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Bad graphic design can have a detrimental impact on businesses, hindering their ability to effectively communicate with their target audience and establish a strong brand presence.
Whether it’s poorly executed visuals, clashing color schemes, or confusing layouts, subpar graphic design can leave potential customers unimpressed and disengaged.
In today’s competitive market, where visual appeal plays a crucial role in capturing attention and conveying professionalism, neglecting the importance of quality design can be a costly mistake for any business.
Table of Contents
- Elements of Bad Design
- How Bad Design Hurts You
- Examples of Bad Design
- Need Graphic Designs On-Demand?
Elements of Bad Design
Before we can go any further, it’s imperative that we discuss what may be holding your designs back from greatness. After all, if you’re not sure whether your images and logos are bad, then how can you know if you have to change or update them? Although design is fundamentally subjective, some universal issues can come up quite often. Here are a few examples.
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Messy or Unclean Lines
Depending on the kind of image you want to project, there may be a reason to have a bit of an untidy appearance on your logo and other graphics. However, if you suffer from problems like low resolution (pixelation), crude drawings, or some other elements that make your design look as if it were made by a child, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
Too Cluttered
Having an intricate and detailed design is great for a lot of reasons. However, you know when something is too “busy” when it’s hard to see what you’re looking at. If you use graphic design that has too many elements catching the eye, it will feel distracting and put people off to your brand altogether.
Doesn’t Match
When picking out graphics for your brand, you want to make sure that they follow the aesthetic that you’re trying to present to your audience. Do you want to appear regal and authoritative, or down to Earth and casual? No matter what presence you’re putting out there, it’s crucial that your designs follow the same branding requirements.
To figure out if you have such elements, look at your graphics and see if anything feels out of place. If it does, then it should likely be removed. Even if it works on its own, you want a cohesive and consistent brand image.
How Bad Design Hurts You
If you do have some less-than-desirable designs in your business portfolio, then what kind of impact are they going to have? Is it necessary to update and replace them as soon as possible? Our answer is definite: yes.
Unprofessional Appearance
As a business, you want to build trust with your customers. Regardless of the products or services that you offer, a lack of confidence will mean that no one will want to do business with you. Bad design can put out the wrong kind of image for your company, and it will create a negative connotation with your audience.
In the end, having a sloppy or unprofessional image is going to make it seem like your business is run by amateurs, not pros. As such, people are going to flock to your competitors, where they know what to expect, and they can rely on a better experience.
Misrepresents Your Brand
Another common issue with bad design is that it doesn’t fit the kind of business model that you’re trying to build. For example, your logo makes it seem like you’re an outdoorsy/all-natural company, but you sell office equipment.
In this case, the design itself isn’t necessarily bad (i.e., it may look fantastic on its own), but it doesn’t jive with your business. What happens is that customers will think one thing and expect that, which could lead to problems when they find out what it is you actually offer.
Too Unoriginal
No matter what industry you’re in, there’s going to be some competition for customers. As such, you want to make sure that your design is captivating enough to bring people in and entice them so that they don’t go to a competitor. However, if your design is too dull, bland, or ambiguous, then it won’t have the impact you need to get ahead.
Overall, your graphics should stand out from the crowd. You don’t want to blend in with your competitors, nor do you want customers to get confused and think that you are both the same company. Having a unique and memorable image is going to set you apart from the rest and help you succeed.
Examples of Bad Design
Bad design can make your brand look unprofessional, confuse customers, and even hurt your credibility. Without a doubt, scrimping on a graphic design service can cost you more in the long run.
Here are some real-life design fails from r/graphicdesignfail on Reddit and how professional graphic design services like Penji avoid them.
1. Cluttered and Confusing Layout
LJVE oy GIVYE
byu/Fancy_Turnover8323 ingraphicdesignfail
The design above features overlapping text, excessive colors, and a chaotic layout that makes it hard to read. As seen in the image, the text is supposed to spell “Live Joy Give,” but the layout and typography could make it seem “LJVE OYGIVYE.”
How to Avoid This Bad Design
- Stick to a clear visual hierarchy with proper spacing and alignment.
- Limit color use to maintain balance and harmony.
2. Poor Color Choice
Green means no.
byu/HereWeFuckingGooo ingraphicdesignfail
The design above doesn’t reflect a good grasp of color psychology, which is crucial in graphic design in business. As most would know, green is a universal color for go, and in this case, it was used for the only element that doesn’t fall under the same classification.
How to Avoid This Bad Design
- Consider color psychology when crafting elements of a brand identity and marketing assets.
3. Misleading or Poorly Arranged Text
I also prefer my water Fart Free
byu/SquishyGamesCo ingraphicdesignfail
This design unintentionally creates a misleading message due to poor text placement. Instead of looking clever, with “free water” reading from left to right and top to bottom, the layout makes the text read “w fart free water.”
How to Avoid This Bad Design
- Use mockups to check how text interacts with other design elements.
- Carefully plan hiring graphic designers who understand how to structure text for readability.
4. Sending the Wrong Message
choose your colors carefully
byu/Rhenium175 ingraphicdesignfail
Many challenges of small businesses come from inconsistent branding that weakens customer trust. The design above suffers from low contrast between the text and background, making parts of the message difficult to read. The phrase was meant to say, “This September, I’m riding to fight kids cancer,” but due to poor contrast, it appears as “This September, I’m riding to fight kids.”
How to Avoid This Bad Design
- Use high-contrast colors to ensure readability, such as white text on dark backgrounds or vice versa.
- When in doubt, test text visibility using grayscale or colorblind accessibility tools.
5. Poorly Designed Logos with Misleading Symbols
A bicycle themed bar. The logo is meant to be a bicycle seat and handle bars. However, it does look rather biological…
byu/T_raltixx ingraphicdesignfail
This logo design, aimed at projecting a bike icon, unintentionally resembles something inappropriate, damaging the brand’s credibility. This visual faux pas only proves the importance of graphic design. A professional brand designer would ensure the logo is visually appealing and free from unintentional meanings.
How to Avoid This Bad Design
- Gather feedback from diverse audiences to catch unintended interpretations.
- Work with the best logo design companies like Penji to create a strong visual identity.
- Test logos in different formats and sizes before finalizing.
Need Graphic Designs On-Demand?
Bad graphic design can have detrimental effects on a brand’s image and success. It can lead to a lack of professionalism, confusion among consumers, and a disconnect between the brand’s message and its visual representation.
This is why Penji is a reasonable choice for businesses that want professional unlimited design. We have the world’s top 2% of designers who know how to use design elements to showcase your brand in the best light.
Watch a short demo today and learn how you can leverage Penji’s unlimited graphic design services.
