Understanding the psychology of colors in business is essential to the success of any design project. Brands can benefit from solid color schemes by attracting attention and creating brand recognition. As a designer, you must understand how to use colors to represent your brand and product best.

What is Color Psychology?

Color psychology is the theory that colors can affect human behavior and emotions. It holds the idea that colors can elicit physical and emotional reactions, influencing how people act. For example, red can stimulate people’s appetites and blue can make people feel at ease.

As the theory suggests its impact on behavior, color can also be used in business to elicit different emotions and associations. Some brands choose colors in their logos and marketing materials to appeal to their target market. Other companies use contrasting colors to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Tips on How to Use Psychology of Colors in Business

Colors determine your customer’s first impression of your brand. The right colors can make your brand look trustworthy, honest and relatable. Choosing colors that fit your brand can help you turn prospects into loyal customers. Here are some ways you can use the psychology of colors in business and influence people with color association:

Research Your Target Audience

Individually, people attach meaning to colors based on their gender and history. On a broader scale, nationalities perceive colors based on their culture and belief systems. This difference is vital to creating a successful marketing campaign and branding.

Western cultures associate white with elegance, peace and purity. On the other hand, Eastern cultures typically use white as a symbol of mourning. While there may be some overlap between the two cultures, it’s always a good idea to research what ideas are associated with the colors you plan to use.

In the 1950s, Pepsi saw a significant drop in sales when it tried to refresh its branding in South East Asia. The beverage company installed light blue vending machines in the region, unaware that the color symbolized death and mourning. It’s a cautionary tale of how doing a little research can save a company from failed marketing strategies.

Think About Colors and Their Meanings

People from different backgrounds see things differently so it may be nearly impossible to create a universal cheat sheet for all the colors and what they are associated with. However, learning the basics of color psychology — colors and the typical ideas they’re associated with — will give you a head-start in creating an effective color scheme for your business.

Here are some come of the most common emotions and ideas associated with colors:

• Yellow: happiness, optimism, warmth, fear, warning, caution
• Blue: calm, peacefulness, trust, coldness, unfriendliness, emotionlessness
• Red: love, passion, excitement, power, anger, danger, warning
• Green: health, nature, growth, envy, blandness, boredom
• Purple: wisdom, wealth, luxury, excess, decadence, moodiness
• Orange: confidence, energy, friendliness, warmth, immaturity, ignorance
• Black: power, sophistication, elegance, evil, mourning, mystery
• White: cleanliness, purity, innocence, sterile, empty, plainness

Attaching emotions to colors can be an excellent way to stimulate your audience’s mind and influence them to relate to your brand or purchase your product. Remember to make people feel understood by using colors they can identify with.

Start Strong With Emotions

Knowing the emotions and ideas associated with colors is one thing. Using them in your business is another. Start your branding process by designing materials that elicit strong emotions to stimulate your audiences.

Set the mood with colors that are relevant to your business and brand. Pique your customers’ curiosity and tell a story using colors. You can persuade people to patronize your business by making them feel emotions they can understand and relate to.

Copywriting uses text to convey messages, illustrate ideas and tell stories to convince people. You can use design and colors to do the same visually. Use colors to set the mood correctly and get your desired response.

Be Consistent With Your Color Schemes

Experimenting with hues, tints and shades can help you grab your audience’s attention. It’s an excellent way to create a color scheme that fits your business and resonates with your intended audience.

After you’ve found the palette that works best for you, stick with it. People like familiarity and will associate better with brands they know. Research has shown that 78% of consumers can recognize a company by looking at its colors.

Keeping your design colors consistent will help you improve your brand recognition. Knowing when to experiment and when to stick to your brand colors can determine your design’s success.

Test Your Colors on Your Audience

Testing will help you see which colors work best for your brand. Try testing different color schemes and see how your audience reacts and engages with your choices. Doing this will help you see precisely the effect of your color schemes.

Surveys can also be beneficial if you want to understand your target audience better. You’ll get a good grasp of what they think about your brand, product or service by directly asking them for feedback.

Experiment with colors and match them to their uses. Study the data and use different colors for your buttons, banners and other promotional material. Consider your user’s journey and preferences as a test for future design decisions. 

Choose a Color That Sets You Apart

Businesses sometimes choose colors based on their industry. Food companies typically use yellow, green and red since those are naturally occurring pigments in food. Since their business depends on people’s appetites, they choose colors likelier to make people hungry and associate their brand with delicious and filling products.

You can go the other way around and use unique colors to make your business stand out. Choose a unique color scheme that stands for your brand’s values. Special colors can increase a brand’s recognition by 80% and leave a lasting impression on consumers. The right color will make your brand more visible in a market saturated with the same colors.

Stick to Colors That Best Suit Your Brand

Picking a color appropriate for your product will help you leverage colors. While being unique has advantages, remember that specific colors have their intended uses and limitations. Your color choices will reflect your brand and impact how people perceive your business.

Imagine asking your customers to trust a product with a color that goes against its standard function, like a black safety vest or a pink hammer. They’re unique color choices, but your users may find it challenging to see the connection.

Colors and Brand Recognition: A Do or Dye Game

Your business colors say a lot about your brand values and design tastes. Your brand’s recognition ultimately falls on your design choices. Understand which colors and emotions your audience resonates with and you’ll find the color scheme that best suits your business.

The post How to Use the Psychology of Colors in Business appeared first on Designerly.

Today, digital marketers use Google Analytics to keep track of their marketing campaigns, observe traffic and understand user behavior. Yet, Google Analytics offers so much data that it can be overwhelming to understand what to look for when keeping track. Make data interpretation seamless by using Google Analytics API. Find out what this tool is and how you can leverage it for better marketing outcomes. 

What Is Google Analytics API?

Google Analytics API is a tool that allows businesses to access the data they’ve collected on Google Analytics in a more customized way. Instead of viewing the reports Google gives you on its analytics dashboard, the API lets you create applications tailored to your needs. Or, it integrates the data into other systems. In other words, Google Analytics API acts like a connection between two software applications for each to communicate with one another.

The tool itself is valuable for marketers. It lets them dig deep into the data, pull out specific insights and use them to craft better marketing strategies. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, marketers can now design data-driven campaigns. In turn, they get to target specific audiences with higher precision. 

When using this API tool, businesses can ensure their marketing efforts are intuitive and backed by concrete data. This leads to better results and, eventually, a higher ROI.

How to Set Up Google Analytics API

Now that you know Google Analytics API may serve your marketing efforts much better than utilizing the regular version, here is a step-by-step guide for setting it up.

Step 1: Start a New Project in the Google Cloud Console

The first move to getting Google Analytics API is to start a new project. To do this, go to the Google Cloud Console site and sign in with your Google account. 

Once signed in, you’ll land on your dashboard that shows all existing projects. In your dashboard, locate and click on the ‘Project” dropdown menu at the top right. A panel will slide down from here. On the top right of this panel, there’s a ‘New Project’ button for you to click on.

A page will open asking for project details, so be sure to give your project a name. Then, set the location by choosing a folder. Once you’ve filled everything, you can hit the ‘Create’ button. 

Step 2: Enable the Google Analytics API

Once you’ve started a new project in the Google Cloud Console, enabling the Google Analytics API is the next crucial step. First, access your project in the Google Cloud Console at the top of the page, where your project name is displayed. 

On the left side of the screen, you’ll see a hamburger icon. Click on this to open the menu and click ‘API & Services .’ This will lead you to a dashboard where you can manage and enable various Google APIs. Go to the top center of the page and click ‘ENABLE APIS AND SERVICES.’

Search “Google Analytics,” and a list of related APIs will appear. Look for “Google Analytics Reporting API,” and click on the first one you see. From there, a detailed page about the API will pop up, where you’ll click on a button labeled ‘Enable.’

Once you enable it, you can move forward with setting up credentials.

Step 3: Create Credentials

You’ve enabled your Google Analytics API. Now, you can create the necessary credentials to authenticate and connect your application. To do so, ensure you’re on the overview page of the API you enabled. On the left sidebar, click on the ‘Credentials’ tab and click ‘Create Credentials.’

From the dropdown menu, you’ll most commonly select ‘OAuth 2.0 Client ID.’ This type of credential is designed for applications that require access to a user’s Google Analytics data. Before creating the OAuth 2.0 Client ID, you may need to configure the OAuth consent screen. 

This screen informs the users about who is requesting access to their data and for what purpose. Fill in the required fields. After this, you’ll choose an application for creating your credentials. Choose one that matches your use case. Then, fill in the necessary fields, click ‘Create,’ and save your details.

Step 4: Use the Client ID and Client Secret to Access the API

The details you’ve saved will have your Client ID and Client Secret. You’ll use these credentials to access your Google Analytics API keys. These keys allow your software to authorize access to Google Analytics. To permit access, users will need you to grant permission and fill in their authorization code.

Using Google Analytics API for Marketing

Now that you have Google Analytics API set up, make the most use of it by following these tips for better outcomes.

Custom Data Integration

One of the major advantages of the API is the ability to integrate your analytics data with other business platforms and databases. This means you can combine insights from different sources, offering a further view of your customers. For example, connecting your sales data with website traffic lets you see which marketing channels are most profitable and optimize accordingly.

Automate and Customize Reporting

Rather than manually pulling data, use the API to automate daily or weekly reports created for your specific needs. That way, you ensure you’re always tracking the metrics most crucial to your marketing goals. From there, you can make adjustments and thoughtful decisions to help you reach your objectives.

Uncover Deep Behavioral Insights

The API provides a deeper look into user behavior beyond a standard dashboard. With it, you can analyze detailed behavior flow and segment users based on various criteria. Doing so enables you to understand user journeys and improve certain areas of your website. For instance, suppose your goal is to gain more website traffic. You can create content strategies and use the data from Google Analytics API to keep track of this. 

The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Google Analytics API

When using Google Analytics API, you must be careful about leveraging it. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind.

Do’s

• Have a clear goal: There should be a purpose in using Google Analytics API. Ask yourself what you need to accomplish, then let that guide your decision on which metrics to follow.
• Keep your API keys secure: The credentials you set up contain sensitive information. Always keep them safe.
• Use the Google Data and Feeds API: The API consists of two feeds of information. Use the Google Feeds API to obtain information about your website visitors, such as the search engine they used to visit your site.

Don’ts

• Make things complicated: The API does give you access to large amounts of information. However, you should only request the data that aligns with your marketing goals.
• Overlook testing: It’s always better to test your implementation of Google Analytics API to ensure you’re capturing the correct information.
• Ignore documentation: Google gives you documentation for your API. Use this to understand your API better and familiarize yourself with how to use it.

Achieving Marketing Success With Google Analytics API

Google Analytics API is an essential tool for marketers to achieve higher outcomes. With it, you can gain access to data in a more organized manner and craft strategies based on customized reports. Use it to move from broad approaches to more precise targeted campaigns. This tool is your stepping stone to marketing success through data.

The post How to Leverage Google Analytics API for Better Marketing Outcomes appeared first on Designerly.

With technology constantly evolving, there are more tools and programs that can help businesses with their daily tasks. One of these tools is a Learning Management System (LMS). An LMS has many benefits and could be a valuable asset to an organization.

However, not every LMS is created equal and some of them might not make sense for a small business. With so many different Learning Management Systems available, it is essential you pick the one that best fits your business needs. Here is everything you need to know about an LMS and the best ones for small businesses.

What Is an LMS?

A Learning Management System is a tool that helps organizations build training courses and provides access to these courses to the intended users — employees, partners or customers. A company can use an LMS for training its employees, onboarding new staff, training customers on new products or retaining knowledge for employees.

An LMS has two different interfaces — one for employees and one for administrators of the organization. The user interface is where learners — staff, business partners or customers — access all the courses and training information. On the other side, the admin interface is where a business can plan training modules, monitor learner progress and add more users.

Different Types of Learning Management Systems

A business LMS differs from an LMS used by educational institutes. The difference between the two is the features available and the maintenance of the system itself. A school’s LMS usually receives fewer updates and changes in features.

A business LMS on the other hand could receive frequent changes and updates that improve the experience for learners and admin users. These tools are also available as either cloud-based or self-hosted systems.

In a self-hosted system, the organization installs the LMS software directly on its hardware. This option is less popular but in some cases, specific industry legislation could prohibit businesses from using the alternative.

A cloud-based system is where the tool is accessed online. Most LMSs available are cloud-based and provide users with the option to access them from anywhere. This option is the obvious choice for most businesses.

The Criteria That Make an LMS Great For Small Businesses

While each LMS will have its own set of features, they need to meet specific criteria to make them usable for a small business. Here are four criteria this LMS list is based upon.

1. The cost: Is it affordable? An LMS should be affordable for the business and not a financial burden. Many available systems charge per user, but there are some LMS platforms that charge a monthly fee regardless of the number of overall users.
2. User-friendly: A system that is hard to understand or use will benefit no one and is counterproductive. The interface needs to be easy to understand and not confuse its users. Look for systems that provide a great experience while also presenting the training materials in a way that is fun and beneficial for the learners.
3. Different learning groups: Different roles require different training materials. Ensure you can create groups for distinct employee roles. This will increase the user experience and allow staff only to learn what is necessary for their position.
4. Integrations: When choosing an LMS, ensure it works with the software your business already uses. Consider making a list of the applications your business utilizes and when selecting an LMS ensure it has the necessary integrations you require. This will allow you to automate repetitive tasks and apply focus to other tasks that need your attention.

Benefits of Utilizing an LMS

A learning management system provides many benefits for employees and the business. In addition to all the other software a business utilizes, an effective LMS works with your business and its tools, not against them. Here are a few of the benefits:

• More time efficient: Traditional onsite training takes a lot of planning and time. With an LMS an employee can access the training courses whenever needed. One of the main advantages of an LMS is the learners can set their own learning pace that works best for them.
• Reduce costs: Onsite training is expensive with all the events needed — the presentations, conferences and training exercises. With an LMS all of this is taken care of for you.
• Easily change learning materials: After time things change and become outdated. Learners will no longer need to use books or videos — as learning materials — that have become irrelevant as time passes. With an LMS you can easily keep your courses up-to-date with new information.
• Improves the learning experience: With an LMS, everything is made easy for learners. All the information and learning materials are in one place which they can access whenever needed.
• Better management capabilities: Most LMS software allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks. Administrators can easily monitor when employees log onto the courses and track their progress. This helps managers efficiently support their employees, customers or business partners throughout the learning process.
• Access from anywhere: In addition to learning at their own pace, employees can also learn from anywhere. If they have free time on their morning commute, they can access the training courses or simply study in the comfort of their homes. In the past, remote employees still needed to come into the office to receive training, but with an LMS, remote employees can receive their training online.

The 3 Best LMS for Small Businesses

There are many different LMS software available, but not all of them make sense for medium-sized companies or businesses just starting out. Here are the three best LMS software for small business owners.

1. LearnUpon

LearnUpon is a great cloud-based LMS that is suitable for small and large businesses. It offers many features and also has the option to create groups for different employee roles. LearnUpon also has e-commerce features and allows companies to sell their courses online.

Features:

• E-commerce features
• Ability to sell courses online
• Customizable options — create groups for different roles and employees
• Certification options available
• Engagement features — earning points and badges
• Many integrations available

Benefits:

• Mobile app
• Has features that can motivate users
• Create custom learning paths
• Well-designed interface
• Many customizable options available

Drawbacks:

• Often overwhelming for new users
• Offline learning is not available with the mobile app
• No authoring toolkit
• Can only make limited changes to published courses

2. TalentLMS

TalentLMS has many features that make this an excellent choice for small businesses. They also have a store where you can purchase different courses — you need to upgrade your plan to unlock this feature. This LMS has a low learning curve and the interface supports over 30 languages.

Features:

• E-commerce features
• Different integrations available — Zapier, Salesforce and Zoom
• Engagement and gamifying features to motivate users
• Create courses with a drag-and-drop builder
• Custom reporting options

Benefits:

• Has a free plan available
• Has a mobile app — offline learning available
• Supports over 30 languages
• Engagement features
• Many integrations available
• Custom reporting
• Option to buy courses from the store

Drawbacks:

• Themes are basic
• Reports are limited
• Can’t export content to SCORM
• Customer support needs work

3. iSpring Learn

This LMS is straightforward to use and provides you with many customizable options. It provides a great user experience and has gamified features that encourage learners. It offers detailed reports to businesses and learners can learn offline thanks to the easy-to-use mobile app.

Features:

• Mobile app with offline learning
• Gamified features
• Advanced reporting
• Integrates with many core business software
• News feature available for employees
• 360-Degree Performance Appraisal module

Benefits:

• Has a 30-day free trial available
• It has a detailed authoring tool
• Provides technical support
• Interface is customizable
• Easy-to-use interface with a low learning curve
• Offers engagement features

Drawbacks:

• No e-commerce features available
• No xAPI, PENS and LTI support.
• Limit chat options — no discussion board
• Can’t sell courses

The Best LMS for Your Business

With so many learning systems available, it is essential you choose one that effectively aligns itself with your business needs. An LMS should integrate with your business and avoid creating new obstacles to overcome. Remember, the best LMS is the one that works for you, your employees and business.

The post The 3 Best LMS For Small Businesses appeared first on Designerly.

Let’s say you’ve started creating a website using a premade template or surfed around the internet, accidentally stumbling upon unfinished website shells. The text filler phrase “lorem ipsum” juts out at you like it’s familiar. Why?

It’s time to explore the world of filler text and why it is an essential part of design, although lorem ipsum and its variants read like gibberish. 

What Is Lorem Ipsum?

Lorem ipsum is a text filler known as a dummy or placeholder text. It is pre-populated text to assist designers in visualizing how large quantities of text will interact with their design elements. Using nonsense fillers like this is also called “greeking.”

The phrase “lorem ipsum” came from the Roman philosopher Cicero. He wrote a text entitled “De finibus bonorum et malorum,” where the term “dolorem ipsum” appeared. Sound familiar? The phrase was eventually shortened to “lorem ipsum,” mulling its original meaning, as it roughly translates to “pain itself.” Typesetters began using text filler in the 1960s for physical media, which inspired digital media to implement it in the 1980s.

More extended versions of lorem ipsum are still pulled from the original Cicero, but they are snippets and phrases from sentences rather than full excerpts. Translations of dummy text will yield somewhat readable, but mostly nonsense, ideas. Designers needed mindless text they wouldn’t get distracted by, hence using the distorted Latin.

How Text Filler Informs Design Choices

A well-placed lorem ipsum has a more considerable impact on design choices than you may realize. It reinforces other principles of website design you may follow. Eventually, what is written on the site may later influence design. At this stage, artists can move forward without concerning themselves with how the meaning of the content impacts practicality, user experience, and user interface.

Because of the amount of text, it is an opportune time to experiment with typefaces without needing all of the specific copy at the ready. Therefore, you can provide a client with a website design, and they can give feedback without feeling pressured to have pages and pages worth of content at their disposal. 

It could inform design changes once you finalize the templates and populate the actual copy onto the site. Perhaps a text box doesn’t need to be as large if there aren’t enough words to fill the space. 

How does that interact with images on side banners or navigation? It is not usually an overhaul, but professionals should consider this potential to avoid getting too attached to what they have created. A worst-case scenario could lead to a total or multiple designs. However, the possibility is unique to the designer’s existing process and the client’s needs — it may not be due to the text filler alone.

Additionally, text changes will require constant minor manipulations of the aesthetics and functionality of a website. And using text filler in different degrees will allow workers to visualize variations of the bones of their design.

How Dummy Text Influences Design Priorities

Lorem ipsum and other text fillers have recently become more prominent in conversations because they alter designers’ mindsets. Some argue that relying on dummy texts forces designers to assume that copy is secondary to design — which is not valid. They synergize and rely on each other to shine. Excellent design does not make up for poor copy, and engaging writing does not make up for old-fashioned aesthetics and UI.

Controversies and nuanced questioning like this spark alternative dummy text templates to arise. The world doesn’t need more filler text, but some value participating in expanding its potential to overcome these mental divides between designers and writers.

Why More Text Fillers Exist

Only some people like lorem ipsum. Despite the advantages it can provide designers without getting distracted, you might experience the opposite effect. You could argue the appearance or hilarity of the nonsense disrupts the flow and hinders productivity. 

It is especially true for designers who have the fear in the back of their minds that they will forget to remove portions of the text filler when they publish the final site. Many finished products still have lorem ipsum text floating around, which reduces brand credibility and designer reputation. It also hurts SEO. When Google crawlers stalk around looking for duplicate text — which could resemble plagiarism — repeated lorem ipsum text boxes might hurt ranking.

Another consideration is overreliance on lorem ipsum. Despite its spliced origins, it provides a balanced appearance to copy. Inputting live copy may leave designers and clients underwhelmed because lorem ipsum guided too many of their decisions. 

Text filler is meant to keep web developers from being distracted by the meaning of the text. It doesn’t prevent them from being subconsciously guided by how it looks. Therefore, text filler has the potential to be deceptive, which is why people have made alternatives.

What Alternative Text Fillers Do That Lorem Ipsum Can’t

People have created hilarious yet practical alternatives to lorem ipsum. Though it may decrease productivity from the start, the benefits of using other text fillers might refine designers earlier in their development rather than in revisions.

Hipsum, standing for hipster ipsum, is a dummy text generator that uses modern slang with an option to combine it with some Latin. Once you click “Beer me,” it presents you with an entertaining lorem ipsum alternative. The benefit of hipsum is it uses numbers, all caps, and special characters, showing a greater variety of how text can look and feel on the page. Writing a website in English also helps to have words closer to what will be on the site versus the unfortunate babble of a dead language.

Catipsum, inspired by your furry friends, is another quirky version of a text filler. It has a similar benefit to hipsum. You can visualize more relevant words but it also includes stylistic and potentially grammatically incorrect aspects. A lowercase “i” in the middle of a sentence might appear, or a hilarious “zooooom.” These silly incorporations may not seem helpful, but it depends on the website’s brand voice. You can start your generated dummy copy with “Cat ipsum dolor” as a funny nod to the classic.

Here are some other amusing ones to try if you’re feeling inspired to see how they influence your workflow:

• Fillerama, including text from TV shows
• British ipsum, for an English twist
• Legal ipsum, for legal-adjacent language
• Sagan and deGrasse Ipsum, with language inspired by these scientific greats
• Monocle ipsum, for high-brow diction — sometimes in a different language

Text Filler as a Necessary Element of Design

You may have dismissed the power of text fillers in your design process in the past, but take a step back to consider how it could have made your design what it is today. Do you have a positive relationship with lorem ipsum? Or are you on the side of the argument that denotes a time for change?

Regardless, clever employment of text filler can make or break the beginning stages of website design. They provide concrete evidence of how a website will look for clients when it’s fleshed out. They inspire you to rearrange or adjust your typeface. The possibilities are endless if you embrace its utility and manipulate it to your needs.

The post Text Filler: How Gibberish Provides Value appeared first on Designerly.

Your dashboard’s design elements should be understandable at a glance, look visually appealing, and fit within the bounds of a mobile device’s screen. Making everything work together can feel challenging, but it’s much easier when you have help. Here’s how you can elevate your dashboard with mobile design tips.

1. Understand Your Objectives

Before creating your dashboard’s mobile design, you need to determine your objectives. The purpose of data aggregation and visualization determines the dashboard’s overall appearance. First, you must decide if yours is operational or analytical. 

An operational dashboard focuses on quickly delivering as much relevant information as possible. For example, if you were displaying information on stocks or traffic, you’d want the UI to be simple and easy to understand because the situations are time-sensitive.

On the other hand, an analytical dashboard provides an overview of the most critical information available. This kind includes things like marketing trends or key performance indicators. The data you display and its purpose will determine which type you should use. Consider who your audience will be and how they need to be able to view it.

2. Prioritize Your Data

A mobile user should be able to view everything important right when they open the dashboard. Since you likely can’t fit everything on the first screen, you must choose only relevant information and prioritize your findings. Everything should have a clear purpose and connect to your objective.

For example, if you were designing your dashboard to display audience statistics, it would be more important to include demographic data over the number of premium subscriptions they’ve bought. Even if the information seems important to you, it might not be relevant to the dashboard or your audience’s objectives.

Consider what’s most important to your users, then incorporate it. Your aim shouldn’t be just to include the most critical data right away since everything should connect. Think about how everything relates to each other before you settle on something.

3. Choose Relevant Visuals

There are dozens of kinds of tables, charts, and graphs, so you need to determine which fits best in a dashboard with a mobile design. For example, while a pie chart and bar graph could both display demographic data, the first option is the clear choice. On top of being more visually appealing, it’s much easier to read.

However, you’re not bound to charts and graphs. Although they are a great way to deliver information, sometimes simplicity is key. For instance, if you had a statistic as simple as new users, you could just display the number on its own. 

You can get as creative as you want as long as your objective and design elements remain clear. That being said, it’s best to stick to the classic mobile design rules. Keep things simple, flat, and easily translatable. Users should be able to instantly recognize what your graphics mean and how to read them.

4. Determine the Layout

When making a dashboard with a mobile design focus, the right layout is critical. It’s one of the most essential parts because it determines many other visual decisions. Even after determining which data you’ll prioritize, you must still choose how to display everything. 

Most people block each statistic into separate spaces to make things easier to navigate and read. While you could technically put anything anywhere, your dashboard will be much more effective if it is cohesive. Users should be able to see the relationship between data points at a glance. 

The size and spacing of each design element affect how users view and interpret the data. Since visual hierarchy simplifies navigation and information absorption, it’s crucial to consider it when constructing your dashboard’s layout. The best approach is to draw up multiple layouts to compare which ones work best.

5. Figure out Your Design

The color, contrast, and saturation of your dashboard in a mobile design can make or break it. Unappealing visuals can throw users off, even if you have a solid layout and easy-to-understand statistics. Try to make your design elements look simple and appealing.

The regular graphic design rules bend at this point since you’re dealing with data visualization. While a purple monochromatic chart may look great, it makes the information more confusing to the user. You have to use unique colors that contrast well so they can immediately see the distinction between data points.

Design elements and graphs should be consistent with one another. If everything looks visually connected, the user understands the UI better and can adapt faster. For example, if you expand a chart when they tap on it, they’ll expect other things to behave the same way. It’s important to understand their expectation and design your dashboard accordingly.

6. Incorporate White Space

Although it’s good to show the user as much relevant information as possible when they first open the dashboard, filling all of the available room clutters it. Even if you have white space between each design element, the charts and graphs can get confusing to interpret if they don’t have enough.

Make sure you include plenty of empty space throughout your dashboard. Finding the best balance on mobile can be challenging when you have so much information to display, but it’s necessary. Even if you can’t fit everything where you want it, the user won’t mind scrolling down to see the rest.

7. Include Supporting Design Elements

Tooltips display relevant information to help users. If you include them in your dashboard’s mobile design, they can elevate it. The ability to have hidden clarifying details is vital when you’re working with limited space. Since they only appear when a user interacts with something directly, they’re a fantastic workaround to clutter and blocking. 

Although dashboards are for showing the maximum amount of relevant information as quickly as possible, some users might want to immerse themselves more. For this reason, it’s a good idea to include tooltips to give them the option.

Additionally, it’s wise to include small, subtle graphics to help the user understand the visuals better. While a bar graph counting new customers normally takes a second to interpret, a small arrow representing gains or losses makes it understandable at a glance. Feel free to experiment with icons, animations, and graphics until you find something useful.

8. Implement Tactile Feedback

As of 2021, over 63% of people use their mobile devices to go online. Most have grown to expect standard features like tactile feedback, meaning you should implement it in your mobile design. You can integrate it with tooltips for a more engaging experience.

Even if you don’t want to create custom visuals or animations, you can still slightly darken what they engage with or vibrate their device. If they know the dashboard recognizes their input, they’ll feel much more involved. This feature aims to make the user feel like their interactions matter and they’re being heard.

No matter what approach you take, every button or interactable design element should be large enough so the user can read it properly. Additionally, their placement should reflect how mobile focuses on actions like swiping and tapping.

Enhance Your Dashboard Design

A dashboard has to simplify complex information to be easily understandable by everyone. It’s a big ask, but it gets much easier once you know the right tips and tricks. People will appreciate additions like tooltips or tactile feedback since they improve the user experience.

The post How to Impress Users with Your Dashboard Mobile Design appeared first on Designerly.

A typeface is a family of related fonts. And just like a family, typefaces comprise different members with distinct characteristics. There are regular-sized, heavy, tall, and small fonts. Condensed fonts are the taller and narrower members of the family.

What are Condensed Fonts?

As fonts build a typeface, their use is categorized based on their characteristics. A condensed font is considered a narrower version of a standard typeface. Its narrow width and tall characters make it a good choice for filling tight spaces or lines of type.

Due to their tall, narrow nature and because the letters are more closely spaced, condensed fonts are known to be more challenging to read than regular-sized fonts. However, this unique characteristic can be leveraged to make a lasting impression on readers.

Pros and Cons of Condensed Fonts

Typography can do a lot for graphic design, like influence, entice, and even put off audiences. That’s why it’s important to recognize its merits and uses. Whether you’re working on an infographic, signage, web design, or any graphic design project, you can find a use for condensed fonts. 

However, you must understand a font’s strengths and weaknesses before using it. Here are the pros and cons of condensed fonts you should consider:

Pros:

• Save space — If you’re working on a project requiring a limited line or space, condensed fonts are a viable option. You can put up to twice as much copy in the same space using condensed fonts than regular typefaces.
• Good for subheadings — Using subheaders is a great way to break the monotony of text in a long piece of writing. Combining headers and condensed fonts can give your audience a much-needed breather when facing a block of text in your design.
• Can decorate headlines — Condensed fonts can add visual appeal to a site or page. If used with few words, the tall letters can make headlines pop. This is a great way to make headlines or short lines of text on a page more noticeable, especially when intentionally spaced out.
• Provide contrast — Tall lettering can emphasize an idea or tagline in graphic design. It can also be used to make a comparison between important points and less significant ones. Using a different font for titles can make your website stand out and appear less serious.
• Introduce modern visual elements — Due to their tall and narrow nature, condensed fonts can add a modern or stylish look to your design. They can be great for stand-alone texts that can help grab your audience’s attention.

Cons:

• Unreadable with a small size — If you’re working with lots of text, you might want to avoid using them. Using small sizes and cramming as much text into a line as possible spells disaster for your site’s readability.
• Can make lines look cluttered — When used correctly, condensed fonts can bring a short line of text to life. If overused, it can make even a short sentence look like a chore. Stringing too many words using a condensed font can make your design look cluttered and disorganized.

Examples of Condensed Fonts

Some examples include:

• Helvetica Condensed
• League Gothic
• Arial Narrow
• Garamond Narrow
• Futura Condensed

There are more examples out there which can be downloaded for free. It’s wise to look at which fonts you can use for websites, products, and commercial purposes since some have specific permissions. Other fonts for desktop and web use must also be purchased for various applications.

Tips and Tricks

There are ways to leverage condensed fonts to improve legibility and design styles. You just need to know when and how to use them to make your work stand out. Here are some tips if you’re planning to use them:

1. Use condensed fonts sparingly

Condensed fonts are a great way to accentuate or complement your site’s overall design. They can do more than just emphasize lines you want to pop out from the screen. As stated above, tall and narrow fonts can be used for headers, subheaders, and titles.

It can be easy to get too excited when using a font for the first time. Limit the use of condensed fonts to maximize their effect. Sometimes, less really is more.

2. Increase the size

Condensed fonts get their shock value from their height. Take advantage of this and increase the size appropriately. Scale your titles or interesting lines to make them look appealing. 

Increasing your font size is an effective way to emphasize a section or line of text. Remember to add a little spacing between the letters to account for the font’s tight tolerances.

3. Choose color combinations that work

Your font choice is already bold and in-your-face. Use color combinations that complement it to bring out the letters more. You want your audience to see the text and what it says. Putting too much color or using the wrong shades can make your design awkward.

4. Use plain backgrounds

As you try to make your design stand out, you might be tempted to add a few elements to the background that can add clutter and noise. Steer clear from busy backgrounds and use a plain one instead.

You already have tall letters to work with. Make those the prominent elements of your design instead of adding a background so tacky that it chases away your site’s visitors.

5. Use in tables or charts

Condensed fonts can add neatness to a design if used properly. Try using them if you’re working on an infographic, table, or chart. These fonts can organize your text and optimize your space to make the content easier to digest.

Again, use a few words for different blocks of text and increase the font size if needed. Keep things tidy and sophisticated, especially when working with facts and figures.

A Time and Place for Everything

Like with most things, there’s a time and place for using condensed fonts. Knowing when and how to use them will enable you to bring life to a line of text or create a story using your font choice.

Condensed fonts have their merits. You must understand what they can do and know the appropriate time to use them. Try using them on trial projects and see which fonts and approaches work for you. There’s no harm in trying.

The post What are Condensed Fonts and Why You Should Use Them appeared first on Designerly.

You might have encountered the multisite feature if you have a WordPress website. While this configuration can offer great benefits, it is not suitable for everyone. Here is a beginner’s guide for utilizing a WordPress multisite.

What Is a WordPress Multisite?

A WordPress(WP) multisite is a configuration that allows for the creation and management of multiple websites from a single dashboard. This advanced feature was first introduced with WordPress 3.0.

There are many reasons why users decide to implement a WP multisite configuration. It allows the owner to change and update all the websites from one area. This is a much better fit for a company than creating separate WordPress websites for all of the services they have.

When comparing a multisite configuration against separate website installations, it saves significant server space. In addition, this feature is also more cost-effective and reduces time.

For example, it is cheaper for an organization to utilize WP multisite than to design multiple WordPress websites. It is also a lot faster compared to the time it takes to professionally design and develop a single site.

A popular site using the multisite feature is the WordPress website itself. Users create their own subsites on the platform, such as blogging sites.

The Role of a Super Admin

In addition to the five roles a standard WordPress website offers — Author, editor, contributor, administrator and subscriber — it also adds another role called a super admin or a network administrator.

When a WordPress installation switches to a multisite configuration, the administrator becomes the new super admin. The super admin is the one who controls all the connected subsites on the network.

A multisite configuration does bring in some changes. One noticeable difference is that regular admins can no longer install themes or plug-ins on the website. Only the network administrator can do this. However, normal admins can choose to enable or deactivate them if they wish to do so.

In terms of displaying content, there is no significant change. The super admin can manage content across all the websites, but the regular administrator can choose whether they want it to appear on their site.

In addition, while a multisite configuration does share all plugins and themes, it is not the case for media items. Each site will use its own media upload directories to store items. For example, the images uploaded to one of the connected sites will not be accessible on the others.

The Main Features, Benefits and Drawbacks of a WordPress Multisite

Before deciding if a WordPress multisite is the right option, it is worth knowing all its benefits, drawbacks and key features. Here is a short summary:

Main Features:

• Can manage multiple websites or blogs from a single WordPress installation.
• Create subsites under one WordPress Installation using the same database and hosting account.
• Create separate sub-domains for each subsite or have a network of sub-domains.
• All subsites use the same plug-ins and themes.

Benefits:

• The super admin can manage the websites from a single dashboard and does require logging into each site individually to make changes.
• Can manage all connected website updates.
• Can install and manage all the plugins for all the subsites — they all use the same ones, but you can choose to deactivate some of them.
• In addition to the super admin, regular administrators can still effectively manage their respective websites.

Drawbacks:

• Effectively managing a WP multisite configuration can prove challenging for many users.
• If one website’s security is compromised, the entire network of sites suffers.
• If your hosting provider does not have the option to add a domain to the same server, you can’t use a multisite setup.
• If something happens to the network, all the sites will experience downtime.
• Not all plugins integrate with a WP multisite configuration.

Who Should Use a WordPress Multisite?

Since the feature was released, many businesses have started utilizing it. However, while a WordPress multisite configuration offers many associated advantages, not everyone will benefit from it. Here is a summary to show who and who shouldn’t use this feature.

Five Cases When To Make Use of a WordPress Multisite

Five Cases When Not to Use a WordPress Multisite

1. Your hosting budget does not allow for it. Most hosting sites charge on the number of visitors. If you have multiple sites, you will require the capabilities for more visitors, meaning you will need to upgrade your hosting plan.
2. You want to use individual plugins and themes for each site. While you can still do this to a certain degree on a WordPress multisite integration, it could become unnecessarily difficult to manage.
3. You don’t want to make the necessary security changes or can’t afford it. For example, some hosting providers only offer a free SSL certificate for the main website.
4. This means you will need to pay additional charges for the subsites. Even if only one of the subsites does not have an SSL certificate, it can compromise the entire network’s security.
5. You are not an experienced WordPress developer and can’t afford a professional to do it. Enabling a WP multisite configuration could present itself as a challenging task for non-WordPress developers. If you don’t have the capital to hire someone, perhaps it’s better to examine alternative options.
6. All the websites differ from each other and have different designs features or functionality.

4 Steps To Install a WordPress Multisite

The official WordPress website has a great guide on how to set up a WP multisite, but here is a quick rundown you can follow.

1. Have Everything Ready For the Switch

Go over all the settings required to make the switch. Ensure you are the administrator, the hosting you have will suffice, all plugins are up to date and you can access the core files for each site. Remember to back up your site if anything should go wrong.

2. Add The Required Code

The next step is to add the required code. Using file transfer protocol (FTP) software, go to the core files and select wp-config.php. option.

From here, look for the line of code that says, “That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */. ”
After you have found the line, post the following code above it.

/* Multisite */
define( ‘WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE’, true );

Restart the browser to continue.

3. Perform the Network Setup

Next, move to your dashboard and select network setup under the tools tab. From here, you can choose whether to use a sub-domain or sub-directory. You can change it again later if you want.

4. Activate the Network

Afterward, follow all the instructions carefully and save between each of them. You can click the login button once you have successfully edited every line. Under the network admin, you can now see all your websites — under the “My Sites” option.

A Game Changer

With all the advantages a WordPress multi-configuration can bring, it is no wonder the feature has become so popular. The main selling point is it allows you to manage all your websites from one dashboard instead of logging in to each site individually. While many WordPress users will never require this feature, it is a game changer for the select few that do.

The post The Beginner’s Guide to a WordPress Multisite appeared first on Designerly.

Weebly website designer is one of many platforms you can use to build your website, but is it worth trying out? With so many web design options available today, it can be hard to find the best one for you. This guide covers all the pros and cons of Weebly, its pricing system and a few alternatives to consider. 

What is Weebly? 

Weebly is a code-free website builder and hosting service. You can use it to purchase a domain, host a website, and create and customize sites for everything from blogging to e-commerce. Thanks to a collaboration with Square, Weebly has become a top choice for creating online stores. 

Weebly Pricing Tiers

Weebly offers a few different pricing tiers, all of which are very affordable. It starts with a free tier anyone can use, which includes a generous amount of features. It’s worth noting websites made with the free tier have a “.weebly” label at the end of their web address. If you want to remove it, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan. 

There are three paid subscription tiers on Weebly: Personal, Professional and Performance. The Personal plan starts at $10 per month. It allows you to customize your domain name and adds some premium features like a shipping calculator and shipping label generator. 

The Professional plan starts at $12 per month. It includes everything in the Personal plan plus some additional features geared towards small businesses. These features include advanced site statistics, ad removal and a domain at no extra cost. 

Finally, the Performance plan starts at $26 per month. It includes everything in the Professional plan along with some premium e-commerce features. One particularly advantageous feature is the ability to accept payments through PayPal, which is not available on lower pricing tiers. 

Pros of Weebly

Why should you use Weebly website designer rather than similar services or custom web design? There are a few benefits worth considering. Key among them is price. Weebly is very affordable, even among other no-code web design platforms. Most website builders have a free plan, but Weebly’s is more generous and less restrictive than other free alternatives. 

Additionally, Weebly is great for e-commerce. Their collaboration with Square resulted in a robust set of tools for online businesses, particularly small businesses. The combination of advanced site statistics and versatile shop tools makes Weebly a good option for online businesses that are new to web design. 

Weebly’s theme library is smaller than that of Wix or WordPress, but the themes they do have are clean and responsive. So, there may be fewer customization options but the simplicity and reliability of the available themes may be helpful for beginners. Page editing and theme swapping tends to be quick and easy, as well. 

Cons of Weebly

Weebly isn’t for everyone. It has certain limitations and drawbacks that make it less ideal for some users. For example, the limited theme customization is one of its biggest disadvantages compared to other website builders, let alone custom web design. Weebly has fewer pre-built themes than alternative platforms, as well. 

Weebly website designer is also rather limited in long-term flexibility. It is extremely difficult to migrate your website from Weebly to any other platform, including WordPress. A significant amount of the process is manual since these website builder platforms don’t have cross-compatibility with one another. 

This might not be a concern for beginner web designers, but it’s worth considering if you plan to grow your website. While Weebly does have some great features, there are plenty of reasons someone might want to migrate their site away from Weebly. If this is a concern for you, you may want to look at other web design options. 

Finally, the mobile page generation on Weebly sites could be better. Pages look good on desktop, but the translation to a smaller screen often leads to lackluster mobile sites. 

This is especially important for e-commerce sites since surveys show 76% of consumers are buying goods on their smartphones. A poorly optimized mobile site could significantly impact a business’s impression with mobile shoppers. 

Alternatives: WordPress, Wix, GoDaddy

Weebly is ideal for people who are new to web design or website builders as well as anyone who wants to make a website for free. Its design and features are very beginner-friendly and the paid tiers are all affordably priced. 

However, there are a variety of reasons why Weebly might not be the best option for you. If you’re looking for an alternative to Weebly website designer, you have a few options. 

One obvious choice is WordPress. While it may be a bit more intimidating for beginners, WordPress is a much more robust hosting and web design option than basic site builders like Weebly. It has thousands of themes to choose from, tons of compatible third party plugins, a huge community of users and the versatility to adapt as a business or site grows. 

If you’re looking for another website builder with a little more flexibility and variety, take a look at Wix. It’s a bit more expensive than Weebly but offers hundreds of themes, so there’s a lot more design variety. All paid plans on Wix also include a free domain. Wix has more compatible third party integrations than Weebly, as well. 

Another alternative website builder is GoDaddy, which is especially good for ecommerce websites. GoDaddy includes more themes than Weebly, although customization is limited. It’s great for anyone who wants to get their site up and running as fast as possible while still delivering a good UX. GoDaddy also has more SEO tools and better mobile performance compared to Weebly. 

Who Should Use Weebly Website Designer? 

Weebly is best suited for web design beginners and small businesses. It is very beginner-friendly with affordable pricing and an approachable interface. Weebly’s simplicity makes it easy to use but also limits the potential for growth and customization. So, growing businesses, large organizations and users who want more design freedom may be better served with a different web design platform.

The post Weebly Website Designer Pros and Cons appeared first on Designerly.

Website backgrounds are something that many people don’t think about when it comes to design. Typically, they pay more attention to other website components to ensure they’re usable, on brand and look great. Though background designs don’t always get as much attention as other parts of a site, they are just as important. 

Backgrounds on a website were plain in the beginning. Yet, now they have a more engaging effect to keep users attracted to the look of your site. From colors to images, a perfect background makes all the difference in a visitor’s experience. However, designers must use the right techniques to keep site users returning for more.

The Importance of a Strong Background Design

A good background design is crucial for several reasons. For one, they enhance the navigability of the website. Backgrounds with strategic creations help users know where to look and what to do on a site. When a website guides visitors, they stay longer — which is great for SEO and retaining users. 

Another reason that backgrounds are important is that brands need to enhance their awareness. Companies need to have a distinct look online. With all of the similar products and services offered on the internet, it can be challenging to stand out. However, branding attracts the right people — certain aesthetics or colors can serve this purpose. 

Plus, different businesses need special backgrounds. An e-commerce clothing store for young girls would choose fun and colorful backgrounds. On the other hand, a bank would have something simple and professional.

Moreover, this piece of your website tells part of your brand’s story and who you are as a company. When visitors first land on the homepage, they can immediately understand what your company is all about. So, choosing the right background is essential for any business.

Different Background Design Techniques to Try

Website background designs can come in many variations. However, the one you use will depend on your business and audience needs. 

1. Try a Hero Image Background

A hero image background is a large, eye-catching photo or graphic covering a website’s top part. It’s often the first thing people see when they visit a site. When people land on the homepage, the image of the background sets the mood, grabbing the attention of visitors and telling them a little about the business or website. 

It’s like the cover of a book where it gives you a quick idea of the story inside. Hero image backgrounds are useful, as they effectively engage the visitor and make your site bold and beautiful. 

When using a hero image, make sure it’s high quality and relates to your site’s main idea. You want to be sure you’re depicting the site’s main message clearly so you immediately show visitors who you serve. 

Additionally, the image should be clean and simple. Any text or buttons should contrast well with the background. In other words, be sure the hero image complements instead of competes with your site’s content.

2. Use Gradients

A gradient background is when one color smoothly changes to another color. It could be something like the sky at sunset, where blue transitions into pink. However, you can use any color combination you desire. 

Designers use gradients because they can give a website a modern, sophisticated look. They’re also useful in guiding a visitor’s eyes to important site elements, such as a sign-up button or special message. Therefore, they’re great for creating focal points for the audience. 

Gradient backgrounds are great for capturing your audience’s attention, but choose colors wisely. Be sure to choose ones that go well together and fit your website’s mood. A sudden change from bright green to dark blue could be too jarring. 

Yet, you also want the background to be subtle. If it’s too bright or bold, the look can distract visitors, so it’s important to let your design breathe. 

3. Consider Patterns

Pattern background designs are repeating shapes. The pattern could be geometric, where shapes with different angles and lines fall seamlessly in a symmetrical line. The way the pattern looks is up to you. However, many site owners use this look because it adds depth, personality and a specific feel.

It can make a site seem elegant and fun or simple and professional. Either way, the consistency of a repeating pattern looks aesthetically pleasing to the eye. 

If you choose to go with a pattern, make sure it’s simple enough that it doesn’t take the visitor away from the site’s main purpose. It’s a good idea to choose muted colors and subtle looks. 

Also, it’s important that you ensure the text is easy to read. It can easily overwhelm the user if the overall design is unbalanced.

4. Bring Your Website to Life With Animation

Website backgrounds with animation are fun. They bring parts of a website to life with movement. These types of background designs make your website attractive and high-quality looking. They can make for a great user experience, too. 

That’s why animated backgrounds are useful. They grab attention and make a website feel dynamic. When done right, you can immerse the visitors and make them feel like they’re stepping into a live story.

Plus, motion graphics are on trend, and they can immediately tell visitors about your brand in a captivating way. 

When using animation, ensure it plays in the background smoothly. A slow-moving video provides a pleasant experience. Yet, before you launch your site, make sure you check to see how it looks and functions on different devices. Doing so ensures it works properly and creates a great user experience for everyone. 

5. Go Simple With a Solid Background

A solid background is always a go-to design choice. It uses only one color without any patterns, textures or animations. 

Solid background designs make an excellent choice because they’re simple, clean and direct focus. Such backgrounds ensure the site’s message or products stand out clearly without distractions. They guarantee your website’s content is legible and the contrast has the right balance.

When choosing a color for your solid background, consider the emotions or feelings you want to convey. For instance, blue can feel calm and trustworthy, while red may be bold and energetic. 

Always use a color that complements the overall design and branding. You want to ensure the user can see the other site pieces clearly but still create an impression you want to give.

The Website Background Design Choice Is Yours

These website background design techniques are the most popular choices you’ll see today. However, various other options live in the design world. When creating your website, choose one that helps you stand out. Doing so will differentiate your platform from others and make it more memorable. Yet, it should also align with your brand’s aesthetics and make sense for your business goals.

The post Boost Your Website’s Look With 5 Background Design Techniques appeared first on Designerly.

How do different paper sizes work? Maybe you’ve seen paper marked as “A4” or “B5”. These labels are part of standardized paper sizing systems that simplify printing, manufacturing and design. Learning how different paper sizes work can help you make sure your graphic design projects fit the right paper size and look great after printing. 

What Are the Different Paper Sizes?

When you see different paper sizes, you might notice they are often labeled with a combination of letters and numbers, such as A6 or B4. These codes are part of internationally standardized paper sizing systems, specifically the ISO 216 standards. 

These standard sizes allow many manufacturers to make paper products that are compatible with one another and familiar to customers. For instance, one company could make a B5 compatible binder while a different company makes B5 size paper and both could rest assured that customers could use the two products together. 

What are the different paper sizes, though? How do they work? 

A Series Sizes

The first group of internationally standardized paper sizes is the A size range. The A sizes run A0 to A10. They’re determined by the height and width of a single sheet of paper. Each size has the same proportions but different measurements. Since this is an international standard, sizes are calculated in metric millimeters. 

A sizes start with the A0, which is 841 x 1189 millimeters. The A1 size is a piece of A0 paper folded in half to make two sheets that each measure 594 x 841 millimeters. 

The A2 size is a piece of A1 paper folded in half, and so on down to A10 size. A good rule of thumb is that as the number after the A label gets larger, the paper size gets smaller. So, a sheet of A5 paper is smaller than a sheet of A4 paper. 

A4, A5 and A6 are the most commonly used A series paper sizes. 

B Series Sizes

The B series of paper sizes is like half sizes in footwear. It was designed to add a wider array of paper sizes by creating sheets that are between standard A sizes. So, as a general rule, B sizes fall between the two nearest A sizes numerically. 

For example, one sheet of B5 paper will be slightly larger than a sheet of A5 paper but slightly smaller than a sheet of A4 paper. B sizes run a bit larger than A sizes of the same number. So, a sheet of B5 paper will be larger than a sheet of A5 paper. 

B sizes are most popular in European and Asian regions, so North American consumers are often not familiar with them. 

B sizing gets somewhat complicated with Japanese stationery in particular. Japan uses their own version of the B size series that doesn’t exactly match the ISO standard B size measurements. Japanese B size papers are slightly larger, often denoted with the label “semi”, such as semi-B5. 

As a result of the slight international differences in the B size range, B size stationery can vary from one product to another. However, it is generally all close in size. If you need B size paper to fit precisely, such as for a binder or envelope, always double check the exact measurements of a specific product. 

C Series Sizes

The C series size range is not actually for paper, but rather for envelopes. So, if you are looking for different paper sizes and encounter a C size label, be aware that the product is actually an envelope. 

Conveniently, C size envelopes are made for corresponding A size sheets of paper. For instance, if you want to mail a piece of A5 paper, it will always fit in a C5 size envelope. 

North American Sizes

The paper size most people are familiar with is US letter size. This is one of four standard paper sizes used mainly in North America. The closest international standard size is A4, although the two sizes are not the same. 

US letter size paper is slightly shorter and wider than A4 paper. Sometimes this doesn’t matter. However, if you’re printing something, it can make a difference since some content could get cut off if printed on the wrong paper size. 

In addition to US letter, the North American paper sizes also include junior legal, legal and ledger. Junior legal size paper is slightly smaller than letter size while legal size is slightly larger. Ledger paper, also known as “tabloid”, is larger than legal size. 

Uses for Different Paper Sizes

What do you use different paper sizes for? Each standard size has popular uses. For example, A4, A5, B5 and A6 are all commonly used in school and office stationery. A4 or US letter size is standard for folders and larger notebooks while A6 and B5 are both popular for smaller notebooks. 

Among the North American paper sizes, letter size is the standard for most folders and notebooks as well as print materials like small posters or flyers. Ledger or tabloid size paper, measuring 11 x 17 inches, is popular for medium sized posters, such as business flyers or local event ads. 

A3, A4 and A5 sizes are popular for small and medium sized paper goods, such as books, cards, calendars and magazines. The smallest A series sizes, A6 through A10, are used for things like pocket sized notebooks, photos, labels or stickers. 

How to Choose the Right Paper Size

The complex standards behind different paper sizes may sound complicated. However, choosing the right paper size really comes down to your end user. Do they need to carry the paper product with them, like a pocket notebook? Or is the paper product going to stay in one place, like a poster? 

Taking some time to think about these questions can help you select the right paper size. Remember, both A and B series sizes get larger as their number gets smaller. 

The post Different Paper Sizes: Letter, A4, B5 and More Explained appeared first on Designerly.