Graphic Design Resources

Hi aarosario​! I hear you about wanting to train your design eye. When I searched for Graphic Design I found this wonderful training on Graphic Design Essentials that may be helpful.

You can also check out some of the examples others have shared. If there are any that speak to you feel free to ask the author how they gained confidence in graphic design, or what tools they like. I found destery1kenobi​'s highly stylized example super fun, and JPM​'s space theme is beautiful.

If anyone has resources that helped them, feel free to chime in!

I recommend Robin Williams Non-Designer Design Book, it has great visuals to showcase all of the different design principles of CARP (contrast, alignment, repetition, and  proximity) it's a great foundational resource. There are a lot of different creators that share resources as well. Follow some of the people in the space that are designing for learning in particular. Tim Slade, Jeff Batt, Kevin Thorn, Yukon Learning, and our course David Anderson 🙂. There are more, and tons of resources, you just have to find the ones that resonate with you. Keep in mind, there are principles that work, but in the end, design is pretty subjective. You will develop your own style as you learn. Good luck! 

It's my opinion that one of the best ways to improve is to build your internal database of what looks good to you. DEVOUR as much a you can of the types of things that you love to see, and examine them thoroughly. Learn which artists/creators you like best, and follow them. Even looking at stuff you don't like (and determining WHY you don't like it) is very helpful. Great writers read. Great artists absorb. Your own personal style will inevitably come out in your work, if you are pulling from a deep and diverse well of art of you experienced. Saying this is "copying" is like saying people who use eggs and flour to make tasty pastries didn't invent the egg (or the wheat). Learn what you like, combine it all, and when it comes off of your "paintbrush" your style will be the difference. (Go make your own "tasty pastries"!) :)

aarosario​,

I feel you big time on this question. I suck at style (my closet tells the story 🤣🤣🤣)!

Tips (my 0.2, as they've been alluded to/mentioned already):

👉🏾 I REGULARLY look at examples (here in ELH, and in the Maestro community (the makers of the Mighty wrap-around app for Rise)). When I see something I like (if possible), I download the example file or take a screenshot. I then drop those into the INSPO folder on my laptop. Side note: if there is a nuanced color, I want the HEX for I use (free), PickColorOnline(dot)com.

👉🏾 When I'm not on a streaming + broadcast TV diet (like now), I watch commercials. I LOVE watching them. Marketers are experts at design and getting their message across quickly. I do the same with billboards, wrapped vehicles, business signage, etc. (I have a 2-hour round-trip work commute Mon-Thu, so I get to see design in the wild daily).

👉🏾 Every now and then, stop and pay closer attention to Rise & Storyline templates. What do you like, not like, why, and how can you leverage that input? At work, I extend this to other tools we have access to, such as Canva, Adobe Express, and PresenterMedia(dot)com. I get tons of inspiration from scrolling through their templates. Easy to get lost in the scrolling, so be careful. 🤣 If you have an in-house marketing department, go see what tools they have and any style guides they already use.

My biggest tip is less about style, design, color palettes, etc. But rather a mindset. Design is all around us. We need to be intentional about seeing what's already there, hiding in plain sight.

If you'd like to see the best of the best in advertising, etc., check out the One Show!