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Common Graphic Design Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Fixing graphic design flaws doesn’t have to be daunting. Not sure your design is ‘pitch perfect’? Read on, our experienced designers can help.

hallmarks of the best Graphic Design

Design Improvement

As experienced South Australian graphic designers, we’ve seen our fair share of design mistakes. Our focus is always on fixing graphic design flaws to ensure our clients’ projects shine.

Because design is so critical in the marketing of most organisations, it stands to reason that design flaws will undermine your promotional efforts. At worst, mistakes will leave a lasting impression and cost you sales and revenue. This is why fixing graphic design flaws is an essential part of building trust and maintaining professionalism.

It’s worth dwelling on this for a moment.

Someone picking up your company brochure, visiting your organisation’s website for the first time and entering your premises will interact with your graphic design as the first point of contact.

Many studies have corroborated the claim that design is the visual representation of your brand’s identity, values and professionalism. This makes fixing graphic design flaws a priority for any business serious about maintaining a positive image.

What is also clear from abundant research is that when design mistakes creep in, people don’t necessarily see the individual mistake – but they perceive it. People participating in studies generally make comments such as “I thought the business appeared unprofessional”, “if they are careless with their design, I’m worried they will be careless with what I need”, or observations that – although they can’t explain why in detail, the organisation’s appearance seems out of touch with current trends.

As a fan of the research by Nielsen and with our own proprietary system for fixing graphic design flaws when it comes to conversions, we know that these types of negative perceptions will lead to decreased trust and lower engagement rates. Note that we don’t say it “may” have this consequence, it “will” in the vast majority of instances.

OK, enough of the theory. Let’s look at some of the faults the graphic designers in our Adelaide studio experience … and how they go about fixing graphic design flaws.

 Get started – tell us about your project.

Design Improvements by Boylen’s In-House Graphic Designer


Fixing graphic design flaws; Showcasing alignment and visual balance in design by Boylen Adelaide designers.

Showcasing alignment and visual balance in design

Alignment and Visual Balance

Correct alignment achieves visual balance and harmony. On the reverse side, poor alignment leads to designs that are chaotic and distract from your message. Fixing graphic design flaws like alignment issues is critical for achieving a polished look.

If you believe this is an issue with your design, consider the following:

Maintain the same alignment principles throughout your entire project. Inexperienced designers who are brimming with ideas sometimes fall prey to this and create what we describe as a design ‘fruit salad’.

Use a grid system: this is Design 101 as the Americans would say. If you have problems at this basic level, chances are you have deeper concerns.

Pay attention to edge alignment. Ensure that text and other elements are aligned consistently along their edges. Basic stuff.


Poor Use of Colour

Most people take care to choose the right colours and combinations when they get dressed, especially for an important occasion. The same applies to professional graphic design.

Don’t let everyone have a say in selecting you colour palette. Leave it to the people in your organisation who have a good eye for this, and listen to the advice of your professional designers. Fixing graphic design flaws related to colour can significantly elevate the professionalism of your materials.

If you sense this is a problem in your design collateral, but aren’t sure, some red flags to look for include too many colours, clashing hues and colour psychology that feels wrong (trust your gut feeling but get an expert opinion).

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Colour Palette

Our Adelaide graphic designers have these tips to right this wrong:

  • Develop a colour palette. You’ll select a limited set of colours that work well together. They must align with your brand identity. Then stick to it! Don’t let people dabble with different colours.
  • Read up on colour psychology. Don’t guess! If you only had colour and no photos or text on a page or a brochure, would it convey the right message?
  • If in doubt, fall back to the classic 60-30-10 rule. Apply your dominant colour to 60% of the design, the secondary tint should account for 30%, and an accent colour will apply to 10%. Chances are that the final 10% works the hardest. This is often the hue that draws the eye, so use it for calls to action.
  • Test for accessibility. Use one of the many free online tools. These tools will tell you if your choices provide enough contrast for easy readability. If your audience has sub-optimal eyesight, wear glasses or have visual impairments, you need to get this 100% perfect.
  • Don’t just rely on automated tools. Trust your own eyes. At out design studio, we always recommend that you use the proofing stage and get several people of different ages or abilities to check how easy it is to read the text, charts etc. Trust human feedback.
  • Be consistent. Deploy your colour palette consistently across all brand materials. Have someone act as the design/brand police, with the authority to veto designs that break the rules.

If you need a quote or want to talk with one of our designers, please make contact.

Fixing graphic design flaws and how to fix them. Show casing right way to use colour.

Examples of our graphic designers’ expert use of colour


See Our Case Study: Capturing Brand Ethos in Logo Design

What’s Next

Keep coming back to this page. We have ten major areas we are covering. These are the first two. In the coming weeks we will add more advice to help you improve your presentation.