Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Graphic Design

Starting a business is chaos. One minute, you’re pumped, overflowing with ideas. The next, you’re knee-deep in decisions — logos, colours, fonts — questioning everything. Where do you even start? What if you mess it up? How does anyone get this right?

Here’s the thing: before you start designing business cards, blasting your logo everywhere, or tweaking your website for the hundredth time, you need a brand kit. It’s the thing that keeps your brand looking like an actual business instead of a jumbled mess of mismatched ideas.

Your Logo is Not a One-Size-Fits-All Deal

If you’ve only got one logo file sitting in a folder somewhere, then that’s a problem. Your logo needs flexibility — it’s gotta work across all your media, from Instagram to a giant billboard. That means:

• Full-colour version for your website, ads, and marketing.
• Black-and-white version for those times when colour printing isn’t an option.
• Transparent PNG so it doesn’t look like a weird box slapped on different backgrounds.
• A simplified icon version for profile pictures, favicons, and anywhere a full logo is overkill.

Think of it like having different outfits for different occasions. Your logo needs that same level of planning and flexibility.

Colours: Not Just About What You Like

Brand colours are more than just picking your favourite shade of blue and calling it a day. They set the mood. The energy. The vibe of your business. And you want that vibe to be consistent everywhere.

• Bold & high-energy? Bright, in-your-face colors that grab attention.
• Luxury & premium? Deep, rich tones that ooze elegance.
• Minimalist & modern? Soft, muted shades with clean contrast.

And whatever you do, lock in those colour codes (HEX, RGB, CMYK). You don’t want your brand’s signature blue looking bright and fresh in one place and like a dull, washed-out mess somewhere else.

If you want to delve deeper into branding colours, then check out my other blog article - Choosing Colours that will pop!

Fonts: Pick ‘Em and Stick With ‘Em

Fonts matter. A lot. They tell people what kind of brand you are before they even read the words. But here’s where people go wrong: they choose too many.

• One strong font for headlines.
• One clear, easy-to-read font for body text. (something you're happy reading terms and conditions in)
• Maybe a third for accents - if you can justify it - but normally you'll use variations of the other two fonts to give you extra options. 

If you’ve got more than that, your brand starts looking messy real fast. And please, for the love of design, don’t pair Comic Sans with Times New Roman. Just don’t. Infact, don't use those fonts at all.

Imagery: Pick a Lane and Stay in It

Photos, icons, illustrations — whatever you use, they all need to feel like they belong together. If your website looks clean and modern, but your Instagram is full of chaotic, pixelated stock photos, it’s a branding nightmare.

• Sleek and professional? Stick to polished, high-quality photography.
• Playful and fun? Bright, quirky illustrations and bold graphics.
• Edgy and bold? High-contrast, dramatic visuals with strong angles.

Whatever you choose, be consistent. Nothing screams “I have no idea what I’m doing” like a mix of hyper-polished images next to DIY clip art. And make sure you own the rights to those images - leaving the watermark in place does not give you the right to use it for free.

Brand Voice: Talk Like a Human

Your brand isn’t just what people see — it’s what they hear. And if your tone is all over the place, people will get confused real fast.

• Are you casual and friendly? Keep it relaxed.
• A little sarcastic and bold? Lean into it.
• Polished and professional? Stay sharp.

Whatever it is, own it. Your website, social media, emails, and marketing should all sound like they’re coming from the same voice. If your Instagram sounds like a fun, quirky friend, but your website reads like a stiff corporate manual, it’s jarring — and customers notice.

And yes, we all use AI to help out. Don't just copy and paste the AI generation, instead use it as a guide to get you past that blank page, but do spend the time to make it your own.

Your Brand Kit: The Key to Looking Legit

Think of your brand kit as your business’s cheat sheet. It makes sure everything — your visuals, your messaging, your style — looks like it belongs together. No guessing, no making it up as you go, no endless reworking because something “just feels off.”

A strong brand isn’t about luck. It’s about intention. It’s about making decisions early so you’re not scrambling later. Lock in your brand kit now, and future-you will be forever grateful.