I've been editing and designing for a while now, and I keep seeing the same mistakes from people just getting started. Here's what to fix:

1. Too many fonts

Pick 2 fonts max — one for headings, one for body text. That's it. Mixing 4-5 fonts makes everything look chaotic. Pair a bold sans-serif with a clean serif and you're golden.

2. No breathing room

Cramming every pixel with content is the #1 sign of amateur design. Add more whitespace than you think you need. Let your elements breathe. It instantly looks more professional.

3. Random color combos

Stop picking colors that "look cool" separately. Use a palette generator (Coolors is free) and stick to 3-4 colors max. Consistency > creativity when you're starting out.

These 3 fixes alone will make your designs look 10x more polished. I make templates with all of this built in so beginners can just plug and play — check out my page if you want to skip the guesswork.