life. You can see this pattern if you take a look at well-known logos like Starbucks, which have undergone several redesigns throughout the years.

#4 Is The Design Free Of Friction?

The term “friction” refers to anything that stands in the way of a person reading or utilizing something. Adding extra friction makes it more difficult for people to acquire what they seek from your product. Things like difficult-to-read language or a cumbersome website are the primary causes of friction. Many designers make the error of compromising readability and usability for the sake of making their designs “look better” despite the fact that this is an evident mistake.

In order to convey as much information as possible, it’s critical to thoroughly gauge your audience’s interest. Try to avoid information overload, since this will only serve to stifle your design.

#5 Are Typefaces Compatible?

Typography is an important component of practically every design. Fonts that are well-chosen have a significant impact on the overall appeal of a design project. The use of two or more fonts that are not complementary to one another causes a significant amount of distraction for the viewers.

For novices, it’s best to adhere to sans-serif and serif font typefaces at the start of the project design. When choosing a typeface, keep in mind the text’s overall mood and personality.

Final Thoughts

It is critical for graphic designers to thoroughly analyze their work to ensure that it has a positive influence and impact on users. It is the responsibility of every designer to ensure that the design’s emphasis is where it should be.

In short, excellent design is more than just how it appears; it’s a mix of intelligent decisions made with keeping the ultimate user in mind.

To get help with planning and implementing a design validation process, connect with the experts at NYX Ditech.

Read more about UX Design practices to avoid errors here.