How can you enhance your media with graphics?

1 Define your purpose

Before you choose or create any graphics, you need to define the purpose of your media and the role of your graphics. What are you trying to achieve with your media? Who is your target audience? What do you want them to feel, think, or do after viewing your media? How can graphics support your message and goals? Answering these questions will help you select or design graphics that are relevant, appropriate, and effective for your media.

2 Choose your style

Graphics can have different styles, such as realistic, abstract, minimalist, vintage, modern, etc. The style of your graphics should match the tone and mood of your media, as well as the preferences and expectations of your audience. For example, if you are creating a media for a professional or academic context, you might want to use graphics that are simple, clear, and elegant. If you are creating a media for a creative or fun context, you might want to use graphics that are colorful, playful, and expressive. You can also mix and match different styles, as long as they are consistent and coherent throughout your media.

3 Format your graphics

Graphics can have different formats, such as images, icons, illustrations, charts, diagrams, etc. The format of your graphics should suit the type and amount of information you want to convey, as well as the size and layout of your media. For example, if you want to show data or facts, you might want to use charts or diagrams that are easy to read and understand. If you want to show concepts or ideas, you might want to use images or icons that are symbolic and suggestive. You should also optimize your graphics for the web or the screen by using the right resolution, file type, and compression.

4 Ensure quality

Graphics can have varying degrees of quality, which can impact the perception and impression of your media, as well as its performance and accessibility. To ensure that your graphics are high-quality and professional-looking, you should adhere to some basic guidelines. This includes using original or licensed graphics that are relevant and appropriate for your media, clear, sharp, and well-lit, consistent in style, color, size, and alignment, balanced with the text and background of your media, and accessible and inclusive for all viewers. Additionally, you should avoid graphics that are blurry, pixelated, distorted, or otherwise not visually appealing.

5 Place your graphics

Graphics can have different placements, depending on their position, orientation, and arrangement in your media. Placing your graphics strategically and logically is important for creating a flow and focus that engages your audience. To do this, you should use graphics that are relevant and supportive of the text and message, visible and prominent without being overwhelming or distracting, properly aligned and spaced, interactive and dynamic such as animations or videos, and responsive and adaptable such as SVGs to fit different devices.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?