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Community Chat — Ask questions, share your work, get feedback from other members. Don't be shy — everyone started somewhere.

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Quick wins to start:

1. Drop an intro in the chat — tell us what you're working on

2. Share a recent design for feedback

3. Check the latest posts for tutorials

Let's build something great together.

Most self-taught designers make the same mistakes early on. Here are the 5 I see constantly — and what to do instead.

1. Too many fonts

Pick 2. Max. One for headings, one for body. That's it. When everything screams for attention, nothing gets it.

2. Ignoring whitespace

Cramming elements together makes your design feel chaotic. Give things room to breathe. White space isn't empty — it's intentional.

3. Inconsistent spacing

If your padding is 16px in one place and 23px in another, it looks off even if people can't explain why. Use a spacing scale (4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48).

4. Low contrast text

Light gray on white might look "clean" but nobody can read it. Aim for at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio for body text.

5. No visual hierarchy

If everything is the same size and weight, the viewer's eye has nowhere to go. Make the most important thing the biggest and boldest. Guide the eye.

These seem simple, but fixing just these 5 things will put your work ahead of 80% of beginners. Design isn't about talent — it's about decisions.

I teach this stuff in depth inside Design Academy. If you want structured lessons and a community of designers giving each other honest feedback, come join us.