When in doubt if your design is ready for submission, we use a quick mental checklist to help confirm that the marketing design is ready for sending.
Go through this list one by one to make sure your design is ready for submission:
1. Are all the project and design instructions followed?
Once done with the design, go back to the instructions and reread it. Compare all details with your finished output and make sure you did not miss anything. It’s better to be safe than waste time going back and forth with simple mistakes.
2. Have all contents been included and correctly implemented?
The same as the above process. Review the content to include in the design project and see if everything’s in there. It’s best to copy and paste what the client has provided rather than retyping it yourself to avoid spelling mistakes.
3. Is this the correct size and setting?
Check your file format if it has the correct settings. If it’s for print, then it should be set as CMYK color mode with 300 dpi. For web use, it should be in RGB color mode with a 72 to 150 px resolution. The sizing should be included in the design brief and implemented correctly in your artboard size.
4. Is it consistent with the established branding?
Check your fonts, colors, design style, icons, image treatment, and the impression it creates if it’s in line with the established look and feel of the brand. It would be helpful if the client has a brand guide so you can be sure of the smallest details on the specific font and colors you can use for the design.
5. Is it laid out properly and balanced?
Is there a clear focal point in the design? And does the overall design look balanced? If not, then adjust the design so it looks visually balanced.
6. Is there a clear visual hierarchy?
Have you applied a proper visual and text hierarchy? Does the header text stand out from the rest of the body content? And are you able to read all the content in the proper order, that you would like the viewer to see?
7. Are all elements correctly aligned?
See if all your texts and images are aligned. Don’t rely too much on the automatic alignment settings of your design software because sometimes, even if you’ve set the alignment, it still doesn’t look right because it’s not visually aligned. You must adjust some elements manually to look right.
8. Can all the design elements breathe?
Is there enough between all your elements? Are you sure that your design does not look too crowded or cluttered? If it is, try trimming down the content and leave only the essentials. You can also try to reword the content to be more concise and clear.
Memorize or save this checklist and train yourself to go through this before sending any of your work. Be your best critic to save time and effort and have better design project results!
Check out our blogs for more design tips to take your branding and marketing materials a step higher!