Design systems are a set of standards (like Google’s Material Design or IBM’s Carbon Design System) needed to manage design at scale. Style guides (like content or visual style guides) are just one piece in a design system.
Whitespace is an effective principle to achieve a balanced design, making it easier for your users to scan and read. Consider using a consistent spacing system and the proximity principle to achieve a balanced use of whitespace.
There are 5 common mistakes junior designers make. They focus on the look instead of usability, commit type crimes, work outside of design systems, lack confidence when presenting their designs, and ask for feedback too often.
Users are more tolerant of minor usability issues when they find an interface visually appealing, and this effect can mask UI problems during usability testing.
Use the squint test to identify elements that catch attention and assess the visual hierarchy in your design. Ensure high-priority content stands out visually.
Dark mode is popular, but not always a critical feature. Users behave similarly without it. They think about it at the system level, not the application level.
The kind of balance you use in your visual depends on what you want to convey. Symmetry is quiet and static. Asymmetry creates energy and movement. Radial balance leads attention to the central point.
When choosing images for your visual designs, match similar characteristics, balance high quality with adequate file size, prioritize information-carrying images over purely decorative ones, and provide robust alternative text.
Visual weight measures how much design elements draw attention from the viewer. Objects that are bigger in size, simpler in shape, use dark colors, or have high contrast appear visually heavier.
