People have diverse opinions about what makes up good graphic design and what doesn’t. But when it comes down to it, what makes a good design relies upon the industry or market in question.But how can a marketer determine what’s best for his brand? And how can he ensure that the graphic designer knows what he’s talking about and wont make mistakes?Below are five web graphic design sins a marketer (and his website designer) must avoid. The good thing is that they are all basic rules every site must follow. So, the design intended for Chicago UX is applicable for graphic designs anywhere in the world.

1.  Small Fonts

One of the most common mistakes designers do in creating a website has something to do with font size: they tend to be too small. The once-standard 12 PX fonts are hard to read for people with 20/20 vision, much more for those with vision problems. Also, research shows that website visitors only read up to 28% of the entire page.

To avoid this:·

• Create encouraging headlines to grab the reader’s interest.
• Apply headline fonts that are big enough to catch the attention of site visitors.
• Use large enough fonts for the body so readers won’t tire of squinting.

2.  Low Contrast Fonts

Low contrast is when the lighter font is combined with a light background. It also applies with darker fonts against a dark background. On a traditional graphic print design, this is acceptable,but not for the web.

The rule to remember is that the fonts must always have a higher contrast than the background.If the text is difficult to read, ask for an adjustment from the designer.

3.  Lousy Line Height for Text

Line height for text is often taken for granted. A lot of web graphic designers meticulously choose fonts and font sizes, and then just randomly select a line height.However, line height features an important impact on the overall design and appeal of the website. Picking out the wrong line height can leave fonts appearing congested. It can easily ruin the whole design.

To avoid this, calculate the combined font size and content width to come up with the design’s ideal line height. There are free calculators online to make this step easy to do.

4.  Dull Colors for Call-to- Action

Smart online marketers know that that a good accent color draws the attention to critical calls to action. If the campaign is asking its visitors to “Download Now”, there must be a colored button to guide the visitors on what to do.

The rule of thumb for accent colors:·

• It must be vibrant enough to catch the attention of the readers.
• It must be complementary with the other colors used on the page.
• It must stand out from the background.
• It must only be reserved for critical calls to action.

5.  Common Design Rule Infractions

Not following design rules is a deadly mistake. Rules are given for a reason. While it’s great to stand out and be unique, following the ground rules in colors, fonts, and designs, are more enticing for most users. Even those who break rules understand that they are lines that can’t be crossed.