The design industry is ever-changing, and with new platforms emerging every day, standards for creating compelling visuals are becoming increasingly high. It may help, however to compare creating effective designs to following the recipe for Grandma's tomato sauce—so simple, yet oh-so-good. Like her recipe, all you need are a few quality ingredients (or design resources in this case), some herbs and spices (it's all in the details), and lastly, a bit of time (and love). Still intimidated? Fear not! With a few basic pointers, almost anyone is capable!

Good design starts behind the scenes. Do your research and gather your inspiration—it's important to know what trends are hot, but will also withstand the test of time. For example, flat design is in, while skeuomorphism (the concept of making items represented resemble their real-world counterparts) is on its way out. This is becoming more and more evident as you see brands that have been around for decades, such as Mastercard, emerging with shiny (maybe not literally), new logos. You want your design to be eye-catching and relevant to today without having to change everything up in just a couple of months. Keeping things simple will help you achieve just that. Sites like awwards.com or even Pinterest are goldmines for getting the juices flowing. These sites collect content from users all over the world, which are sure to inspire originality and innovation.

You have the bones of a great design and it's ready to bud. What do you do now? You factor in the details. Find out what your competitors are doing and figure out how you can do it better or how to set yourself apart. For example, most people tend to want to include as much content as they possibly can, but this is not necessarily the best practice. If the consumer wants to learn more about a subject, they already have the means to do so and will go the extra mile if they feel so inclined. The key is to get them to that point. Creating designs that are bold and eye-catching will reel your target in, in a matter of seconds.

According to Elle & Co., studies show that visuals are processed 600,000 times faster than text, so you want to let your images do the talking! One way to do this is by turning your information into great typography. Limit your text to what is of the utmost importance and highlight that.

The last (and maybe most important) factor in the whole design process is recognizing that good design takes time. Just like Grandma's sauce, the more time you give a design, the better it gets. Creating quality design isn't always easy. If you want your product to stand out, you don't want to cut corners or rush the process—these things become evident in the end. Oftentimes, there are time constraints on projects, but that will eventually help train you to design effectively and efficiently.

In conclusion, eye-catching design is incredibly important and is more attainable than you might think. K.I.S.S.—Keep It Simple, Stupid. Great design doesn't take much, and more often than not, less is more. In the end, good concepts, attention to detail and hard work will shine through.