Every day, we encounter dozens or even hundreds of advertisements, websites, flyers, and posters. Some of them we pass by without even noticing. Others we try to quickly get rid of or turn away from. But there are some that make us stop and take a closer look. The first contact with a product is the most important. And, as a rule, design is what helps create that connection, whether through promotional materials or the product itself.
Design, as a concept, has evolved gradually since the very beginning of human history. The first examples of design can be traced back to when people started to consider aesthetics when creating their homes, tools, and household items. Then, in the late 19th century, a period of rapid growth in industry, commerce and advertising, design began to be seen as a form of creative, artistic productivity in its own right.
Human ingenuity never stands still for a moment. With the development of technology and culture, design has moved beyond the physical realm into the virtual. Today, we discuss design when creating websites, software, e-learning courses, and much more.
In the digital world, there are almost infinite design possibilities, and it’s often tempting to choose everything all at once: a multitude of trendy fonts, an eye-catching palette with a dozen different colors, or complex technical features like parallax scrolling or animated transitions. But there’s a certain balance required here: these individual elements may be striking on their own, but fail to work together to achieve the overall goal. The result is an overloaded design that distracts viewers from the intended message.
However, individual techniques or elements can’t be labeled as bad in themselves. What might be excessive in one situation could work perfectly in another. The key to success here lies in appropriateness.
The primarily goal of design is to convey a message to the user — not only to grab their attention, but to hold it. To do this, designers use various tools depending on the media. Let’s consider these tools through the eyes of a professional:
You might see these at trade shows, on the street, or even in public transport. The goals vary: for flyers, posters, banners, and roll-ups, it’s about grabbing attention, sparking interest, and directing the viewer to further information; for brochures and catalogs, the goal is to provide detailed information to already interested readers. Key design elements here include:
Websites attract not only users with a specific intention but also casual browsers. The goal is to represent the company and sell a service or product. Key design features here include:
These can be for both children and adults. Learners are typically already interested in the content, but they may lose interest over longer periods. The goal here is to help the student understand and retain a large amount of information. Key design characteristics here include:
Text or images are essential in any promotional material, website, or course — but their amount will vary depending on the purpose. Other design elements, like transitions or animations, are not always necessary.
Sometimes, creators want to pack in as much information as possible while simultaneously impressing their viewers. This results in brochures overloaded with text and overlapping images, e-courses with unnecessarily complex structures, and websites crammed with endless buttons, carousels, and pop-ups. Decisions to go for an overly saturated design often stem from two common myths.
It’s easy to assume that flashy visuals will make your company stand out from competitors, and a plethora of complex technical features will demonstrate your team’s expertise. Companies place a high value on the “wow” effect and memorability.
Sophisticated effects can indeed impress potential customers when used appropriately, for example, on the landing page of a high-tech product. In other cases, they only end up detracting from the overall design and negatively impacting user experience. This is especially the case for websites which people visit repeatedly for a specific reason, such as marketplaces. Here, the design prioritize convenience and clarity, as excessive effects quickly become annoying.
Different techniques attract the attention of different people. In trying to reach as many potential customers as possible, it’s easy to think that a media product needs a “hook” for everyone. And so, web designs get overloaded with animations, clickable elements, videos and banners popping up all over the place, while printed materials are bursting with countless images and charts.
But what people are actually searching for are islands of calm in a sea of informational noise — which they find in streamlined media with just a few well-placed accents. They want to get the info they need or perform a desired action without any obstacles — and the shorter and simpler the path to the goal, the better.
It’s so often the case that the best design is the one that uses the fewest design tricks. Why is this? It’s all about how the human brain works, dictating how viewers react to media, feel emotions, and make decisions.
Attention. We are bombarded by colossal amounts of information. Processing all these signals non-stop reduces our brain’s ability to concentrate. According to a study by Microsoft in 2015, people’s ability to remain focused on one task has significantly worsened, largely due to our digital habits. The internet age sets new rules for marketing, and it all comes down to one thing: capturing the audience’s attention. If the design of an advertising or media product doesn’t convey its message instantly, it gets lost in the constant flow. This makes it essential to eliminate clutter and informational noise.
Imagine: you’re handed two flyers on the street. One is packed with colorful pictures, lots of small text, and fonts in different colors. The other has nothing but a bold headline, a couple of sentences about the promotion, and a single illustration. Which flyer will you read without even trying to? And which one will head straight into the trash?
Laziness. The brain’s fundamental operating principle is to conserve energy. Ironically, since time immemorial, laziness has pushed us to develop efficient solutions and energy-saving techniques for evolutionarily significant tasks. If we’re forced to overcome challenges or engage in metabolically costly tasks — such as playing sport — this is immediately reflected in our neural connections. That’s why we’ll find every possible excuse to put those things off.
Design should help ease cognitive strain. In practice, this means the best solutions guide the user seamlessly from point A to point B. The more the visual seems like a maze, with dead ends and traps instead of a clear way forward, the faster the user will lose patience and turn to competitors who demand less effort.
Imagine: you visit a website to buy a jacket. But first, you have to message the seller to find out the price, wait a few hours for a response, then search for the section with the shipping details — only to learn that the cost can’t be calculated until you select items and place an order. Chances are, by that point — if not sooner — you’ll want to close the page and never return.
Does this mean that complex designs with a variety of elements are never good for media products? Actually, no. Such variety can be beneficial if every element has a purpose, is well placed, and serves the overall composition.
Imagine: you decide to participate in a conference and visit its website to register. The homepage greets you with a large header featuring the event dates. Using a convenient navigation bar, you explore the program, information about the registered speakers, and a video tour of the venue. Having decided to register, it’s straightforward: a "Become a Participant" button follows you as you scroll. Next, you receive a brochure with essential information for participants. On the last page is a QR code that leads to requirements for presentations. You’d most likely feel that the organizers took good care of you.
It’s not always easy to distinguish an over-the-top design from a complex yet useful one. Sure, you can try to work it out by yourself by listening to dozens of lectures and analyzing other companies’ solutions. But it’s much easier to turn to specialists who’ve already done the work.
Experienced designers have a refined sense of the line between complexity and overkill, thanks to their trained eye and knowledge of marketing, composition and psychology. Moreover, a designer’s tasks go far beyond simply “making it look good” and aren’t limited to creating layouts or generating ideas. Here’s what else a professional in this field can offer.
Another type of audit is for clients whose designs are still in development: the designer analyzes the client’s aims, brand information, and competitor materials, and proposes the most suitable solutions.
During the project, the designer and client are in constant contact: each step is approved, each decision justified. This results in a media product that is perfectly aligned with your goals and the brand’s audience — and contains nothing superfluous.
Design that is overloaded with details rarely makes a positive impression. More importantly, it doesn’t fulfill its primary function: to attract attention, convey a message, and assist in decision-making. A minimalist approach, with a few striking accents, often works for media products because takes into consideration how people process information.
However, leaving just two words on a blank background for the sake of minimalism isn’t the solution either. Every case requires an individual approach based on the brand’s philosophy and product goals. The key to successful design is careful control to ensure that each element aligns with these objectives. Sometimes a solution that’s too elaborate for one project will work perfectly for another.
Professional designers can help you create a well-structured, ergonomic design that reflects current trends, your company’s image, and your audience’s preferences. The designers at Logrus IT have been working on print and digital media materials, websites, applications, and e-learning courses for over 15 years. Our designers can develop a unique style or concept from scratch, refine an existing project, or help shape your future approach.
Additionally, we offer comprehensive services: our designers collaborate with copywriters, translators, typesetters, and developers to deliver marketing campaigns, e-learning courses, landing pages, and other materials from idea to final product. Want to learn more, see examples of our work, or get advice on your projects? Follow the link or leave a request, and we’ll get in touch with you.
