In a world that’s positively overflowing with content, how do you create something that truly stands out?
Content that makes viewers stop their “scroll and skim” cycle and really take a look at what you have to say?
The simple answer, friends, is in the power of great design! An eye-catching publication draws in your readers, holds their attention, and delivers your message in a way that matters to them and stays in their minds long after they’ve moved on.
And it doesn’t matter what you design; whether it’s a magazine, a brochure, or a digital catalog. With the right design elements, you can transform ordinary content into unforgettable content.
But what exactly are those design elements? And how can they work for you?
We’re glad you asked. Today’s blog is diving into the top 10 tips for attention-grabbing publication design so you can start creating the kind of content that demands attention and leaves an impact!
Ready to learn how to make it happen? Let’s dive in.
Why Your Publication Design Matters
So, why is it so important that your publication design wows, anyway?
Because it’s not about delivering content and making that content look nice. It’s about creating a whole experience for your audience.
Here are a few more reasons why great publication design is so important for your success:
- Grabs Attention – In a sea of content, eye-catching designs make your publication stand out and encourage your readers to consume your content and engage further with your brand.
- Builds Trust – Polished and professional-looking designs show your audience that your brand is credible and takes quality seriously, the same way that shoddy design would make your brand look untrustworthy and “scammy.”
- Guides the Reader – A well-thought-out layout and clear visual hierarchy help readers navigate your content and easily consume what you have to offer.
- Reinforces Branding – Consistent use of colors, fonts, and imagery boosts your brand identity and makes you more memorable.
- Drives Engagement – Having great content is important but engaging designs will keep readers interested and reading, which encourages them to spend more time with your content.
10 Tips for Publication Design That Wows
Ready for the 10 top tips to help your publication wow and keep your readers coming back for more?
Whether you’re designing a print magazine, a digital brochure, or a sweet catalog to show off your products, these tips will help you combine creativity with strategy for a final design that not only looks amazing but connects with your audience and keeps them reading!
1. Know Your Audience
First things first. If you want to wow, then you have to know the audience that you need to wow.
Your design must speak directly to your audience. Consider what their preferences are, their interests, their pain points, and what they’re looking for from your content.
An audience made up of professionals might appreciate a clean, minimalistic design, whereas a younger audience might choose to engage more with bold, more colorful layouts.
It’s a good idea to create some detailed customer personas before you start your design stage. These personas are a fictional representation of members of your target audience and can really give you some insight into what they want to see from one of your publications.
*If you’d like some assistance creating user personas, click that link for a recent blog we wrote on how to do so!
2. Start with a Strong Layout
Once you’ve figured out what your audience wants to see, make sure you decide on a layout before you do anything else!
A good layout is the backbone of any great publication. Start with a clear grid or structure to make sure that all of your elements, photos, illustrations, and text are organized and balanced visually.
A strong layout will let you know how much of what to add to each page, make your content easy to follow, and let you be creative without overwhelming your readers!
3. Focus on Readability
No matter how great your design is or how solid your layout, if your content isn’t readable, your audience is going to struggle and then move on.
So, be sure to put extra focus on the readability of your content.
Choose legible fonts, make sure the size of your text is appropriate, and use line spacing that keeps your text easy on the eyes and not crowded together.
Pay close attention to the color of your text as well. Choose a text/background color combination that contrasts well to make your content easy to read. For example, using dark text on a light background (or vice versa) works best for making your text easy to read. You should also avoid color combinations that strain the eyes, like bright colors on a neon background.
Keeping your content visually clear and easy to read will make your audience much more likely to stay engaged long enough to absorb the message you want to deliver!
4. Use High-Quality Imagery
Your visuals play a huge role in what your content looks like so don’t skimp on quality!
Blurry or low-quality images, or even stock images, aren’t going to make the cut. They’ll make your publication look less amateur and less polished.
Instead, use professional-looking photos or hire a graphic designer to create custom illustrations or graphics that are on-brand and complement your content. The right imagery draws your readers' eyes and keeps your publications looking sharp!
5. Play Around with Color Schemes
Colors are extremely powerful tools in the world of design.
Colors can evoke certain emotions in your audience and strategically shape their perspective of your brand.
Be sure to use your colors strategically to create a mood, draw attention to key areas like CTAs, headlines, or important information like stats or quotes, and even to reinforce your branding.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with bold palettes or subtle tones either — so long as your colors are working well together and maintaining readability your audience will appreciate the effort!
6. Use Your White Space
Empty white space isn’t wasted space!
It’s actually a very important design element. Giving your content plenty of room to breathe by leaving enough white space around your design elements helps your publications feel clean, organized, and professional.
Using your white space correctly will keep your design from being cluttered and guide your readers’ eyes to the most important parts of your content.
7. Balance Consistency with Creativity
You need consistency in your design to be recognizable to your audience and start building trust …
… but creativity is what keeps things exciting!
Stick to your brand guidelines for colors, fonts, and styles, yes, but don’t be afraid to mix things up too.
Things like unique layouts, bold colors, or unexpected design elements will work to keep your content fresh and your audience engaged and ready for what comes next!
8. Make it Interactive
This entry is geared more toward digital publications, which offer you a kind of interactivity that you just can’t get with print!
For digital publications, interactivity can really elevate your readers’ experience. Add elements like clickable links, embedded videos, or interactive elements like quizzes, animations, or even a fun AR experience!
This not only grabs your reader’s attention but also keeps them engaged with your content for a longer period of time and more likely to click on the next piece of content you send their way!
9. Optimize for Both Print and Digital
Whether your publications are print, digital, or both, make sure the design you’re using is the one that’s best for the format.
What works for print might not work for digital, and vice versa.
For print publications, you’ll need to pay more attention to resolution and precision. Choose images that will look sharp once printed, select paper-friendly color schemes that print accurately, and pay close attention to layout precision to avoid awkward cropping or misaligned design elements.
For digital publications, put more focus on optimizing your design for screen readability, mobile compatibility, and faster load times. This means using responsive layouts, making sure text and images scale correctly, and keeping file sizes manageable.
By tailoring your design to the strengths and requirements of a specific format, you can make sure that your publications deliver an impact no matter how your audience chooses to view them!
10. Listen to Your Feedback
The best way to know whether or not your audience is digging your publication design is simple:
Just ask!
Your audience is your best critic (and many will jump to volunteer too), so ask them what they think. Consider using surveys, emails, or Typeforms to get their opinion on any changes you’ve made or what they’d like to see more or less of.
Pay close attention to what they’re saying too. Look at comments, reviews, and engagement levels to help you understand what’s working and what isn’t and then use that feedback to refine your designs and keep each publication better than the one before it!
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A Perfect Way to Guarantee Eye-Catching Publication Design
We hope you can take this list and start implementing some of the strategies provided to ramp up your next publication!
And, before you go, we’d like to leave you with one more tip; a way to guarantee publication design that attracts your readers, keeps them engaged, and wows your audience.
Why not partner with Designity for your publication design needs?
Designity is made up of the best of the best (only the top 3% of all applicants) in fields like publication design, graphic design, web design, and packaging design, plus other business services like copywriting, digital marketing, SEO, motion graphics, and more.
Each Designity account also provides you with a designated Creative Director — a design and marketing expert — to manage and source your creative team, offer creative guidance, and make sure all of your design assets are in your hands when you need them.
Check out our presentation & publications service page and portfolio to see how Designity’s experts have been able to help brands just like yours. If you’re ready for a better, more efficient, and more cost-effective way to get the design assets you need for your publications and more, then why not book your demo call today?
We’ll get you started with a two-week, no-obligation trial so you can test-drive our services and see firsthand why Designity is the only design partner your content will ever need.
Are you ready to elevate your publication design?
