TL;DR: Summary
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Stick to one alignment—left or center only•
Keep font variations under five•
Use a simple, limited color palette•
Add more spacing between elements•
Check visual hierarchy before you finishAre you using Canva or Figma but still feel like your designs look… off?
Don’t worry—this happens to everyone, especially if you didn’t go to design school.
The good news? You don’t need a design degree to make clean, professional-looking visuals.
You just need a few easy hacks that instantly make your layout look better.
Let’s go over 5 super simple design rules that even beginners can follow today.
1. Stick to One Alignment
Pick one alignment style and stick with it:
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Left-aligned = safe, clean, easy to read
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Centered = good for posters or minimal layouts
But don’t mix them in one design. If half of your content is left-aligned and the other half is centered, it creates visual confusion.
Try this: Make all your headings and text boxes left-aligned and see how it instantly feels more organized. 2. Don’t Use More Than 5 Font Variations
“Font chaos” is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
This includes:
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Different font families
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Different sizes
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Different weights (bold, regular, thin, italic)
Stick to:
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1–2 font families (e.g., Montserrat + Lato)
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No more than 5 total variations (including size and weight)
Example:
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Heading: Montserrat Bold, 32pt
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Subheading: Montserrat Regular, 20pt
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Body text: Lato Regular, 16pt
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Caption: Lato Italic, 12pt
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Button: Lato Bold, 14pt
Less is more. Repetition creates harmony. 3. Use a Simple Color Palette
Don’t overthink it. You only need:
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1 base color
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1–2 accent colors
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1 neutral (white, black, or gray)
This helps your design feel cohesive and intentional.
Tip: Use tools like Coolors to generate your own palette, or grab one from Canva’s color palette ideas. 4. Add More Spacing Than You Think
Feeling like your design is cramped or cluttered?
It’s probably missing one thing: whitespace.
Add more space:
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Inside buttons (padding)
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Between text and other elements (margin)
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Around sections (layout breathing room)
"If it feels crowded, give it space." 5. Create Visual Hierarchy
Your viewer’s eyes need a clear path.
Ask yourself:
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What’s the most important thing here?
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Does it stand out?
Ways to establish hierarchy:
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Make headings larger
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Use bold for emphasis
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Use contrast (like color or size)
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Group related elements together
Bonus tip: Squint your eyes. Whatever stands out is what viewers see first. Bonus: Duplicate and Tweak
Before finalizing, duplicate your design and test:
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Try aligning everything
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Reduce font count
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Add spacing
Then compare.
This is how you train your eyes to see like a designer.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need fancy tools or years of experience to make your designs better.
Just apply these 5 simple principles every time you design something new.
Keep things aligned Be smart with fonts Limit your colors Give it space Guide the viewer’s eyeStart using these hacks today and watch your designs magically improve.