Good Content Doesn't Always Matter

Content doesn't always matter. Now you must think, "Santi, you are crazy for saying this when your career is based on making and designing content!".?

As a designer, I search the web for content and often find a lot of potential for businesses or individuals posting online. But all this potential gets wasted the moment it gets uploaded.

Why?

The answer is simple: Presentation.?

People say not to judge a book by its cover, but in the world of marketing and design, presentation is everything. Viewers' attention spans are shorter than ever, thanks to the internet, making it essential to seize the moment and give them something they want to read (and look at).

You could have the most valuable information in the world, and people will likely ignore it if it's visually "ugly."

How do I make sure my design isn't "ugly?"

Everyone has their taste. Making a design that will please everyone is impossible, but using some design principles, you can make sure your content's layout is more efficient and functional for its readers.

Here are some you can focus on:

1. Colour
2. Hierarchy
3. Space

You don't need to major in Graphic Design to understand these concepts. Everyone should be familiar with these principles and apply them to their everyday work and lives when possible.

How is my content being ruined?

If your content is poorly presented, people will skip past it and find something prettier to read. If no one looks at your content, it is useless for your brand and following.?

By focusing on simple design principles, you can start upgrading your content and applying that knowledge to other aspects that involve visual communication.

What are the principles of design?

There are seven principles of design, but to keep things simple and efficient, its best to focus on these three:

1. Colour
2. Hierarchy
3. Space

These four tools will be more than enough to save your content and give it a chance to thrive once it is published online.

Colour

• While picking colors may seem straightforward, it may be more complex than it looks. Colors can give life to designs and help them stand out, giving them attention and grasping viewers' attention. The opposite can happen if you choose a poor color combination as well. Poor color combinations can be colors that don't match or looks pleasant together. Some examples include pink and green, cyan and violet, or neon with neon. Although it is not 100% forbidden to use them, they can often prevent viewers from wanting to look at whatever design uses these specific combinations.?
• Another example of a poor choice of colors would be choosing a pallet that doesn't match the theme of your design. If your design is supposed to be serious and elegant, avoid using flashy and bright colors. Using fun colors can give off a tone that you aren't taking things seriously and can often give off wrong impressions before someone even reads the content. Every color gives off emotion, and it is essential to understand that when designing content. If your content is exciting, flashy, or sporty, use a hot red on a dark background to give it energy and pop out. If you are going with a calm design, pastel brown or green can help create a softer theme that will relax the eyes.?
• Finally, using colors correctly can help the legibility of your designs. Books and articles are often black text on a white background because it gives the highest contrast and is easier on the eyes. If you use very similar colors, such as black on grey or yellow on white, readers will strain their eyes trying to read and naturally ignore whatever you have written in your content.?
• Thankfully, if choosing colors is a bit overwhelming, tons of online resources are available online to help you select an appropriate theme and ensure it follows accessibility guidelines.
• I use Adobe Color for inspiration and to check the contrast levels of my chosen colors.

Hierarchy

• In design, hierarchy describes the order in which the eye catches specific items in your design. More oversized items are higher as they are easier to spot and tend to pop out more than smaller items.
• Hierarchy guides the viewers and helps them navigate through designs with minimal confusion.?
• When looking at a book cover, we can dissect the hierarchy in the design very quickly. The first text that you should notice is the title of the book. The title usually takes up a large chunk of upper space in a thicker and more extensive text. This title is the first text you should read when observing the book cover. Depending on the cover's design, the background usually stands out first due to the use of color and imagery.
• After reading the title, the second biggest text should be the author's name or a quote admiring the book's content. This text should be at least 30-40% smaller than the title for a contrast in size.
• Finally, any extra text will be added following the same guidelines. This final text is still essential (it is on the cover, after all), but it's the least important of the items in the hierarchy; therefore, it will be the smallest.
• Hierarchy prevents your viewers from getting confused. If all of your items and text are similar sizes, they all compete and create a lot of chaos in your content. This chaos can scare off viewers, as they want to avoid trying and figuring out how to navigate the design before spending time reading it. The easier something is to read and understand, the higher the chances are of them sticking to the end.
• Before starting the final design of your content, take some time to organize your elements and rank them to figure out what you want viewers to see first (titles, headings, images). If you need help, take a look at professional designers' work to see how they organize their content and get inspiration. Pinterest and Behance are great places to start at.

Here is an example of how hierarchy works when you first view an unfamiliar design. Compare it to the next image to see how the order you read the text is altered when there is no clear hierarchy.

Without hierarchy, the average reader would have to glance over this design again to take in all the content in its intended order.

Space?

• Space plays a crucial role in design and ties in with the overall hierarchy of the end product. You need space to differentiate sections of your content for viewers to distinguish the flow and structure of the design.?
• Too much space can make your design look empty and poorly planned, but too little space can cramp things up and make it a hassle to read and view. Finding a balance between the two is crucial to create a sweet spot.
• Finding a sweet spot can differ depending on where the content is going. If your content is placed online in a carousel format, you have ten slides at your disposal. These slides can be efficiently used to distribute content evenly, allowing for consistent sizing of text/ images that can be easily read.?
• If your content is placed on a single panel like on Twitter, you will have to shrink your content and even condense it to have it legible in the post. Although you may have to tighten the design up, keeping the consistent spacing between elements is essential to prevent confusion.
• Placing margins, guides, and guidelines can help space your content in design programs, used by most professional designers. If you find yourself stuck with spacing, seek inspiration from others' work or everyday items that may have content on them.

At first glance, the article below looks crammed and unreadable. Compare it to the next design using the exact same text with different sizing and spacing.

Notice how the text is now less overwhelming and more inviting? That is the power that space holds when designing content that is meant to be interacted with.

Key takeaways

In conclusion, creating visually appealing content is the key to having successful content. Without an organized design, your ideas will fade quickly and gain little to no interest from your viewers/readers. Starting with three fundamental principles (color, hierarchy, and space) can be applied to your future or current work to ensure it is presented the way it deserves to be. These fundamentals may be overwhelming to those who have never worked with them directly, so seek inspiration and guidance from other sources of work, especially professionals who have been making great content for years.

Good luck with your content journey!