Using Graphic Design While Creating a Photography Website
If you are in the photography business, you would know the importance of having a website. The website allows people to know more about you and your work. If you are doing business online like selling stock photos, then you need a website where people can buy your photos. While creating a website, a key element to keep in mind is graphic design.
There are tens and thousands of websites and making your website stand out is a tough job. Graphic design can help you do this. You can make use of graphic design to create a visually attractive website for your photography business. This would help you get traffic to your website, which could help boost your business.
Graphic design while creating websites
1) Plan your design
Before you start creating graphic designs, you need to plan them properly. There are two considerations to be kept in mind. The first is the need of your target audience and the second is your branding. You need to define your target audience.
Depending on their needs, you can come out with graphic designs that would be visually appealing. For instance, if your target audience is professionals, then you must create professional-looking designs. For youngsters, you can think of coming out with a funky design.
You need to keep your branding in mind during graphic design. Your photography business is a brand and should have unique branding elements. You need to have a logo and brand colors. While designing graphics ensure that your branding is reflected through the design. It would allow you to create brand awareness.
2) Use colors effectively
Most people feel that graphic design involves the use of many colors of different shades. It is not really necessary to complicate things. You don’t have to use too many colors. 1 to 3 primary colors and 1 to 3 secondary colors can be used in your color palette while designing. This is precisely why you should use a robust editing tool to edit photos.
Choose the colors keeping your branding style in mind. Avoid loud and garish colors. The overall look should be soft and pleasing to the eye.
3) Typography is important
Graphic design requires the use of text to provide information. Typography refers to the fonts used. There are hundreds of fonts, and you could end up confused about which to use. Stick to simple fonts that are easy to read. Do not have more than 2 or 3 fonts, so the overall impact is good.
4) Use white space effectively
In graphic design, white space plays an important role. Graphics need not be full of colors and text. You need to make use of white space to highlight text or images. Creating a blank space around a headline or an image makes it stand out. Using white space in an effective way can help make your graphic design more effective.
5) The importance of visual elements
Using visual elements like photos, stock images, animation GIFs, borders, and lines can make your graphic design more effective. It is important not to overdo things. Graphics are used to make your design aesthetically more appealing. It should not be too overwhelming. Too many visual elements can make the design look messy. Use the right combination of visual elements to create a design that makes people take notice of it.
6) Manage the fold
When a website loads, the bottom part of the screen is referred to as the fold. A visitor can only see content from the top of the page to the fold. If the visitor wants to see anything below the fold, they need to scroll the page. This is an important concept because studies indicate that your visitors will spend 80% of the time looking at content above the fold. They may briefly scroll down or not even do that. You need to manage the fold effectively.
This can be done by creating pages with lesser content, so scrolling is not needed. Ensure the top part of the page has all the information. You should use graphic design in such a way that the visitor is tempted to scroll down to see more.
7) Use graphic design purposefully
Many people use graphic design only from the point of view of making the site look attractive. You must know this is not the only purpose. Every graphic design element used must have a specific purpose. It must help to highlight the content or photos you are displaying. It must help in focusing on what you want to communicate through the page. Avoid using graphics that serve no purpose.