How can print designers create inclusive and representative designs?

1 Understand your audience

Before you start designing, you need to research and understand who your audience is, what they want, and how they perceive your print materials. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups, or personas to gather insights and feedback. You can also consult with experts, community leaders, or representatives from the groups you are designing for. This will help you avoid making assumptions, generalizations, or stereotypes that could harm your credibility and reputation.

2 Choose fonts and colors wisely

Fonts and colors are essential elements of print design, but they can also convey meanings and emotions that vary across cultures and contexts. For example, red can signify danger, love, or luck depending on the situation. Fonts can also evoke different associations and moods depending on their style, size, and spacing. To create inclusive and representative designs, you need to choose fonts and colors that are appropriate, accessible, and respectful of your audience's preferences and expectations. You can use tools like ColorBrewer, Adobe Color, or FontPair to help you find suitable combinations.

3 Use images and symbols carefully

Images and symbols can enhance your print design by adding visual interest, clarity, and impact. However, they can also create confusion, misunderstanding, or offense if they are not relevant, accurate, or respectful of your audience's culture, identity, or history. For example, using flags, icons, or landmarks to represent countries or regions can be problematic if they ignore the diversity and complexity of those places. To use images and symbols effectively, you need to check their sources, meanings, and implications. You can also use diverse and authentic images that reflect the reality and diversity of your audience.

4 Consider accessibility and usability

Accessibility and usability are not only important for digital design, but also for print design. You need to ensure that your print materials are easy to read, understand, and use for people with different abilities, needs, and preferences. For example, you can use high contrast, large fonts, clear hierarchy, and simple language to improve readability. You can also use alternative formats, such as braille, audio, or digital versions, to accommodate different modes of access. You can use tools like WebAIM, Hemingway, or Readable to check and improve your accessibility and usability.

5 Test and iterate your design

The final step to create inclusive and representative designs is to test and iterate your design with your audience. You can use methods like prototyping, user testing, or A/B testing to evaluate how your print materials perform, appeal, and communicate with your audience. You can also collect feedback, suggestions, or complaints from your audience and use them to improve your design. Testing and iterating your design will help you ensure that your print materials are not only beautiful and effective, but also inclusive and representative.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?