Using Layout Best Practices As A Graphic Design Superpower
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Layout's Have Superpowers, Even Though They Don’t Wear Capes.
Superheroes are always the ones you least expect. Quiet. Unassuming. Moving through life under the radar until an emergency arises. For instance, your client has given you 24 hours to create a series of ads to launch a new product. Or web purchases are down, and the CEO thinks the brand needs a refresh.
Cue heroic music. Add CPG effects. Enter “Layout the Superhero.”
Okay, not exactly the Caped Crusader you were expecting. Still, every superhero has a code and in the world of design, layout best practices are what save the day. They provide the tools you need to help brands grow strong and operate efficiently. They don’t wear capes, but they help solve marketing and communications problems that impact the bottom line.
Explore Layout Best Practices
Glad you asked. To begin with, good layouts engage viewers with your brand. They help your ads, social posts, signage, and web pages attract qualified prospects. Then, they lead viewers through your communications flow so that the right message is conveyed, the intended feelings are felt, and the important call to action is activated. BAM! KAPOW! Now, those are what we call superpowers.
Engagement is hard work in our information-saturated environment. Your brand’s words and images need to break through the walls of clutter and competition.
“Evidence suggests the average person is consuming around 74GM of data per day (roughly equivalent to 216 movies),” and that’s increasing annually by about 5%.”
Getting noticed (aka engagement) is just the first superpower of a good layout. Once your messaging has been seen, the layout needs to direct viewers to the right information at the right time. Communications must deliver both feelings and rational reasons for sticking around. Design features like copy, imagery, white space, and call-to-action must flow logically. Conversion, that important decision to click-through to purchase, is another superpower of a good layout. And, of course, the cycle must repeat itself through customer loyalty and brand referrals, but that’s for another article.
Ultimately, Layout Underpins Business Performance.
Rethinking your brand’s layout is a proactive step designers can take to improve the business's bottom line. You can leverage the superpowers of layout to increase revenue, improve operational efficiency, retain customers, and expand market share. These superpowers cannot be overstated.
That’s what they said about Superman, but it applies to layouts too. A major objective of design work is to drive sales. Maybe not all of your messaging is intended to generate a transaction, but most is. Layouts must steer the heart and mind to point-of-sale. Distractions are everywhere, and the average attention span has shrunk to just 8.25 seconds – shorter than that of a goldfish! If your layouts don’t address key consumer requirements quickly, then shopping around results, which often means lost revenue. Strong layouts integrate the pieces of communication in a way that skillfully leads to purchase.
How Can You Be Sure Your Layout Is Optimized For Success?
Consider A/B testing different layouts to get results-driven data on which layouts lead to faster click-through and conversion rates. Different visuals, headlines, typefaces, structures or grids, and other design elements may influence sales. You aren’t expected to know all the outcomes of your design decisions in advance, so it would be strategically super to create a testing plan to learn more about ways to optimize revenue. A/B Testing is a digital strategy that can help you determine the best messaging for your target audience segments.
Another option is to conduct an analysis of historic digital performance metrics
Click-through
Time on page
Site navigation
Decisions
Conversion or purchase
See what you can learn about current and past layout elements. These tactics may help you decide how to approach a refresh.
“More Powerful than a Locomotive”
Yup, they said that about Superman too. Like Superman, layouts deliver a ton of horsepower. Another way to approach a potential layout refresh or redesign is to consider how to make your brand visually consistent. Certain layout elements, like the overall structure or grid, type of imagery, typeface, and color, work together to create a visual identity. Conduct an informal visual audit of your brand work.
Are these elements consistent across executions?
What about the pages in the brand website?
Are they differentiated from competing brands?
Visual consistency helps build business because your layout should immediately signal who you are and that consistency connotes the quality of your brand’s products and services.
Don’t Let Time Be Your Kryptonite.
There’s a lot going on. Projects. Invoicing. People to call back. Your pet needs to be petted. We get it. Don’t let the possibility of a layout refresh or redesign feel overwhelming. It might end up helping you find time to take your bearded dragon lizard to the park. It will also likely make your business operate more efficiently and effectively over the long run.
Here’s a step-by-step approach that can help you make some layout decisions that work better on both the page and the bottom-line.
Conduct a visual audit Rate a group of recent brand layouts and web pages on criteria like stopping power, visual consistency, ease of click through to point-of-sale, and differentiation from competitive brands. How did your brand do? Are there opportunities for improvement?
Analyze results from historic ads & web pages What can you learn from some of the layout decisions your brand made in the past? By looking at metrics like click-through, page navigation choices & time, lost visitation, and, of course, sales, you’ll immediately gain insight into what worked and what didn’t. Then, you can put that knowledge to work.
Make a short-list of design changes to test This is when A/B testing comes into play. Create some new layouts based on what you believe will improve results. Introduce one at a time. Compare results to your most successful ad or web page to date. The winner moves forward to the next A/B test. This is continuous improvement, and that is the essence of smart business.
Rollout You’ve learned a lot about how to optimize layouts for business success. Is it time for a brand refresh? If so, put your knowledge to work on a larger scale. Sure, you can keep testing. But incorporate all you’ve learned into a visually consistent, unique brand layout scheme that drives sales and profitability.
Congrats. Your work is both beautiful and smart. It’s got superpowers after all. And, feel free to wear a cape to work. The marketing team and CEO will understand.
Credits
Editor: Jenn Hart (More About Me)
Associate Editor: Sarah Dawoud
Art: Sharon Bakas
Author: Julie Garel
Is a writer and market researcher living in Washington, DC. Julie has worked at numerous global agencies and creative boutiques as Chief Curiosity Officer where she gained considerable experience in the tourism, hospitality, education, and health care sectors. Julie holds master’s degrees in international business, environmental management, and conflict resolution. She loves hiking up mountains, live music, and her family, especially Boo, her rescue pittie.
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Everything we share here is meant to be helpful and inspiring. We’re speaking from experience and past proof of concept. We respect each other's works, cultures, and opinions. The trends, examples, and observations in this article are provided for educational and inspirational purposes only. Mentioned brands, businesses, and cultural references are not affiliated with or endorsing this content. Opinions on all subject matter, audience behavior, and strategies are general observations and may not apply to every audience or situation. Always consider your brand values, goals, and audience sensitivities before implementing changes or creating new visual content. Please consult a qualified professional when needed to help make decisions. You are responsible for how you choose to use this information, and we are not liable for any loss, damages, or issues that may arise. We can’t be responsible for how things play out, but we’re always rooting for your success!
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