Scroll through social media for five minutes and you’ll see the pattern. Same layouts. Same fonts. Same “bold headline + random shape + stock photo” combo. Different brands, identical posts.
Most social media designs fail before the designer even opens Photoshop or Canva. Not because of tools. Because of thinking.
This is how I approach social media design so my posts don’t look like templates.
I Think Before I Open Any Design Tool
Before touching colors, fonts, or layouts, I ask three basic questions:
- Who is this post for?
- Where will it be posted? Instagram, Facebook, story, feed?
- What is the one thing this post must communicate?
If I don’t have clear answers, designing is pointless. You end up decorating confusion.
Design isn’t about making things look nice. It’s about making a message land.
Color Choices Are Not Random
Colors set the mood before anyone reads a word.
I don’t pick colors because they “look cool.” I pick them because:
- They align with the brand’s identity
- They support the message I’m trying to convey
- They evoke the right emotion in the audience
Most posts fail because everything is loud. Too many colors fighting for attention. One or two strong colors with proper contrast almost always work better than a rainbow.
Restraint is underrated.
Hierarchy Decides Everything
If everything is important, nothing is.
I design with a clear visual order:
- What should be seen first
- What should be seen second
- What can be noticed later
Communication Matters As Much As Design
One of the biggest lessons was that good communication saves bad situations. Updating the client, explaining decisions clearly, and being open to suggestions built trust. Even when changes were needed, professionalism kept the project moving forward. A silent designer is a risky designer.
What I’d Do Better Next Time
- Ask more questions early
- Clarify expectations before designing
- Share progress sooner instead of waiting for “perfect”
Font size, weight, spacing, and placement do the work here. Good hierarchy guides the eye naturally. Bad hierarchy forces people to work. And no one works hard on social media.
If a post can’t be understood in two seconds, it’s already lost.
Why Most Social Media Posts Fail
From what I’ve seen, most posts fail because of:
- Overused templates with no customization
- Too much text packed into one frame
- No clear focal point
- Ignoring platform-specific layouts
- Designing for the designer, not the audience
Showing, Not Explaining
Below are a few examples of my own work. Different goals, different styles, same thinking process. Every design starts with intention, not decoration.
This is the approach I follow in my client work. Simple, deliberate, and focused on clarity over noise.
