Graphic Design: Expectations vs Reality

Have you ever had a really great graphic design idea? 

The type of idea that you know you just have to bring to life, only to be disappointed when the creation in front of you looks nothing like the design in your mind.

Creating your own graphic design can be a different experience for everyone, whether it be a social media, website, or print design. For some, the process goes smoothly and the finished design is identical to the idea they had in their heads. For others it may be an entirely frustrating, daunting, or simply fearful expedition. Many individuals will have unrealistic expectations and assumptions about the graphic design process and may be surprised, and in some cases disappointed, by the outcome they are met with.

Here are some ways you can avoid setting unrealistic expectations for yourself, and create graphic designs to be proud of. 

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Be realistic in your abilities

You’ve probably got some incredible design ideas in your head. But before you put pen to paper, or cursor to digital canvas, ask yourself “Can I realistically recreate this?”

Many individuals will have bright and vivid expectations of their graphic designs in their head that are unfortunately unrealistic and will ultimately leave them dissatisfied with their work. However, this is not due to a lack of quality in the designs created but rather an expected standard that is too high and entirely unachievable. 

For example, some users may approach the task of creating a design with high hopes and the expectation that it will be easy to produce a popular new creation that impresses people and enhances the image of a website, social media page or business logo. These users may then be frustrated when they realise creating a unique and impressive design is harder than they thought. 

Furthermore, users may find it difficult to impose their personality and individuality on a graphic design, leaving it somewhat boring and unimpressive.

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Don’t expect your Design to do all the work

Another expectation users may have regarding their graphic designs is that once a design is put in place in their chosen location, such as a social media page, the new design will transform the page entirely. 

Although a unique and interesting image is an important element of your social media page or website, it can only enhance the page up to a certain extent. Your design is just one element of the page and cannot make up for poor content. A page or site with an exceptional logo design but with limited and uninteresting content will not be hugely popular. In contrast to this, a page with incredibly entertaining content may lose out on a huge number of viewers and website traffic if it does not make use of an engaging and inviting graphic design in order to initially capture the viewer's attention. 

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Don’t expect it to be easy

The pros do a good job of making graphic design look easy, but that isn’t always the case. Coming up with new and unique design ideas can be difficult on its own. Being able to convert this creativity into an image or graphic design is not something that comes naturally to everyone, however many people simply assume that they will be able to do this with relative ease. This leads to frustration and an increased level of stress among these individuals when they sit down and try to force their creativity out and into some sort of idea for a graphic design. 

The truth is, good graphic design takes time. There’ll be a learning curve, you’ll make plenty of mistakes and adjustments along the way. But you’ll get there in the long run. Expecting the entire process to go smoothly and easily is a sure way to set yourself up for disappointment.

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You can’t please everybody

Everybody has a different taste and style. You may think your creation is the best design ever and expect the same opinion from everybody else. But in reality, no matter how good the design is or how perfect and flawless the creator may feel it is, there will always be people who do not like it or simply wish to give a negative comment. These comments can be hurtful, especially when the design is something you have spent time and effort on, however negative feedback will only hurt more when you brainwash yourself into not expecting to receive it at all. 

There is no such thing as a perfect design and even if the majority of people enjoy an image, one or two may not and may even feel the need to comment negatively on the creation. It is important to not take any criticism to heart and try to understand what it is this person doesn't like about your design. The best way to handle negative comments is to try to use them to aid and improve your designs in the future.  

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Keep it Simple

An additional expectation users may have is that they will be able to create an intricate and complicated design that is also aesthetically pleasing to viewers. This can be quite challenging to do and therefore may leave some individuals upset and confused when they struggle to construct a detailed and labyrinthine design. 

Not only can it be incredibly difficult to produce a design that contains complex and elaborate details, but it may even take away from the success and popularity of the design. 

In some cases, simplicity is more effective and some viewers may find a more basic design more enticing and enjoyable than an unnecessarily complicated one.

The Bottom Line

The best way to avoid a disappointing expectation vs reality in graphic design is to set realistic expectations for yourself. 

That being said, don’t be afraid to dream big, you’ll never know what you’re capable of unless you try new things. The great thing about graphic design is that it’s a form of art, there’s no right or wrong. Don’t expect to get it perfect on the first try. Experiment with designs, be creative and be patient. 

If you're new to graphic design and are looking for an easy-to-use DIY graphic design tool to bring your ideas to life, DzynSpace is one of the best online graphic design programs for beginners. Get started on your first design with Dzynspace for free.