Introduction
You don’t need a design degree—or a massive budget—to create digital products that look credible.
You need clarity, consistency, and a willingness to keep things simpler than you think you should.
Polished doesn’t mean fancy. It means professional enough that your customers trust you, your materials are easy to use, and your brand feels cohesive.
This post will walk you through the essentials so you can confidently build products you’re proud to sell—without hiring an agency or spending months tweaking fonts.
Keep Your Brand Elements Simple
Your product should feel like an extension of your brand, not a random departure.
Define these basics:
Primary font for headings and body copy (two is plenty)
A small, intentional color palette (3–5 colors max)
A consistent logo or wordmark placement
Simple, legible formatting
When in doubt, choose clarity over creativity. If your customer has to squint or guess where to click, you’re overcomplicating it.
Use Templates Strategically
Templates save time and prevent design paralysis.
For ebooks and guides, start with:
Canva (affordable and intuitive)
Adobe Express
Keynote or PowerPoint (surprisingly effective for PDFs)
For slide decks and courses:
Canva presentations
Google Slides with branded colors and fonts
Simple PowerPoint templates
Don’t spend weeks hunting for the “perfect” template. Pick one, adapt it, and move on.
Prioritize Readability Over Flash
Your product’s job is to communicate clearly.
Make sure:
Fonts are large enough to read easily on any screen
Line spacing isn’t cramped
Buttons look clickable
Callouts and examples are obvious
Colors have strong contrast for accessibility
Good design isn’t about impressing other creators. It’s about making your content effortless to consume.
Use Consistent Visual Elements
To create cohesion:
Use the same style of icons and illustrations
Keep photography consistent in tone and lighting
Align your layouts to a simple grid
Repeat key colors for headings and buttons
These small details build trust and make your work feel professional—even if you’re working solo.
Test on Multiple Devices
Before you launch:
View your PDFs on a phone, tablet, and laptop
Test videos on slow internet connections
Open emails and landing pages in multiple browsers
What looks polished on your desktop can break in real-world scenarios. Catch it before your customers do.
Simplify Your Tech Stack
You don’t need ten tools to create a solid product.
Most creators can cover 90% of needs with:
Canva or Adobe Express for design
Google Docs for text drafts and collaboration
Teachable, Podia, or Kajabi for delivery
Stripe or PayPal for payments
Master the tools you already have before adding more complexity.
Ask for Feedback Before You Launch
A second set of eyes can catch issues you’ve stopped noticing.
Send a test version to a friend or peer. Ask them:
Is anything confusing?
Does this look trustworthy?
Would you feel confident buying this?
Use their observations to make simple improvements—then launch.
Final Thought
Professional design isn’t about perfection. It’s about clear, consistent communication that supports your content instead of distracting from it.
Start with the basics. Keep it clean. Refine over time.
You don’t need to be a designer to look like you know what you’re doing.
— Sloane MacRae
