Unique Christmas Design Ideas

Christmas is a favorite season for many designers who let their creativity flow unrestricted in order to put all the sights, sounds, emotions, and sales pitches of Christmas into a compact design that's both unique and motivational. Where some see an insurmountable challenge, graphic designers see Christmas marketing designs as proving grounds in a dense (frozen) pond of competitors. You can ice the competition and give your customers the gift of profitability with these unique Christmas design ideas.

Creative shapes

It seems every company has at least one ad in which their product or some other object is manipulated to take the shape of a Christmas tree, star, gift box or other familiar Christmas symbol. Your challenge is to be even more creative so you can attract more attention by being unique without losing relevance to the Christmas spirit. Experiment with color hues to define your patterns and give shapes to your Christmas designs.

Hilarious situations

Humor sells, there's no doubt about it. Comedy has been called the most difficult art form, in large part because humor is relative. Still, if you can craft a hilarious postcard, flyer, or poster that resonates with your audience your company will be remembered for years to come. As a powerful branding device, humor can't be beat. Perhaps you recall the M&M's ad that depicted a red M&M tied to Rudolph's snout (as the bright red beacon), or the Pepsi ad that depicted an ornament swinging from a Christmas tree and trying to use a candy cane to snag a can of Pepsi. And of course there's a Heineken ad warning us not to drink and drive against a backdrop of Santa's crashed sleigh. If you've seen 'em, you won't forget 'em!

Try die cuts and foil stamps

You have to know the size and shape of your promo piece before you set out to design, and if you're involved in this stage of the game it would behoove you to suggest a die cut and/or a foil stamp for your clients' Christmas creations. Die cuts, such as packaging popping out of a card or a window revealing a gift within, are known attention-getters and can also lend prestige to your company's name. Foil stamps are elegant highlights that pop off the page and leave a lasting impression. Together they could create an amazing holiday card!

Be magical

For many, Christmas is a time of memories, emotions and magic. Employ all of the creative design techniques you've learned to craft magical wisps of light, a fire-lit room with dancing shadows, a bright reflection from ornaments and tree bulbs, the soft glow of Christmas colors on the snow. When your design can truly tap into the hearts and souls of your clients' customers, you've got the gift of Christmas design talent. When you design for Christmas, always keep in mind that the quality of your design is ultimately contingent on the quality of the print job. A poor print job will yield a poor postcard, greeting card or poster; while a high-quality printing job will help your designs pop. For this reason, professional printing should always be utilized.