Ideas and business plans are so much more than text. But for most of us, visual design isn’t our first language. In this presentation, you’ll learn how to support your content with great visual design when you don’t have the time or ability to work in tandem with a design strategist. As presented at Phoenix Startup Week: http://phoenix.startupweek.co/

1. DESIGNING
INTELLIGENT
CONTENT
A non-designer’s guide

2. HIER ARCHY TYPE
Understanding
COLOR
USI N G
right image
Choosing the

3. FIRST, AN
ASSUMPTION
Purpose
Business Goals
Audience
Voice & tone

4. VISUAL
HIERARCHY
01

5. LOOKING FOR LOVE
IN ALDERAAN PLACES

6. DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Contrast
Repetition
Alignment
Proximity

7. Breaking Bad Drinking Game
Drinking Game Rules
Sip
Jesse says “Yo”
Walt yells at Jesse
Marie wears something purple
Hank wears a Panama Jack shirt
Shot
Walt lies
Skyler cries
Someone says “Heisenberg”
Saul Goodman asks for money

8. CONTRAST
is what makes the reader look
at the page in the first place.

9. BREAKING BAD
DRINKING GAME
Drinking Game Rules
SIP
Jesse says “Yo”
Walt yells at Jesse
Marie wears something purple
Hank wears a Panama Jack shirt
SHOT
Walt lies
Skyler cries
Someone says “Heisenberg”
Saul Goodman asks for money

10. REPETITION
is the process of creating a
visual pattern that helps
unify your message.

11. BREAKING BAD
DRINKING GAME
Drinking Game Rules
SIP
Jesse says “Yo”
Walt yells at Jesse
Marie wears something purple
Hank wears a Panama Jack shirt
SHOT
Walt lies
Skyler cries
Someone says “Heisenberg”
Saul Goodman asks for money

12. ALIGNMENT
connects the visual elements
together, creating an invisible
line of cohesiveness.

13. BREAKING BAD
DRINKING GAME
Drinking Game Rules
SIP
Jesse says “Yo”
Walt yells at Jesse
Marie wears something purple
Hank wears a Panama Jack shirt
SHOT
Walt lies
Skyler cries
Someone says “Heisenberg”
Saul Goodman asks for money

14. PROXIMITY
creates visual unity in
elements that are related
to each other.

15. BREAKING BAD
DRINKING GAME
Drinking Game Rules
SIP
Jesse says “Yo”
Walt yells at Jesse
Marie wears something purple
Hank wears a Panama Jack shirt
SHOT
Walt lies
Skyler cries
Someone says “Heisenberg”
Saul Goodman asks for money

16. Breaking Bad Drinking Game
Drinking Game Rules
Sip
Jesse says “Yo”
Walt yells at Jesse
Marie wears something purple
Hank wears a Panama Jack shirt
Shot
Walt lies
Skyler cries
Someone says “Heisenberg”
Saul Goodman asks for money

17. BREAKING BAD
DRINKING GAME
Drinking Game Rules
SIP
Jesse says “Yo”
Walt yells at Jesse
Marie wears something purple
Hank wears a Panama Jack shirt
SHOT
Walt lies
Skyler cries
Someone says “Heisenberg”
Saul Goodman asks for money

18. RECR
AP
By creating bold contrast, using
repetition, and organizing your
content through alignment
and proximity, you create a visual
hierarchy that guides the reader
through their experience.

19. TYPE
MATCH-MAKING
02

20. WHAT’S YOUR TYPE?
In order to determine your
perfect typographic match,
you must first consider your
communication goals.

21. Who’s your
audience?

22. What’s the brand
personality?

23. What’s your
message?

31. A casual case

32. A screaming scale

33. SIMPLICITY
How easy it is to focus on and
interpret messaging.

34. How many
content types?

35. Headline/Title
Visual
Message
Other
Information
Subheadline
Date

36. VARIATION
How to combine fonts in
an appropriate typographic
expression of brand
personality.

37. A PERFECT MATCH?

38. Opposites
ATTRACT
Likes
Repell

39. THIS IS A LIGHT WEIGHT
PAIRED WITH A HEAVY

40. This is a script
paired with a slab-serif

41. This is a
Modern Typeface
paired with a sans-serif

42. Tools of the trade
typegenius.com

44. READABILITY
How easy it is to read words,
phrases, and blocks of copy.

45. want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably
is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood
how my parents were occupied and all before they
l that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t
into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first
f bores me, and in the second place, my parents
out two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty
them. They’re quite touchy about anything like that,
father. They’re nice and all--I’m not saying that--but
uchy as hell. Besides, I’m not going to tell you my
m autobiography or anything. I’ll just tell you about
tuff that happened to me around last Christmas just
etty run-down and had to come out here and take
that’s all I told D.B. about, and he’s my brother
n Hollywood. That isn’t too far from this crumby
comes over and visits me practically every week end.
drive me home when I go home next month may-
a Jaguar. One of those little English jobs that can
hundred miles an hour. It cost him damn near four
s. He’s got a lot of dough, now. He didn’t use to. He
a regular writer, when he was home. He wrote this
f short stories, The Secret Goldfish, in case you nev-
m. The best one in it was “The Secret Goldfish.” It
little kid that wouldn’t let anybody look at his gold-
e’d bought it with his own money. It killed me. Now
llywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there’s one thing
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you
want to know is where I was born, an what my lousy
was like, and how my parents were occupied and all
had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap,
feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.
place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, m
would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told
pretty personal about them. They’re quite touchy ab
like that, especially my father. They’re nice and all--I’
that--but they’re also touchy as hell. Besides, I’m not
you my whole goddam autobiography or anything.
you about this madman stuff that happened to me
Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had
here and take it easy. I mean that’s all I told D.B. abo
my brother and all. He’s in Hollywood. That isn’t too
crumby place, and he comes over and visits me prac
week end. He’s going to drive me home when I go h
month maybe. He just got a Jaguar. One of those litt
jobs that can do around two hundred miles an hour
damn near four thousand bucks. He’s got a lot of do
He didn’t use to. He used to be just a regular writer,
was home. He wrote this terrific book of short storie
Goldfish, in case you never heard of him. The best o
“The Secret Goldfish.”It was about this little kid that
let anybody look at his goldfish because he’d b
VS
Serif
Sans-serif

46. Line length LeadingAKA LINE SPACING
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably
want to know is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood
was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they
had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t
feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first
place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents
would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pret-
ty personal about them. They’re quite touchy about anything like
If you really want to hear about
it, the first thing you’ll prob-
ably want to know is where I
was born, an what my lousy
childhood was like, and how
my parents were occupied and
all before they had me, and all
that David Copperfield kind of
crap, but I don’t feel like going
into it, if you want to know
the truth. In the first place, that
stuff bores me, and in the sec-
ond place, my parents would
have about two hemorrhages
apiece if I told anything pretty
personal about them. They’re
quite touchy about anything
like that, especially my father.
They’re nice and all--I’m not
saying that--but they’re also
touchy as hell. Besides, I’m not
going to tell you my whole god-
dam autobiography or anything.
I’ll just tell you about this mad-
man stuff that happened to me
around last Christmas just be-
fore I got pretty run-down and
had to come out here and take
it easy. I mean that’s all I told
D.B. about, and he’s my broth-
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably
want to know is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood
was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they
had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t
feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first
place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents
would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty
personal about them. They’re quite touchy about anything like that,
especially my father. They’re nice and all--I’m not saying that--but
they’re also touchy as hell. Besides, I’m not going to tell you my
whole goddam autobiography or anything. I’ll just tell you about
If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably
want to know is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood
was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they
had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t
feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first
place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents
would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pret-
ty personal about them. They’re quite touchy about anything like
&

47. RECAP
Well-designed type considers the
overall communication goals,
takes into consideration the brand
personality and thoughtfully
utilizes appropriate typographic
treatments to convey meaning.

48. USING COLOR
The amazing color wheel
03

49. Primary colors

50. Secondary colors

51. Tertiary colors

52. Complementary

53. Complementary
These pretzels
are making me
thirsty.

54. Triads

55. Triads

56. Triads

57. Triads
These pretzels
are making me
thirsty.

58. Analogous

59. Analogous
These pretzels
are making me
thirsty.

60. Tints

61. Shades

62. Tones

63. Monochromatic
These pretzels
are making me
thirsty.

64. BEHOLD,
THE COLOR
SPECTRUM
Better than a double rainbow.

65. With 16.8 million choices
where do you even start?

66. CHOOSING YOUR
COLORS
Color groups and meanings
Using the color picker
Color palette tools

67. Warm tones

68. Cool tones

69. Neutrals

70. COLOR MEANINGS
Optimism Energy Action
Trust Growth Wisdom
in Western culture

71. SERENITY
NOW!

72. The perfect retreat
for your fall vacation.
VISIT
NEW
ENGLAND

73. on a scenic Alaskan cruise.
SAIL
AWAY

74. Tools of the trade
kuler.adobe.com

75. Tools of the trade
kuler.adobe.com

76. Tools of the trade
colourlovers.com

77. RECAP
By understanding the basics
of color theory and how colors
work together, you can then
incorporate other factors such as
your audience, mood, branding
and imagery to create your ideal
color palette.

78. PHOTOGRAPHIC
STORYTELLING
04
A picture is worth a thousand words

79. It is so nice when you can sit with
someone and not have to talk.
- Harry Burns

80. 01
02
03
EVERY IMAGE
SHOULD…
Visually support written content
Encompass the broader message
Contain a primary focus, while
providing useful context

81. Our milk is “farm to store fresh.”
For example:

82. OR

83. Who says burgers can’t be fancy?
For example:

84. OR

85. This summer, protect your
family by using sunscreen.
For example:

86. OR

87. THEY FINISH EACH
OTHER’S SENTENCES
When choosing images to compliment copy,
look for visual stories that support written
content, encompass the broader message,
and contain a primary focus, while
providing useful context.

88. PUTTING IT ALL
TOGETHER
The design principles of visual hierarchy
along with the understanding of color,
type, and image match-making, will
help support the voice and tone of your
message, connect with your audience, and
achieve your clients’ goals to create one
complete, holistic experience.

89. RESOURCES
BOOKS
1. The Non-Designer’s Design Book / Robin Williams
2. Thinking with Type / Ellen Lupton
3. Color Design Workbook: A Real World Guide to Using Color in
Graphic Design / Terry Lee Stone
TOOLS
1. kuler.adobe.com
2. colourlovers.com
3. typegenius.com

90. Thank you