42 Responses to “Top Mistakes Graphic Designers Make”

1. Riply on Nov 23, 2007 said:

   I’m new to graphic design, and in NO way am I saying that I am a designer..

   ..i’m more of your run-of-the mill chap with a little more creative spark than you’re average Joe.

   Vectors, i’ve never done one.. mostly because the only application i’ve learnt it a little photoshop.

   Boet (afrikaans for brother, just used informally haha) you continue posting things like this and your blog will go far.

   Perhaps some “youtube” style tutorials that you have (or will still compile) could be posted

2. mlankton on Dec 5, 2007 said:

   Here’s a slightly-related question for you: Why do Wordpress themes look so amateurish? Is it a limitation of Wordpress, or are there just not any talented designers working on Wordpress themes?

   My site was initially on Wordpress, and I designed my own theme. Even with having complete control over my own theme, I felt limited in what I could do, and I eventually abandoned Wordpress for Joomla. In fact, I found a Joomla template that someone else designed that I like so much I am using it and not worrying about my design anymore.

   In general, Joomla and Mambo templates are light years beyond any Wordpress theme I’ve seen. What is your take on why this might be?

3. Jacob Cass on Dec 5, 2007 said:

   @ripley I replied to both your comments in the wordpress plugins article.

   @mlankton I guess that because more people use wordpress, thus more themes get created that are done my amateurs. I also think that wordpress is more focused on the content rather than the design of its page.

   That is my take anyway.

4. Marty on Dec 6, 2007 said:

   Very good post there, outlining quite a few points that i sadly fall on my face to haha! I take constructive criticism too personally sometimes, i’ve got alot better than when i first begun though .

   Thanks for the nice read.

   Marty.

5. Jacob Cass on Dec 7, 2007 said:

   @Marty

   Your welcome. I think everyone would do at least one of the 27 listed there.

6. Niyaz PK on Jan 11, 2008 said:

   I will print this and keep it in my room.
   Good work
   

   Niyaz PK’s last blog post..Orkut getting the loops wrong

7. Jacob Cass on Jan 11, 2008 said:

   That is a good idea, never thought about doing it – I might now

8. K. Lammi on Feb 27, 2008 said:

   I agree with you. On most counts.

   1. Not thinking creatively. Stealing other peoples work.

   2. Using RGB instead of CMYK colors. and if using CMYK, just trusting the program to convert them. You must invest in a Pantone formula guide.

   Think simple.

   K. Lammi’s last blog post..New Work: Serif Books

9. LL on Mar 3, 2008 said:

   Jacob! Your use of apostrophes is terrible.
   For someone who writes about the faults of graphic designers, this could not be more representative of a typical error of our field. It is particularly awful here because of your criticism of other oversights and imperfections.
   Please consult Strunk & White. Better yet, write an article about it. Designers are in dire need of a collective lesson in punctuation.

10. Jacob Cass on Mar 3, 2008 said:

    Hi LL,
    Well we are still all learning and I know I am not perfect! Far from it and I also agree with you on the typical errors of our field. We are in dire need, much alike everyone in the digital age who rely on automated software to fix their mistakes. Thanks for your comments.

11. Saranya on Mar 7, 2008 said:

    Top Mistakes Graphic Designer’s Make
    is either
    Top Mistakes Graphic Designer IS Make
    or
    Top Mistakes Graphic Designer HAS Make

    Should have been “Top Mistakes Graphic Designers Make”

12. Twisty on Mar 13, 2008 said:

    Hello Jacob! Well done!
    I am also a BAN COMIC SANS follower. Its the most digusting font IN THE WORLD!
    I think we need one more point here:
    NEVER use your own logo, business cards, anything for yourself in your portfolio.
    I noticed you were guilty of that.
    Ive seen too many designers who fill a bulk of their portfolio with their own logo and advertisements etc, and clients look upon that BADLY.

13. Jacob Cass on Mar 13, 2008 said:

    That is interesting, why do you think that is a bad thing by putting your own logo and ads in the portfolio? It is the first time I have heard that but I suppose it could look bad. I will have to look into that.

14. yuraccypark on Apr 6, 2008 said:

    what a great article … this is very helpful for everyone who wants to be a great designer … thanks for this ^^

15. Gina on Apr 25, 2008 said:

    Just want to say that this list was great. It’s wonderful insight into things designers (especially new ones) should remind themselves of every day.

    I wanted to comment on adding your own material (business cards, flyers, etc.) in your portfolio as per Twisty’s comment. While I understand why this would be frowned upon – perhaps clients assume your own marketing material is posted there because of a lack of anything else to put in its place – I personally am just as proud of the work I’ve done for my own business as anyone else’s. And, as a new business owner myself, a portfolio based entirely upon work done for others takes time. Some of us haven’t been at it long enough to fill all that space with freelance work yet…so to Twisty, give us a little break here!

16. Jacob Cass on Apr 25, 2008 said:

    Hi Gina,

    Always nice to get new commentators with something useful to say. I agree with you because as you can see I still have my work in my portfolio. Perhaps when I have more sufficient work outside of University I can remove it.

    It also shows that have designed it ourself and can do so which is also great.

    Hope you stick around Gina and comment more often.

17. Desiree on May 4, 2008 said:

    I REALLY loved reading this, and there have been several people who I have worked with who NEED to read this! (Albeit, they do not work with me now.. probably because they need to read this.)

    However – I would like to add that as a graphic designer who builds display ads for a newspaper, there are a few things on this list that are unavoidable at times. Working for a newspaper where you crank out 30-50 display ads in two day’s time, AND build pages… it’s a whole different bag of beans. Pulling images off the web to use for print, and using Comic Sans (NOT BY CHOICE, but by CLIENT choice!)– these crimes are committed at times.

    When you are on such a tight deadline, often, stretching ads to fit the page, having to copy the disgusting work of a “GENIUS GRAPHIC DESIGNER” (READ: The Redneck down the street with Microsoft Word) — it happens, you get over it and you wait for that one project where you have time to put your own interest and effort into.

    On another note, I am also a picky font fanatic. Other fonts that make my blood boil, (Much more so than Comic Sans) — Bradley Hand, Papyrus, Cooper Black and Apple Chancery or ANY Chancery type font.

18. Jacob Cass on May 5, 2008 said:

    Hi Desiree,

    Welcome to JCD first off Glad for you to join the discussion.

    Why don’t you email them the page so next time they may keep their jobs. I suppose newspaper advertising is a little different but it doesn’t sound like the most appealing job.

    I am also not a huge fan of papyrus however I do not mind cooper black, its just so friendly, the only problem would be that it is used so darn often.

    Hope you stick around on JCD.

19. Dee on May 31, 2008 said:

    Ok. Now that everyone’s done cutting off each others privates off, how about we thank whoever wrote this article and for all the nice little ideas we’ve been given here today.

    *hears everyone here chanting like the dreadful psychotic Microsoft word…FRAGMENT FRAGMENT FRAGMENT*

    Please spare me the butchering, I’m glad we’re all trying to improve our ability to handle constructive criticism but I think I’ll pass

    In short, has anyone here got links to more interesting articles?

20. ChiaraCielo L. on Jun 24, 2008 said:

    Wow… this list is great… and so it’s your site! This post contains every tip my teachers suggested me in years!

    chiara . from Italy

21. leila on Jul 15, 2008 said:

    wow thanks so much! I suffer taking criticism personally, slowly getting over it though and another thing i found interesting –

    “Not knowing any famous designers in particular Paula Scher, Milton Glaser, Paul Rand and not knowing WHY they were famous”

    i dont know many designers actually, still learning!

22. Josh on Sep 18, 2008 said:

    Great article. Great Web site.

    Confession time for me:
    1. Criticism sometimes is a struggle for me, but mainly so when the person criticizing cannot offer any reason other than, “I just don’t like it. Change it.”

    2. I have no idea who these folks are (but then, I have no formal art or design training — only journalism and editing).

    4. Looks like I need to buy another book to add to my growing collection.

    18. I do my best to use filters sparingly, and then just to complement an effect.

    As far as using personl work in a portfolio, well, sometimes it’s all one has to show. I’m slowly getting into the freelance gig, and until I grow a large enough portfolio of good work, I think the personal will continue to have a place in portfolio.

    Keep up the good work, Jacob.

23. Bronwyn on Sep 24, 2008 said:

    Loved this article. I found all the advice useful and was thrilled that even as a total amateur, I am in sync with many of your 30 font choices. I do think the obsession with hating comic sans is almost as strange as the obsession people have with over-using it. I am a fine artist with a graphic style, and I need to be reminded to tone it downat times. We tend to go overboard with the mixed fonts and eat up all the white space. Less is more!

24. Jacob Cass on Sep 24, 2008 said:

    @Bronwyn,
    You have some nice prints and glad you are in tune with the 30 fonts

25. jason on Oct 6, 2008 said:

    i don’t know if it’s because it’s already been beaten to death or what, but papyrus is way more annoying to me than any other font. it’s everywhere and there’s even a few businesses here in saint louis that used it for their front signage!

26. Roy on Dec 2, 2008 said:

    so this free fonts thing, not sure how paying for a font is any different.

    dafont.com is surely acceptable. Ive used it for commerical work. The same artists make the fonts.

    So I assume you mean poor quality fonts from anywhere as free fonts have good quality ones so novice designers reading this might think not to use dafont.com etc and thats misleading.

    cheers

27. Roy on Dec 2, 2008 said:

    ah you did say that really I notice. Sorry.

28. Hareez on Dec 28, 2008 said:

    Such an interesting article.
    I agree with you, especially on using comic sans.
    I have no idea, i just hate that font since first time i saw and i always hate if somebody told me to use it in my design.
    But, why using photoshop filters become one of those mistakes?
    Did you never find blur images to be sharpened? Did you never find images with noise to be despeckled?
    My question caused of curriosity. And i really need your answer.
    Thank you Jacob Cass,Your articles are so interresting.
    I’m a new designer, and nobody thought me about design, i just like it and learn it by myself from books and articles, then try to do my best.
    I think i’ll need more your advices.
    One last thing, forgive me of bad sentences, because i’m neither englishman nor american. And i don’t speak english well.

29. ali on Mar 21, 2009 said:

    White Space is your Friend?

    Yes, definitely white space is a friend for who is taking care and giving much more attention to their designs. A professional Graphic Designer will play with white spaces.

    White space is really a friend it is giving more contrast to the designs and an elegant look.

    Designers kindly remember white space is your friend always. Use it on right way.

30. ali on Mar 21, 2009 said:

    my rules is this what u think about it?

    Do it right way,first time, right time,every time. Tommorrow is another day, do it maxi mum today.

    Work smartly, live simply.

31. Kali7 on Mar 31, 2009 said:

    pretty spot on….
    maybe also do a list of the top mistakes some new freelancers make when they get a studio job…
    A few examples include:
    1. Not know your shortcuts
    2. Cannot research quickly
    3. Spend too much time playing around on small details, rather then overall presentation…
    4. Cannot meet deadlines
    5. Cannot use both Mac and PC
    6. Ignore the brief
    7. Ignore the client
    8. Too damn slow…

    just to name a few…

32. Jacob Cass on Mar 31, 2009 said:

    Thanks for the tips Kali, I suppose learning most of those things comes with experience?

33. Cameron on Apr 29, 2009 said:

    That list is as accurate as it gets. But you missed one potential one when it comes to the client. If they take over the design,you aren’t doing the job,They are. This does come as a surprise to most but it happens too often not to be listed.

34. James on May 19, 2009 said:

    I’m new to design, I recently completed a Cert 4 in graphic design and I love it!! Currently, I’m applying for a traineeship so I need all the help I can get! I guess I’m just trying to say thanks for the straight up, useful info. And if there’s anything else you think I should know bring it on! You’re a real inspiration for newcomers like me and I hope I can aviod being a bad designer! Cheers mate

35. Balashka on May 31, 2009 said:

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