5 questions to ask yourself to make your design process more efficient
Due to the rise of Canva popularity, and our fast-paced digital world, many small business owners create their own social media graphics. Wouldn’t we all love to have our own social media team? (I know I would!) Unfortunately, not every business owner has the budget to afford to work with a social media or design professional. I get it! So, we often get stuck wearing many hats in our business — graphic designer, bookkeeper, customer service rep, marketing manager… the list goes on and on!
I’m hoping that this post will help you feel more confident when designing social media graphics, and give you a blueprint for the process. My goal is always to help get my clients back to doing what they love — their job — and waste less of their time on the marketing aspect of their business.
Below are 5 questions to ask yourself as you start the design process:
#1: “Is there a previous post template I can use for this?”
One thing I see lots of non-designers do is reinvent the wheel every time they sit down to design a new post. The trick to an efficient design process is having templates you can replicate for all the kinds of content you want to share. For example, I have templates for informational carousel posts, announcement posts, and for case study reels. Most of my content fits into those 3 concepts, in addition to just simply posting photos, so when I sit down to design a new Instagram post I don’t have to think hard about where to start.
If you don’t currently have templates for your social media posts (or other marketing materials), use this blog post as inspiration to create your first one! The following 4 questions will help you along the process. To get started, I suggest looking through the different pre-existing Canva templates and adapting them from there.
#2: “Am I using my brand colors?”
Once I choose a pre-existing template as a kickoff point, the first step I take is to change all of the colors in the graphic to my brand colors. Mine are teal, dark blue, and white, but yours will, of course, be different.
Canva has a nifty feature that allows you to change all the colors at once, if you choose (screenshot of the “Change all” option is below). This is super handy if you’re editing a carousel post with multiple pages!
One trick I like to use is to look at the “Document colors” area of my piece to see what shows up. Any color that is being used will appear here. If you see a color not in your palette then you’ll know to look for it to change it!
If you don’t have brand colors already, don’t fret! Nothing you choose to use is ever set in stone. Check out my blog post, how to choose a color palette for ideas on how to choose yours. Be sure to use your chosen color palette (2-3 colors plus white, black, or another neutral color) for an extended period of time — I would argue that color is the most important visual aspect of brand recognition!
#3: “Am I using my brand fonts?”
Similarly to question #2, it’s important to then ensure that all the fonts used in the graphic are changed to your brand fonts. Canva has a similar “Change all” feature for fonts, which makes it super quick to change them all at once. After these 3 steps, your graphics are probably going to start looking super on-brand!
If you haven’t chosen brand fonts yet, it’s all good! I’ve got a guide for choosing fonts too here on the blog. Similarly to your color palette, I suggest that you choose 2 fonts to start with and use those for a significant amount of time (6-12 months at least). That number is not arbitrary, in fact, I’ve even read that it can take viewers up to 18 months to recognize a new visual brand! The more consistent you are in your visuals, the quicker that recognition process will occur.
#4: “Will viewers recognize this as my brand?”
If there are images or icons in your graphics, take a step back and ask yourself if they feel like “you.” Now that we have access to free stock images, they are used everywhere. While there’s a time and place for stock images, your graphics will always have a bigger impact if you use your own original photos. With the quality of iPhone and Android cameras these days, you shouldn’t have to worry about resolution. If you have the budget to hire a photographer for a short period of time to get some brand photos, that is even better!
When it comes to icons, the more cohesive the better. The example below illustrates the difference between a set of icons that feels disorganized and messy, and a set that looks united in style and from the same visual “family.” Little tweaks like this can make a big difference!
Lastly, consider your business and really think about what kinds of visuals resonate with your ideal client. If your audience is mostly adults older than 40, it probably doesn’t make sense to use photos of kids in your materials. If your ideal client is a scientist, using an icon that is accurate to the equipment they use is important. Make sure your visuals make sense!
#5: “Is my message clear, and does it sound like me/us?”
Lastly, it’s easy to grab a pre-existing Canva template and totally forget to plug in your actual written content. Whether it’s a sale graphic, an educational piece, or an announcement, the last step in the design process should be to ensure that the message is clear, and that it sounds like YOU (and not an AI robot). Tweaking a few words can make a world of difference. For example, I use the language “book a consult” or “let’s chat” instead of “hop on a call” or “schedule a Zoom” on my social media graphics.
Another exercise that can be helpful is to think about your brand as a person. If your business is just you (like mine is) this is pretty easy. How would YOU say what you are trying to say? What do you even want the main message to be? For example, I like to think of my brand as casual, candid, but still professional. I wouldn’t go as far as to put f-bombs in my social media posts, but I do like to get a little sassy/silly. I’m also a big fan of explanation points! If my posts sound too robotic I always rewrite them, and I never want to sound like a design snob. My clients are busy small-business owners, and I only give practical advice that is realistic for their lifestyles and workloads.
I hope this blog post is helpful! If you have questions or want to schedule a (free) consultation, I’d be stoked to chat with you! Whether you’re in need of logo design, help with setting up Canva templates, or are looking to collaborate on an upcoming launch, I’m here to discuss!
