The deadly sins of graphic design
Bad design choices can come back to haunt you. They can ruin first impressions, confuse your audience and make your brand look like it was thrown together in a hurry.
The good news? Most of the big “design sins” are easy to avoid once you know what to look for.
This guide walks through common mistakes I see all the time, plus simple ways to fix or prevent them. Whether you are DIY-ing in Canva or working with a designer, these tips will help keep your visuals polished and professional.
Inconsistent branding
Your brand should feel instantly recognisable, not like a lucky guess. If your Instagram is bright and playful, your website is plain and corporate, and your flyers use different fonts again, people will struggle to connect the dots.
How to avoid it
Create simple brand guidelines that cover your logo, colours, fonts, imagery style and tone of voice. Keep them handy and refer to them whenever you design something new.
The average person sees about 10,000 ads per day. Brand consistency builds customer loyalty and can increase revenue up to 20%.
Source: Adobe.com
Inflexible logos
One logo file cannot do everything. If you only have one version of your logo, it might work on your website but not fit in a social media circle, or disappear when printed on a dark background. File types, quality and colour modes also matter. Think about where your logo will appear, and make sure you have a version that suits each space.
How to avoid it
Create a logo “kit” that includes:
Horizontal and stacked versions
Colour, black and white options
Files set up correctly for print and digital
Lack of hierarchy
Hierarchy is the way you show what is most important on a page or screen. If everything is the same size and weight, nothing stands out and your viewer does not know where to look first.
How to avoid it
Use size, weight, colour and spacing to guide the eye:
Make headings larger and bolder
Use subheadings to break up sections
Keep body text smaller and consistent
Use space around key elements so they have room to “breathe”
Using too many fonts
Using lots of different fonts quickly makes a design feel messy and unprofessional.
How to avoid it
Stick to a maximum of three:
One font for headings
One for body text
One “accent” font if you really need something special
Font type can impact reading comprehension by up to 10%. And The font type can influence how readers perceive the message, impacting credibility and professionalism.
Source: linearity.io
Wrong font choice
Fonts have personality. Some feel playful, some serious, some elegant and some loud. A friendly script font might be perfect for a wedding brand but not ideal for a financial planner. And some fonts simply do not pair well together.
How to avoid it
Make sure your fonts match your brand tone and audience
Check fonts at different sizes to see if they are still clear
Ask a few trusted people what your chosen fonts “say” to them
Poor spacing (kerning and tracking)
Kerning and tracking are all about spacing. When letters are too close together or too far apart, your text can feel cramped or awkward and harder to read.
How to avoid it
Zoom in and check your headlines for odd gaps between letters
Adjust letter spacing slightly if something looks off
Keep paragraph spacing consistent so the page feels organised
Lack of white space
White space (or negative space) is the empty space around elements. It is not wasted space. It is what makes a design feel calm, clear and readable. Cramming every corner with text and images is a fast way to overwhelm your audience.
How to avoid it
Leave space around headings and key messages
Avoid filling every gap just because it is there
Use margins and padding to create natural breathing room
Too much information
Trying to squeeze your entire story onto one flyer, post or slide makes it hard for people to take in anything at all.
How to avoid it
Think of your marketing as a series, not a single moment. Your website, social media posts, email newsletters and printed pieces can each share part of the story. Let each item focus on one clear goal or message.
Using all the colours of the rainbow
Colour is powerful, but too many colours can feel chaotic and unprofessional. Different colours carry different meanings. For example, bright reds can feel energetic and urgent, while soft blues often feel calm and trustworthy.
How to avoid it
Choose a main brand palette with a small set of colours
Add a couple of accent colours if needed
Use colours on purpose, not just because they look pretty
Blue is considered the most popular colour worldwide.
Source: yougov.com
Not prioritising readability
Tiny text, low contrast and decorative fonts can all make your content hard to read, especially on small screens.
How to avoid it
Use a font size that is comfortable on both desktop and mobile
Make sure there is enough contrast between text and background
Avoid long paragraphs in all caps or highly decorative fonts
Test your design on different devices if you can
Bad image quality
Blurry or pixelated images instantly lower the quality of your design. There is no quick fix that can turn a very small, low-quality image into a crisp one.
How to avoid it
Start with high resolution images
For print, aim for around 300 dpi
For web, make sure images are sized correctly for their use and not stretched
Overcropping images
Cutting off heads, hands or key parts of a product can make images feel awkward. Placing text over important areas can also cause problems.
How to avoid it
When taking photos, leave extra space around your subject
Check how images will crop across different formats (for example, square vs rectangle)
Avoid placing important text over faces or key details
Misalignment
When elements do not line up, designs can feel messy, even if the colours and fonts are great.
How to avoid it
Use alignment tools, grids and guides in your design software
Pick a main alignment (for example, left aligned) and stick to it
Check that text boxes, images and buttons line up cleanly
Overusing centred text
Centred text can look lovely in small doses, such as for a short title or quote. Long centred paragraphs, though, are harder to read.
How to avoid it
Use centre alignment only for short lines
Keep longer text left aligned so the eye can follow the same starting point each line
Misusing icons
Icons can be a great way to break up text or highlight key points. But if they are used randomly or in too many different styles, they can distract instead of help.
How to avoid it
Use icons that match your brand style and topic
Stick to one icon style within a design (for example, all outline or all filled)
Use icons to support text, not replace it entirely
Not enough contrast
If your text and background colours are too similar, your audience will struggle to read your content. Contrast also matters for accessibility.
How to avoid it
Check your design in greyscale or black and white
If elements start to blend together, increase the contrast
Use bold or darker colours for key text on light backgrounds
Websites with solid contrast ratios show a 32% improvement in user engagement.
Source: linearity.io
Incorrect file formats
Different platforms and printers need different file types. Sending the wrong one can cause issues with quality, colour or transparency.
How to avoid it
Use PNG or JPEG for most web images
Use print-ready PDF or high resolution files for printing
Keep vector files (for example, AI, EPS or SVG) for logos and graphics that need to scale
Using the wrong colour mode
Colour modes are used for different purposes: RGB is for screens (web, social media, digital presentations) and CMYK is for print. If you mix them up, your colours can print very differently to what you see on screen.
How to avoid it
Set up your document in CMYK for print projects
Use RGB for digital designs
Ask your printer or designer if you are not sure what is needed
Neglecting print requirements
Terms like bleed, trim and safe area might sound technical, but they are there to stop important content being cut off.
How to avoid it
Add bleed to print files if required (your printer can provide a guide)
Keep important text and logos inside the safe area, away from the edges
Turn on margins and guides in your design software to help
Bad file names
“FinalFINALv7_reallyfinal.pdf” is funny until you are trying to find the right file in a hurry.
How to avoid it
Create a simple naming system and stick to it. This makes it much easier to find and update files later.
For example:
ProjectName-Size-Platform-Date
Social-1080x1080-Facebook-Sep24
Skipping the test print
A design can look perfect on screen and still print in a way you did not expect. Colours, contrast and text size often feel different on paper.
How to avoid it
Do a quick test print on your office or home printer
Check legibility, contrast and layout
If you can do a professional test print before committing to mass production
Not proofreading
How often have you judged someone for a typo? Typos kill credibility.
How to avoid it: Don’t just trust spell check. A careful read or second set of eyes is a good idea.
73% of consumers prefer print ads over digital due to fewer distractions
Source: Forbes
Useful tools
Here are some tools designers commonly use across branding and design work:
Adobe Photoshop for editing and retouching images.
Adobe Illustrator for vector-based logos and illustrations.
Adobe InDesign for print layouts such as brochures and documents.
Figma for digital layouts and collaborative design work.
Canva for simple, quick graphics once your core brand is in place.
Slack, Asana or Monday for managing projects, communication and deadlines.
Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive for cloud storage and sharing files.
Got a question or not sure where to start?
You can email me at hello@elisemaunder.com.au
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