Common Design Issues – GetHipQuick

Major

Typography

Decorative Type in All Caps

Avoid using decorative typefaces in all-caps. While some are designed for it, those with swashes or curls often create visual noise that hinders legibility. Use sentence case or title case to let decorative details remain clear.

Major

Typography

Script Font Letter-Spacing

Script fonts rely on natural connections between characters. Adding letter-spacing disrupts this flow, making text look disjointed. Keep letter-spacing at 0 to maintain the intended calligraphic rhythm.

Moderate

Typography

Intentional Script Usage

Script fonts are accent fonts. They work in small doses for headlines, names, or decorative callouts — not for body copy or long runs of text. Reserve them for a single statement element and pair with something clean and readable.

Moderate

General

Limiting Typeface Variety

Maintain visual cohesion by limiting a design to one or two typefaces. Establish a clear system by choosing a primary font for body text and a secondary font for headings. Using more than two fonts can weaken the overall visual system.

Moderate

General

Paragraph Alignment

Use left-alignment for long paragraphs to provide a consistent starting point for the eye. While centered text works well for short headlines or quotes, it makes longer content difficult to scan and read efficiently.

Minor

General

Functional Bullet Points

Use bullet points only for lists containing two or more parallel items. A single bullet creates unnecessary structure; integrate lone points into the body text or use a different visual treatment for emphasis.

Minor

Color

Harmonious Gradients

Gradients work best between colors with a natural relationship — same family, analogous hues, or monochromatic shades. Mixing unrelated colors risks banding or a muddy transition. When in doubt, go subtler.

Moderate

Color

Color Inconsistency

Ensure all colors are pulled from a defined, intentional palette. Consistent use of specific color values creates a repeatable system that builds brand recognition and professional polish.

Minor

Color

Too Many Colors

A tight palette used well beats a wide palette used randomly every time. Stick to a primary, a secondary, and one accent. More than that, and the design starts working against itself.

Moderate

Color

Random Color Usage

Colors appear without a defined role or palette source. Every color in a design should be tied to a purpose — brand, hierarchy, or function. Arbitrary choices undermine trust, even when viewers can't pinpoint why.

Moderate

Typography

Too Many Fonts

More than two typefaces in a design usually signals a missing visual system. Pick a primary font for body copy and a secondary font for headings or accents. The combination should feel intentional, not assembled.

Minor

Typography

Long Paragraphs of Centered Text

Centered text is great for short headlines or pull quotes. For longer paragraphs, the ragged starting edge of each line makes text harder to scan. Left-aligned body copy almost always reads better.

Minor

Typography

Random Bullet Points

Bullets are for lists with two or more parallel items. A single bulleted point doesn't need the formatting — it just adds visual weight without purpose. Integrate it into the surrounding copy instead.

Moderate

Spacing

Text Too Close to Edge

Text placed inside a shape that sits right at — or outside — the edge creates a cramped, unfinished look. Center the text both horizontally and vertically, and leave consistent padding from every edge.

Moderate

Spacing

Elements Too Close Together

Without enough breathing room between elements, a layout starts to feel dense and hard to navigate. White space isn't wasted — it helps the eye move naturally and gives each element room to register.

Moderate

Spacing

Uneven Spacing

Some gaps can feel tight, others loose — without a clear reason. Using a consistent spacing unit (multiples of 4 or 8px) gives the layout an underlying rhythm, even when spacing isn't perfectly identical throughout. Research grid and guide use.

Minor

Spacing

Same Element, Different Spacing

When similar elements have different amounts of space around them, it makes the layout feel planned. Consistent spacing is one of the quickest ways to make a design feel more cohesive and polished.

Major

Alignment

Floating Elements

Elements that have no clear alignment relationship to anything else on the page look accidental. Everything should anchor to something — a grid, another element, or an implied edge.

Moderate

Alignment

Near-Alignment

Elements that are almost — but not quite — aligned are often more distracting than an obvious misalignment. Near-alignment reads as a mistake. Use the alignment tools to snap to a shared edge or center axis.

Moderate

Imagery

Mixed Photo Styles

Combining photos with different treatments — bright and saturated next to muted and desaturated — makes a design feel like it was assembled from different projects. A consistent filter, color grade, or crop style pulls them together.

Major

Imagery

Low Resolution Images

Blurry or pixelated images read as unprofessional immediately. For print, aim for at least 300 DPI at output size. For digital, use images at least 2x the display size to account for retina screens.

Major

Imagery

Stretched or Distorted Images

Images that have been resized without maintaining aspect ratio look off before anyone can explain why. Always lock proportions when resizing, and replace any low-quality assets before publishing. Drag from the corner.

Moderate

Imagery

Text Over Busy Backgrounds

Text on a complex image or pattern competes for attention and loses. A semi-transparent overlay, color block, or background blur behind the text creates the contrast needed to make it legible.

Minor

Icon

Icon Size Inconsistency

Icons at random sizes throughout a design look... well, random. Set a standard size and stick to it — or use intentional, hierarchy-driven differences. Accidental variation stands out.

Moderate

Icon

Mixed Icon Styles

Icons from different style families — outlined, filled, rounded, geometric — can create chaos. Choose one style and use it consistently throughout, with matching size and color treatment. Using larger or inverted in another area of your design is fine.

Moderate

Effects

Drop Shadow Misuse

Shadows indicate a light source and create depth — but they only work when they follow consistent logic. Shadows in different directions or with mismatched intensity create an effect that reads as physically impossible. Keep them subtle and consistent.

Minor

Effects

Stop with the Frames

Excessive use of [Canva] frames is not necessary. While it may work well for some designs, most business and nonprofit communications don't have a need for this. It often throws an otherwise professional design completely off.

Major

Imagery

Cutting Off Things

Don't cut off people's arms, legs, or heads and watch the edges of your shadows or effects. Seeing a hard edge floating on a design that should fade softly into the background screams amateur. And it's jarring. Use the erase tool with a soft edge to create natural edges.

Major

Hierarchy

Everything Is the Same Size

When all text elements are the same size, the eye doesn't know where to start. Hierarchy gives readers a path — what to look at first, second, third. Establish at least 2–3 clear size distinctions between headlines, subheads, and body copy.

Moderate

Hierarchy

Scaling for Media

Consider where your design will be seen and make sure the elements you use scale for that media. Tiny fonts containing important information on an already small screen are not what you want. Use less type and larger, clearer graphics to make your designs stand out. Headlines should be short, snappy and bold.

Moderate

General

Mixed Visual Styles

Flat icons next to realistic photography or modern type paired with vintage ornaments—mixed styles can work, but they need to be very deliberate. If it feels accidental, it probably is. Simplify to one dominant visual direction.

Moderate

General

Style Inconsistency

Illustrations, icons, photos, and decorative elements that come from different visual languages make a design feel assembled rather than designed. Again, if that's your intention, it can work if done well. A shared line weight, color palette, or level of detail goes a long way toward cohesion.

Moderate

Color

Too Many Gradients

Not everything needs a gradient. Done well, gradients can add polish and dimension to your design. Overly done? A hot mess. If you use several gradients, make them subtle. Leave bolder gradients for backgrounds or important text.