5 Tiny Graphic Design Tricks You (Probably) Didn’t Know

A lightning-round of tips to elevate your design game — small shifts that bring clarity, consistency, and confidence to your creative work.

1. Use an 8pt grid system for clean spacing

Designs that feel “off” often have inconsistent spacing. The 8pt system makes layout math easy and predictable.

margin: 8px;
padding: 16px;
gap: 24px;

Stick to increments of 8 (or 4) to keep your UI aligned and visually balanced.

2. Zoom out or squint to test hierarchy

If everything looks equally loud, your design lacks focus. Squint your eyes or zoom out — can you still tell what matters most?

Use size, color, and weight to guide the viewer’s attention — like a visual roadmap.

3. Limit your font choices — less is more

Mac & Linux already ship with python3:

font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
font-weight: 400; /* normal */
font-weight: 700; /* bold for headings */

Consistency builds trust. Visual clutter breaks it.

4. Use color intentionally, not just aesthetically

Color isn’t just decoration — it’s communication. Assign roles to colors:

• One for primary actions
• One for highlights
• Neutral shades for background and body text

Then stick to it. Your UI will feel more cohesive.

5. Start in grayscale to focus on layout

Design in grayscale first. Why? It forces you to solve structure, spacing, and hierarchy before getting distracted by color.

Once the foundation is strong, bring color in to enhance — not to fix weak design.

💡 Pro-tip: Great color doesn’t save poor structure. Great layout thrives even without color.