Common Visual Mistakes to Avoid

The Role of Visuals in Learning

Visuals aren’t there to show off your design skills. They’re there to support your message. When they’re distracting, hard to read, or all over the place, people stop paying attention to the content and start wondering why your slides look like a puzzle.

The goal: visuals that keep learners focused on what matters.

Mistake #1: Overcomplicating Colors

Too many colors fight for attention. Stick with one main color, one accent, and neutral tones for the rest. Simple color palettes not only look cleaner, they also make it easier for your audience to know where to focus.

Mistake #2: Fancy Fonts That Aren’t Readable

Cursive, decorative, or ultra-thin fonts might look stylish but they kill readability. Use fonts that are easy to read on any screen size. Sans-serif fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or built-in Squarespace fonts (already optimized for web) are safe bets.

Mistake #3: Inconsistent Layouts

Jumping from one style of slide or graphic to another confuses people. Pick one template and stick to it. Repetition builds trust, and it saves you time, too.

Practical Fixes That Work

• Use consistent headers and text sizes across all lessons.

• Limit slides to one main point each.

• Keep text short and supported with visuals, not buried under them.

• Reuse the same background, colors, and fonts so everything feels like it belongs together.

Closing Thought

You don’t need flashy visuals to impress people. What you need are simple, consistent choices that make your content easier to digest.

Because the best visuals are the ones no one notices, they just make learning smoother.