How to create a prize-winning design for clothing and merchandise
Everyone can be creative, but taking a creative idea from your mind to the page to a wearable design is no easy feat. So, we’ve brought in an expert, artist and designer Dawn Leyland, to share five simple tips for how to create prize-winning designs for t-shirts, hoodies and other merchandise.
Start with a clear concept
Every great design starts with a clear concept or idea. Before taking your idea to the page, consider what message or story you want to convey through your design and think about how best to communicate this visually.
Creating a mind map or storyboard is a great way to begin thinking through your concept. From there, you can narrow down your ideas to one or two strong concepts.
Consider colour and composition
Colour is a powerful tool for creating mood and conveying meaning in a design. For example, the colour yellow can convey a sense of hope and happiness while the colour red can convey danger, anger or even passion.
It's also important to consider what colour combinations work well together. Canva’s colour wheel program, which explores colour theory, is a great guide for beginners.
The composition of each element within the design is another important consideration. Elements could include colour, shape, illustrations or text. Canva’s guide to composition in design is another great resource, exploring the use of scale, repetition and balance in design.
Last year's finalists
Keep it simple
While the meaning behind your design can be complex, it’s best to keep the execution of the design simple. This is especially important for designs on clothing, as most people will see your design in passing and from a distance.
Consider having only one or two primary elements, keep your elements large and easy to interpret and keep your colour combinations to two or three.
Don’t be afraid to experiment
Expressing yourself through design should be a creative and fun experience. Don’t be afraid to express your ideas in new and innovative ways. There are many different styles of design, from minimalist to abstract, to highly detailed and realistic, so make time to experiment with different styles to find which one suits you best.