Web banner design is a fun and versatile way to get your foot in the door of the graphic design world. The field of web banner design is constantly changing and evolving, which means there are always new skills to learn.
Use Stylistic Typography and Image Pairings
Stylistic typography and image pairings are a great way to spice up your web banner design. They can also be used to draw in your audience by giving them something unexpected. For example, you could use images of flowers to promote a business that sells auto repair services. Your audience would be surprised by the pairing and intrigued by the unexpectedness of it, which could lead to more click-throughs on your banner ads or even purchases from your website.
There is no set rule for choosing images that go well with stylistic typography. A lot of it will depend on your own personality and what kind of image makes you feel like looking twice at it. If you’re unsure about what kind of image might go well with your message, try experimenting with different pairing options until you find one that seems right for you and is different from what everyone else is doing. You won’t know until you try!
Create Hierarchy
Hierarchy is the difference between a website that looks good and a website that looks great. It’s the reason that one design feels like it has life and movement, while another feels stale and static. Hierarchy can be created in many ways, but the most important thing is to create it—here are some tips for how you can use design to create the hierarchy you’re looking for.
Picking one thing from each category to focus on will keep your design from being too busy or confusing. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use more than one of these elements at once (in fact, many designs do), but making sure that every element in your design has a clear purpose will help you build a hierarchy that works well and looks great.
Relevant icons
Icons are a crucial part of banner design. Why?
Icons are used as visual representations of ideas, concepts, and products. They serve to quickly convey messages and provide direction to the viewer. This is why they’re so essential in banner design.
When thinking a web banner design, it’s important to develop an effective message that will capture the viewer’s attention and motivate them to read more. The first step in this process is choosing the right icons to represent your core message or product. It’s important that these icons are relevant and easily identifiable by your target audience. Using recognizable icons will help guide your viewers toward the call to action you want them to take at the end of the ad.
Add in Unexpected Elements
The best web banner design will draw attention with a simple image, but then leave the viewer wondering what else is going on in the image. This keeps them interested, in the same way that a great movie trailer leaves you wanting more.
Larger banners are more likely to have this effect, because they offer more space for details and for adding graphic elements that won’t fit in smaller banners. A good idea is to add a few unexpected elements—something unusual or eye-catching—into the banner. These don’t need to be outrageous; it’s enough if they catch your eye.
For example, one of my favorite banners has a flower growing out of the gemstone and sprouting petals, as though it were a real flower. Another has what looks like an amorphous blob that starts out looking like a plain white cloud, but then you realize it’s actually a hand holding up the banner above the text. These are both very subtle details that add to the visual interest of the banner without making too much of a statement on their own.
Incorporate Illustrations
When creating a web banner, it’s important to keep in mind the size of the banner. Web banners usually measure anywhere from 300px to 600px in width; therefore it’s best to be able to design your banner at full size.
It’s also important to consider what medium you’ll be using. Banners are usually designed for print, but they can also be used for the Internet. If your banner is intended for the Internet, you need to keep in mind that many web banners are only seen for a few seconds before a visitor clicks away. Therefore, it’s best to use images that not only look good up close, but also hold up when scaled down as well.
It’s also important to think about your message when designing a web banner. Most websites don’t have too much room for text and yet they still want the visitor to understand what they’re all about. One easy way to handle text in a banner is by using an icon font like Font Awesome or Glyphicons. The icon fonts come with hundreds of icons and they can easily be styled with CSS to match your site’s theme.
Keep It Simple
The rule of thumb for a web banner design is to keep it simple. A cluttered image won’t be well received by readers, and it’s easy to get carried away with too many ideas. The most successful banners are those that stick to one design concept, such as a specific font or color scheme; they keep the reader focused on the content of the ad, instead of distracted by a hodgepodge of pictures, words, and colors.
When designing a new banner, you should ask yourself what you want the reader to feel when they look at your ad—what message do you want them to read? Then make sure your ad conveys that message effectively. A good rule is to stick with one thing at a time: don’t try to pack so much into such a small space that your banner becomes an incomprehensible mess.
Doing these things will help you create an image that people remember without being cluttered or overwhelming.
