In a world of many colors, you need to design a clear-cut graphic before you can stand out. And this goes beyond shaping out different round porcupines and sticking them to your artboard with just any tool.
In this article, you will learn about Procreate and a few tips to help you create something really interactive with it.
Getting Started With Procreate
Procreate is a modern digital illustrator available only on iPads and iPhone. While its availability might seem a bit limited, this software offers a wide-range of intriguing brushes alongside different palettes and an extensive library of design elements.
Moreso, you can import and export secondary clips, work with several canvases in one document, record as you design, and export your files in various formats including PNG, JPG, and PSD.
To design with Procreate, you need an upgraded IOS version of 12.2 or higher, 2GB free space, and an optional apple pencil. If your iPad or iPhone meets these installation requirements, navigate to the App store and search for Procreate.
5 Tips To Create Interactive Graphics With Procreate
Creating interactive graphics – fliers, logos, artistic sketches etc – requires more than learning the basic design principles you see often on Youtube videos and Telegram classes. See some of the extra tips that will help you rocket your skills to another level with procreate below:
- Sketch Out Relevant Ideas
One interesting thing about using Procreate for design is that you can sketch out rough ideas of what you’d love your design to look like. For example, imagine working on a logo for an ecommerce brand, you can pen down different shapes on your artboard by using your fingers or apple pencil.
Compare and contrast your sketches on the same design layer, see which one fits best, and proceed. You can also import graphic ideas from different sources since procreate allows for use of third party files just like in Photoshop. These ideas could encompass pre-designed logos, captivating 3D logo animation, versatile flyer templates, or even the charm of artistic watercolour paints.
With these ideas, you can create something more unique. And thankfully, Procreate provides an evergreen library of design kits with new brushes added every week to ensure you have all it takes in painting that masterpiece.
- Understand The Interface
Similar to other design software, Procreate hosts an ocean of design kits and different interfaces depending on your needs. For example, the interface needed to create lettering and calligraphy is different from that needed to make a character or animated design.
Since your interface hosts the common features or kits you’d love to use, ensure you invest more time in putting it to place. Go to the settings option for procreate and set your preferences for the artboard. Also try to keep things clean and avoid clumping your board with too many elements.
Except for setting up your work interface, you should also take a thorough walkthrough of other features and sections on your procreate software. It’s no fun engaging in a hide and seek game while looking for the perfect brush kit to refine or retouch your designs.
- Define Your Design Goals
Procreate can be used for a wide variety of functions like digital illustration and painting, icon design, textile and package design, and even photo editing as seen in Photoshop. So you need to define your goals and figure out what type of design you want.
Let’s say you need to design an intuitive user interface for your upcoming app. That’s a goal and you need to figure out the kits you’ll use to achieve it. Afterwards, break your goal down into tiny subsections before kickstarting the design.
For example, app UI requires several elements like icons, menu buttons, footers, body sections, images and so on. Collaborate with your team to assign a task to each member as seen in agile methodology and create each element simultaneously. If you’re designing alone, allocate time to the creation of each section for an increased productivity and clearer view of what you need to do.
- Create A Work Board
A work board is the same as your artboard. The only difference is that you are not designing on it. You only want to gather all the elements you need together for a final design. The things on your work board can include color palettes for the expected design, textual contents, brushes to be used, icons imported or designed inside procreate, and many more.
Creating a work board ensures you have all you need in one place and helps you avoid scuttling from one tab or menu to the other in order to search for them. Similar to sketching various relevant ideas in one place, a work board improves your productivity and increases design speed.
- Refine Your Design With Extra Elements
Procreate offers a lot of modern design extras such as layering, blending, masking, and clipping. Use these features to create more realistic and interactive designs. There are also thousands of brushes for you to explore especially if you’re dealing with artistic paintings and animations.
Note that you can do a full recording of your design session for Youtube purposes and documentation, but that’s by the way. Most times, graphic designers prefer using already created elements instead of designing them from scratch. You can also do the same thing by scurrying for extra additives on different design websites, like Freepiks, that will make your design stand out.
- Play Around With Fonts And Colors
Finally, don’t forget to have fun with the available fonts and colors. Rigidity sometimes make designs look bland and so not interactive. Certain fonts can invoke playful feelings, while others give that professional touch.
Move through the available fonts or import customized fonts that suit your goal and pass the wanted message. The same thing applies to colors as well. For example, red is used to draw the viewer’s attention to something crucial and it might be used in designing for emotional events like birthdays or wedding ceremonies.
Blue depicts authority and professionalism while purple instills the feeling of luxury. Try a mix of two or three colors but ensure things don’t get messy. Too many colors can draw people’s attention away from your exact message and cause them to lose interest.
Conclusion
Graphic design is quite an interesting profession and you are sure to get the best experience from it if you implement all of the tips above. Since procreate offers a library of interactive elements including thousands of realistic brushes and modern color kits, play around and see which one works best for you.
Don’t forget to create a work board and put everything you need in a place. Before that, ensure you set up your design interface and feature the common menus you need. Lastly, have fun with the fonts available or bring in new ones to make your design more interactive and clear.
