Layout and Design

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Graphic Elements

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1. Color

• Color harmony: Choose a consistent palette (primary, secondary, accent).

• Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background for readability.

• Brand alignment: Colors should reflect the brand identity and mood.

• Emphasis: Use color to highlight or key areas.

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2. Images & Illustrations

• Quality: Use high-resolution images, but optimized for web (small file size).

• Relevance: Images should support content — not distract from it.

• Consistency: Use a coherent style (same tone, filters, or illustration type).

• Composition: Mind cropping, focus, and alignment with surrounding text.

• Responsiveness: Ensure images scale or crop well on mobile.

• Alt text: Add descriptive alt text for accessibility.

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3. Icons & Graphics

• Purpose: Use icons to support text, not replace it entirely.

• Consistency: Match icon style (filled, outline, flat, etc.) across the site.

• Simplicity: Avoid overly detailed graphics; clarity > decoration.

• Alignment: Maintain even spacing and size relative to text and other visuals.

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4. Layout & Composition

• Balance: Distribute graphics evenly to avoid visual heaviness on one side.

• Whitespace: Leave breathing space around text and images.

• Hierarchy: Use size, color, and positioning to guide the user’s attention.

• Alignment: Stick to a grid — edges of images and text should line up cleanly.

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Text Elements

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1. Typography

• Font choice: Use 1–2 complementary fonts (e.g., one for headings, one for body).

• Readability: Avoid overly decorative fonts for main content.

• Hierarchy: Establish clear differences between H1, H2, H3, body, etc.

• Size & spacing:

  • Headings: 1.5–2× larger than body text

  • Line spacing: ~1.4× line height of font size

  • Paragraph spacing: consistent but distinct

• Consistency: Same font sizes and weights across similar elements.

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2. Text Alignment & Layout

• Alignment: Left-aligned text is most readable (avoid full justification online).

• Line length: Keep to 50–75 characters per line for body text.

• Contrast: Dark text on light background (or vice versa).

• Hierarchy: Headings, subheadings, and paragraph styles guide scanning.

• Responsive scaling: Font sizes should adapt to different screen widths.

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3. Tone & Content Presentation

• Clarity: Short, direct sentences; avoid jargon when possible.

• Scannability: Use bullet points, bold keywords, and subheadings.

• Call-to-Action: Highlight CTAs visually (button + color + concise text).

• Consistency: Maintain the same tone and writing style across the site.

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4. Interaction Between Text & Graphics

• Visual flow: Images should lead the eye naturally toward related text.

• Contrast balance: Avoid busy backgrounds behind text.

• Spacing: Leave enough margin between images and text blocks.

• Alignment: Text should align with visual elements (grid alignment).