New Year's Holiday Tips for Graphic Designers

As a graphic designer, you know that your greatest challenge is consistently coming up with fresh ways to display the same basic material. Holidays, in particular, are notorious for draining a graphic designer's creative spirit in favor of tried-and-true themes. While doing little more than putting a snowman on a postcard is generally accepted, if you truly want to help your clients stand out from the competition (and in turn make yourself stand out from the competition), you need to think outside the box and draw something completely new. To help you find inspiration, here are a few New Year's holiday tips and tricks for graphic designers.

Stray from the norm

When it comes to the New Year's holiday, many designers stick to champagne bottles and party favors, but you don't have to. Straying from the normal design helps your designs become instant attention-grabbers. New Year's is considered a fun and jovial holiday, so you can help your clients poke a little fun and make a point at the same time. Consider a postcard that depicts your clients' competition as an old man from the previous year and your client as the New Year baby. Out with the old, in with the new! Colors should be fresh and invigorating, not dull or drab; otherwise, there's no particular color that is specifically associated with New Year's celebrations. This perhaps lends you more freedom in your designs, because you're not expected to be so limited.

Make it shine

An oft-overlooked design element is foil stamping. Foil-stamped promotional materials beam with confidence and professionalism, and New Year's holiday offers great opportunities for foil stamping champagne bottles, a rising sun or even fireworks. You can also try outlining your letters or adding a drop shadow with silver foil stamping.

Cut it up

Have your flyer or sticker die cut this New Year for a dramatic effect. Even though champagne bottles, glasses and party favors are often used in New Year's marketing, you don't see very many printed pieces die cut in these shapes. This is an easy way to set your design apart from the competition, and a rather cost-effective solution at that. Check the die-cut templates at PsPrint, or request a custom die cut just for your project. This way, you know you'll be 100 percent original.

Promotional materials should be promotional

Just because your designs fit a New Year theme doesn't mean they'll sell. Encourage your clients to add limited-time sales, bargains, deals and other incentives to their New Year marketing materials to increase their response. Remember - the better response they get, the more business you'll get. No matter how you approach your New Year's design, remember that marketing success depends on not just one of your crafty creations but also on copy, mailing list, distribution and your clients' offer. To help yourself, help your clients by guiding them toward a well-rounded holiday promotional strategy if they don't already have a campaign adviser.