{"id":9025,"date":"2017-05-08T10:48:30","date_gmt":"2017-05-08T09:48:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/?p=9025"},"modified":"2020-09-22T09:16:35","modified_gmt":"2020-09-22T08:16:35","slug":"can-master-design-must-first-master-fundamentals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/can-master-design-must-first-master-fundamentals\/","title":{"rendered":"Before You Can Master Design, You Must First Master the Fundamentals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, one of my readers sent in a question: How do I become a better visual designer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I was thinking about how to answer this question, my mind wandered to my experience with learning Mandarin Chinese. Recently, I decided to teach myself Mandarin. When it comes to learning a new language, you first have to start with the fundamentals. Nouns, pronouns, and verbs form the basis for conveying more complex ideas.<\/p>\n

Language is a way that people communicate concepts to one another. Visual design is a visual language.<\/strong> And learning visual design is no different from learning a new language.<\/p>\n

Good visual designs aren\u2019t born. They are made. <\/strong>The key to becoming a better visual designer is rigor. You will only improve as a visual designer if you make a conscious effort.<\/p>\n

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\"Good visual designs aren\u2019t born. They are made.\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

Here are some fundamentals you should master so you can take your visual design to the next level.<\/p>\n

Fundamental #1: Go back to the basics with\u00a0type<\/h2>\n

You can tell a lot about a designer by looking at their typography. This is because type is a fundamental basis for design.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Type<\/a>

Type as\u00a0imagery<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

You can create entire designs with just type. You can also base designs on type, taking subtle queues from the fonts that you choose. In order to improve the typography in your designs, first start by learning the basics.<\/p>\n

Develop a vocabulary for describing type. Learn about what terms like tracking, kerning, and leading mean. The article A Beautifully Illustrated Glossary Of Typographic Terms You Should Know<\/a> is a great visual resource for learning those terms.<\/p>\n

Then, if you want a comprehensive understanding of how to apply typography to the web, read Web Typography: The Elements of<\/em> Typographic Style Applied to the Web<\/a>.<\/p>\n