Not too long ago in Vietnam, graphic design was known as a new and popular subject in colleges and universities. Remember 10 years ago, when we mentioned the phrase “design” in Vietnam, many people only knew about specialities such as architectural design, and interior design.
Compared to other countries in the world, Vietnam is still in the process of integrating with creative trends around the world, with countries with a long-standing graphic design background such as the US, Germany, Italy, France, and Sweden. , … has a huge background knowledge that we need to learn. And graphic design has now become an indispensable part of life around us, the hard part is how to effectively apply graphics and explore this visual art.
On the other hand, there are still some limitations that we are facing, please refer to the article below with ECH Creative Agency.
Font error
Some design cases have font errors in accented characters (A, Ắ, Â Â, Â,..), this happens when the font used has not been Vietnameseized or is not properly Vietnam Seized. way. Faulty characters are often not seen or “ignored” ignored.
Tip for you is, use the platform libraries that provide free fonts under the author’s permission (Open Font Licence) such as Google Fonts, in the Language section, click select Vietnamese language (English). Vietnamese) to use “standardised” Vietnameseized fonts.
Ratio distortion
There is nothing scarier than when someone distorts your work, this is similar to the design elements (graphic elements) being distorted indiscriminately, although the percentage is small, it makes your design work distorted and feel unfriendly to the viewer.
The most common types today are image distortion, and type distortion. The best way to avoid this is to always pay attention and use graphic elements seriously, carefully and invest in a methodical way.
Using the wrong colour
Everything that we see, feel and touch is filled with colour. The importance of colour is so important that it cannot be considered secondary in any marketing, branding or advertising strategy. Colour plays an important role in conveying the brand’s message to customers, but in Vietnam, colours are often used indiscriminately, without a system, leading to the wrong use of colours. Purpose in design happens to be quite common.
The trick is to use at least 2 or 3 colours in a design, these colours should be compared to the usage in the Colour Wheel. If you are a novice, the best way is to use colour reference sites such as Colour Hunt, and pay attention to the colour pairs that receive the most likes.
Image copyright
An equally common problem today is using images without the author’s permission or without attaching the author’s name/unit. Regarding the issue of images, depending on the type you want to use, or the purpose of use, there will be very different approaches to copyright.
For example, if you only use the image for personal purposes, for the purpose of educating the community, you just need to ask for permission from the author. If you use commercial images, there must be negotiation and consent of the author for your business purposes.
The tip for you is, to refer to free shared image libraries like Pexels, Pixabay,… to find yourself suitable high-quality images, but it is important to “have the right to use” you.
Use low-quality images
In graphic design, images help make connections with text and can clarify information presented in a layout by adding meaning and evoking associations. When using an image, you should make sure that the image is qualified in terms of resolution (dpi), size, aspect ratio, and format type.
Some designs related to printing at large sizes such as t-shirts, posters, banners, etc. need large images with a resolution of 300dpi. If you are an amateur, please contact illustrators (illustrations) or photographers (photos) for advice and provide the best quality images for each subject.
Content and images are inconsistent
Usually, a good design requires a match between images and content, for example you are a spa brand, wishing to convey lightness and relaxation through media and advertising campaigns, but go If it’s an image of an aeroplane, the feeling is very heavy and the meaning is very different, right?
My advice is, be extra cautious in using images. More than anyone else, graphic designers are those who have the ability to analyse complex content, perceive, visualise and convey it in the most understandable visual language. If you are a novice, do not hesitate to spend money to hire professional designers.
Using multiple font styles in the same design
Have you ever encountered designs using calligraphy fonts (handwriting) combined with Serif like Time New Roman and “dozens” of other fonts in the same design? This is a fairly common case in Vietnam when using too many typefaces in the same design, causing confusion and unfriendly to the viewer.
The best way is to use up to 2 typefaces in the same design. Pairs that can be included are Serif – Serif, Serif – Sans Serif, Display – Sans Serif, Monospace – Sans Serif. Choosing the right font requires caution and subtlety in every little detail.
Discrete layout
In modern design, a good design is accompanied by a design that has a clear hierarchy that is easy to understand and does not distract the viewer. Designs that have a discrete layout mean that the design is not selective, let’s say it is in a more popular way than “indiscriminate” design.
If you do not know, design layout always follows basic principles such as visual flow, content hierarchy, grid ratio, yin and yang. If you don’t have a lot of specialised knowledge, hire a professional to help you do it in the best way.
The amount of information content is too large
Our world today has too much advertising information every day from smartphones, or advertising signs appearing on the street. Therefore, a good design does not need too much information but still conveys the content in a simple and concise way, attracting the attention of viewers.
The best way is to optimise the amount of content you have, remove unnecessary content, and focus on keywords that are decisive to the entire message you want to convey.
Use a highly detailed Texture Background
Basically, Texture Background helps to give depth and feel to a design by adding a layer of background images in the background, creating a special effect. But in return, the background texture takes away negative space, making the design complicated and harder to convey the main content.
You can use them selectively to enhance certain parts of your image by using simple, low-textured and white background textures like paper, canvas, lime walls, etc.