Why Do Writers Need to Know About Graphic Design?

We writers are good with words, but we may not be so good with images. For those of us who feel graphically challenged, creating blog post images, social media memes, and promotional images can feel daunting.

I freely admit that graphic design is not my strong suit. I am not a visual thinker like so many others seem to be. Thus, when it comes to adding graphics to my blog, social media posts, or promotional stuff, I feel out of my element.

Therefore, I was happy to discover this helpful volume, graphic design for non-designers by Tony Seddon and Jane Waterhouse. It provides clear explanations of the basic components of good graphic design, such as grouping, alignment, fonts, colors, and white space.

Why do writers need to know graphic design?

As attention spans decrease, our modern world relies more and more on images to convey information. No matter how great our writing, if we don’t have attention-grabbing images, potential readers may never stop to look at our work.   

Perhaps you think you don’t need to learn good design yourself. After all, Canva and other graphics apps offer tons of pre-made designs for you to modify for your use. Who needs to learn design when it can be done for you?

Sure, pre-made templates are great, but I still think it’s important for us to get a basic grasp of good design, so we can adapt those canned designs intelligently and confidentially.

What does the book offer?

The book provides a primer of the basic principles of design, each clearly explained and illustrated. For a non-artsy person like me, the book is very helpful because each chapter illustrates the concepts being taught with plenty of visual examples. (How could you have a book on graphic design that isn’t full of graphics, right?)

I particularly appreciate the examples in the book that show some element of an advertisement or poster evolving from lack of design to good design.

 This book was published in 2009, so some of the technology mentioned is a bit dated, but the rules of good design haven’t changed. The first section on equipment is mostly old-school. You can skip over it and focus on the rest of the book that explains design concepts followed by a host of example projects that show those principles in action.

Super helpful sample projects

The final section of the book offers a wide variety of sample projects. Some examples are business designs such as store signs, menus, and business cards. Other example projects are more promotional focused, such as posters, flyers, and brochures.

Each project lists the major design decisions that are needed to produce a good-looking product.

One example I find particularly interesting is the design of a humble form. The intro to this project states:

“Forms are generally rather dull. Nobody likes the task of completing a form … However, if a form is well designed, simple to navigate through, and easy to use, the task is far less onerous.”

from graphic design for non-designers

Good design principles help you fill out forms better. Who knew?

How else can good design take your work to the next level?

Do you need this book?

I am not suggesting that you should run out and buy this exact book. There are plenty of other graphic design books available, and I’m sure some of them are helpful for beginners like me.

However, I do recommend that all writers study at least one book on the subject. Good graphic design is an important skill that everyone in the twenty-first century should master.

Happy designing!

Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).

She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit lisaebetz.com.