Sometimes writing the content is not the hardest part of publishing a new blog post. Finding the rights images to go with it can be a huge task - especially if you're as hopeless at designing stuff as me. Pretty graphics and headers never fail to grab attention, and can be a crucial part of the success of a blog post. So today, we have Aentee - whose graphics are just plain gorgeous - to share a few tips on creating blog graphics. Honestly I can't think of a better person for this post, and I hope all of you learn something new and helpful.
Thank you so much to Mishma for inviting me to join this
event. While I don't pretend to be a mastermind when it comes to blog graphics,
I have some experience in designing them that I would love to share, especially
to people who are just starting out!
Make a Pinterest Board
Find art style and typography images
you love on Pinterest and create a board, this will help you begin to visualise
what your blog should look like. It will also help if you decide to commission
a blog design, as it gives the designer a place to start and set you both off
on the same page.
Personally, the first thing I
remember about a blog is its colours, it's a powerful brand. E.g. The energetic
pink hues of Happy Indulgence. You can
either choose shades of the same colour (in this case use at least 3-4 to give
the page some depth) or a widely varied and contrasting palette. Sites that
have great colour palettes for perusal are COLOURlovers & design-seed.
Choosing a Font
Similarly, the font you choose in your header is similarly branding. You
want to make sure that it's legible and expressive - whether you go for a bold
sanserif or a striking handwritten look. You can also combine different font
style, although I would not go beyond 3 or else it can look messy. You can find
great and free font for personal use on 1001 fonts or dafont. For seeing what type of fonts work well
together, I love searching the typography tag on Pinterest for inspiration.
Pick Your Stock Image Wisely
Majority of the blog graphics
I make are a combination of resources from Freepik or Creative Market ,beautiful base images can go
a long way to creating the look you desire. While Freepik is the more
affordable option, considering using more high quality images from Shutterstock will mean your blog header can look more unique.
Don't be hasty in choosing the stock image, I often save a folder of multiple
different options and compare them carefully before commencing on any project.
Consider Commissioning Artists
Some of my favourite blog
designs are unique because they have distinctive artwork proclaiming their
brand e.g. Pop Goes The Reader . This may be
a pricey option, but if you want something completely distinctive then
commissioning an artist (e.g. From Tumblr or Deviantart) can help you stand
out! There are some extremely talented artists out there who offers affordable
commissions, just look around and find out who's style you love (I find a lot
of artist just searching through bookish fanart, you can satisfy your fandom cravings while
searching for your perfect match - two birds, one stone!)
Keep A Consistent Theme
For all types of graphics in your
blog, whether it's your rating system or a banner labelling Reviews or Top Ten
Tuesday posts - it's important to keep your look consistent. This allows you to
brand your blog and enable people to immediately recognise which posts are
yours based on appearance alone. Keeping with similar colour scheme, imagery
and motifs, or even font, can help with this. I personally change the look of
graphics constantly, but I always keep the blog banner to 500x500px in size and
use a lot of watercolour images to keep my work recognisable.
Don't Worry If You Don't Have A Concrete Idea
Sometimes, a
blank canvas allows you more flexibility in your design vision. Don't overthink
it and include too much in your blog design, at the end of the day - the most
simple design can be the most memorable. Remember you definitely don't have to
settle for just one look. After all, a web design is not permanent, and you can
always change it later.
I hope you found this post helpful! If you have any
questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comments below!
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