Almost 93% of internet users worldwide watch digital videos each week. From YouTube marketing to TikTok marketing, video content is pretty much everywhere. This high demand leads businesses and creators to create more and more videos.
The thing is, with the almost-endless choice, viewers become picker than ever. Hence only videos that are well-created and well-thought grab attention.
Making great videos isn’t all about providing 4K viewing experiences or adding as much AR as possible. Rather it’s about providing real value and making it easy on the viewer’s eyes.
We’ll dive into the video design basics so you know what it takes to make not only valuable video content but also content that’s easy to understand and appealing to look at.
Why Do Video Design Basics Matter?
First impressions matter, regardless of whether it’s a person or a video. If you want to make sure your videos don’t get skipped over, then you need to design them well. It all starts with the basics.
Of course, you don’t need to be a seasoned pro video editor to design a video for social media branding or any marketing purposes in general. Anyone can make a well-designed video as long as they know the basics of video design.
Here are some benefits to reap if you have a solid grasp of video design basics:
Make your videos more professional looking
Well-designed videos will look more professional and have a higher chance of engaging the viewers. Remember, first impressions matter. If your videos can make a good first impression, you’re more likely to keep the viewers engaged until the end.
Help you better communicate your message
Good video design can help you better communicate your message to the viewers. That’s because well-designed videos are usually easy on the eyes and have a clear structure that leads the viewers from one point to another.
Create a strong branding
Whether you’re taking care of a new business or maintaining your branding with video, the video design can say a lot about your brand. If you want to create strong branding, make sure your videos have designs that are in line with your brand identity.
Evoke certain emotions
Video design can be used to create a certain atmosphere or mood in your videos. This, in turn, can evoke certain emotions from the viewers, which can lead to better engagement and conversions.
Now that you know why it’s important to get the basics of video design down, let’s take a look at some of the basic concepts every video creator should know.
Understanding Video Design Basics
Now that we understand why video design basics are important even for a complete newbie, let’s break down how you can implement them.
#1. Keep all the elements consistent
The first thing you need to do is check the overall consistency of your video. All the elements in your videos need to work together and look like they belong together.
This means that you need to use a similar color scheme, font, and style throughout your video. You don’t want to have one part of your video that looks completely different from everything else.
Consistency will make your videos look more professional and put together. It will also help viewers remember your brand better since they’ll be able to associate it with a certain look and feel.
Consistent styles, colors, voice tone, and transitions also help create a certain mood for your video, which is important for engaging viewers.
#2. Create focal points and put emphasis
In any design, it’s important to have focal points. Focal points are the elements that you want viewers to look at first. Focal points help guide the viewer’s eye and tell them what’s most important in your design.
In video, you can create focal points by using things like color, size, and placement. You can also use movement to draw attention to certain elements.
Once you’ve created a focal point, you need to put emphasis on it. You can do this by making the element bigger or by using a brighter color. You want to make sure that the viewer’s eye is naturally drawn to the focal point.
#3. Use negative space
Negative space is the empty space in your design. It’s important to use negative space because it can help to create balance and make your designs more pleasing to look at.
In video, you can use negative space by leaving certain areas of the frame empty. This will help to focus viewers’ attention on the elements that you want them to see.
It’s also important to use negative space when you’re adding text to your videos. You don’t want the text to be too close together or too spread out. You want to leave enough space so that viewers can easily read the text.
#4. Use hierarchy
Hierarchy is the way that you order your elements. It’s important to use hierarchy because it helps to guide viewers’ eyes and tells them what’s most important.
In the video, you can use hierarchy by making certain elements bigger or by using brighter colors. You can also use movement to create a sense of hierarchy.
The most important thing to remember when using hierarchy is to keep it simple. You don’t want to have too many different levels of hierarchy in your videos. This will make it difficult for viewers to understand what’s most important.
#5. Create a balanced composition
Just like with photography and other forms of art, composition is everything when it comes to videography. The goal here is to create a sense of balance in the frame so that the viewer can take everything in without feeling overwhelmed.
There are a few different ways to achieve balance in your composition. The most common is to use the rule of thirds. This is where you divide the frame into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. You then place the elements that you want viewers to see at the intersections of these lines.
Other ways to create balance include using symmetry and asymmetry. With symmetry, you create a sense of balance by mirroring the elements on either side of an imaginary line. With asymmetry, you create balance by using different sizes, colors, and shapes to offset each other.
#6. Make it accessible for all devices
The viewers watch your videos from all different devices, from desktops to hand-held devices. It’s important to make sure that your videos look good on all of these devices.
You can do this by creating videos that are responsive. This means that the video will automatically adjust to fit the size of the screen. You can also create separate versions of your videos for different devices.
Another thing to keep in mind is the file size. You want to make sure that your videos don’t take too long to load. This will cause viewers to get impatient and click away from your video before it even starts playing.
Make sure all the video elements can be seen clearly on smaller screens. You can do this by avoiding tiny details and keeping the overall design simple.
#7. Tell a story
Video design basics aren’t limited to colors, focal points, and other visual elements. It’s also about the story you tell.
When you’re creating any kind of content, the story is key. But it becomes even more important when you’re dealing with videos since they’re such a visual medium.
Your videos need to tell a story that engages viewers and keeps them hooked until the very end. The best way to do this is to focus on creating an emotional connection with your audience.
You can do this by focusing on personal stories and relatable characters and tugging at heartstrings. Or you could take the opposite approach and try to be funny and entertain your viewers.
No matter what approach you take, make sure that your story is clear and easy to follow. You don’t want viewers to be confused about what’s going on in your video.
Nail The Video Design Basics
Making video content that is pleasant to look at and engaging to watch isn’t as hard as it seems. By following the video design basics we listed above, you’re on your way to creating high-quality videos that will wow your viewers.
In video design, curiosity and the urge to experiment and try new things can take you a long way. The key is always to keep your audience in mind and design your videos with them in mind.