Design resources and reference material
This page collects the practical tools we reference throughout our guides — checklists you can follow from a blank page to a finished piece, quick-reference facts to keep nearby, and answers to the questions people ask most when they start learning about design. Everything here is written in plain language and meant to be used, not just read. Bookmark it and return to it whenever you begin a new project or need to double-check a step.
Starting a New Design Project: Setup Checklist
- Write a one-sentence goal that names who the work is for and what it should make them do or feel.
- Collect the real constraints early: budget, deadline, final formats, and where the work will appear (print, screen, signage).
- Gather any brand assets you already have — logo files, existing colors, fonts, and past examples you liked or disliked.
- Ask for or draft a short design brief before opening any software, so the direction is agreed on in writing.
- Set up a single folder structure for the project with clearly named subfolders for research, drafts, and final files.
- Choose your canvas size and resolution based on the final output, not the other way around (300 DPI for print, 72–150 for screen).
- Save three or four reference images that show the mood you're aiming for, and note in a line why each one works.
- Agree on how feedback will be given and how many rounds of revisions are included before you begin.
Before You Call It Finished: Review Checklist
- Step back from the screen and check that the most important element is the first thing your eye lands on.
- Read every piece of text out loud to catch typos, awkward line breaks, and words that got cut off.
- Confirm alignment: nudge elements so edges, baselines, and columns line up on a consistent grid.
- Check spacing is intentional — related items sit close together, unrelated items have clear breathing room.
- Test your colors for contrast so text stays readable, especially light text on light backgrounds.
- View the work at its real final size, not zoomed in, to judge how it actually looks in use.
- Export a test file in the required format and open it fresh to confirm fonts, colors, and bleed survived.
- Sleep on it if you can, then compare against the original brief to be sure it answers the goal you set.
Quick Reference: Facts Worth Remembering
- Design thinking usually moves through five loose stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test — and you can loop back at any point.
- Hierarchy is created mainly through size, weight, color, and spacing — not by adding more decoration.
- Print work uses CMYK color and needs bleed (typically 3mm) plus 300 DPI; screen work uses RGB and lower resolution is fine.
- White space (empty space) is a deliberate design element, not wasted room — it improves focus and readability.
- A design brief should always answer three things: who it's for, what it needs to achieve, and what success looks like.
- The core visual principles — contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity — solve the majority of everyday layout problems.
Do I need to be able to draw to understand design?
No. Drawing is one skill within some design fields, but understanding design is mostly about thinking clearly — knowing who the work is for, arranging information so it's easy to follow, and making deliberate choices. Many capable designers rely on simple sketches or diagrams rather than polished illustration.
What's the difference between design thinking and the design process?
Design thinking is a mindset and a method for solving problems by understanding people first and testing ideas. The design process is the practical sequence of steps you follow to make a specific piece of work. They overlap, but design thinking guides how you approach problems, while the process guides how you produce the finished result.
Where should a complete beginner start?
Start with the plain-language introduction to design thinking and the step-by-step process guide, then keep the glossary open beside you. Once the vocabulary feels familiar, the guide on core visual principles will help you understand why certain layouts simply look and work better than others.
What is a design brief and do I really need one?
A design brief is a short written summary of what a project needs to achieve, who it's for, and any constraints like deadline and format. Even for small or personal projects it's worth writing, because it prevents endless changes later and gives you a clear standard to measure the finished work against.
How many revisions is normal for a design project?
There's no fixed number, but two to three rounds of feedback is common for straightforward work. What matters more than the count is agreeing up front how feedback will be given and when the project is considered final, so both sides know what to expect.