The ultimate guide to creating creative that actually works

Master the basics or get left behind

Bloomeffects – An award-winning skincare brand pioneering clean beauty with upcycled tulips to brighten, nourish, and restore the skin.

If you’re building a house, you don’t start with the skylight—you lay the foundation first. The same goes for creative. Before you can dazzle anyone with emotional storytelling, you need to get the technical stuff right.

1. Lead the eye, win the click

Visual hierarchy is like the satnav of your creative—it guides your audience exactly where you want them to go. Done well, it makes your message impossible to miss and easy to follow.

Take Canva’s interface as an example. Everything is intentionally placed: bold headings direct your focus to key tools, clean layouts prioritise usability, and eye-catching buttons (like “Create a Design”) steer you towards taking action. It’s not just design—it’s effortless guidance toward the next step.

To build strong hierarchy in your work, think about size, placement, and contrast. Headlines should be bold and unmistakable. Use colour contrasts to draw the eye, and position key elements in spots people naturally gravitate towards (hint: the upper left or centre).

Three tips for better visual hierarchy:

• Use size to indicate importance: Larger elements naturally draw attention. Make key messages or calls to action more prominent by increasing their size relative to other elements.
• Apply colour contrast: Employ contrasting colours to make important elements stand out. For instance, a bright button on a muted background can effectively draw the eye.
• Utilise white space: Don’t overcrowd your design. Allowing for ample white space around key elements can help them stand out and improve overall readability.

2. Colour theory matters (yes, really)

Colour isn’t just decoration—it’s persuasion. Think of Woolworths’ green, which evokes freshness and sustainability, or Netflix’s bold red, which signals excitement and energy. These colours aren’t chosen randomly—they reflect what the brands want their audience to feel.

Want colour to pull its weight in your creative? Stick to a focused palette of three to four colours that represent your brand. Use contrast to make calls-to-action pop (a bright green “Get Started” button on a white background is practically shouting at your audience to click).

Three tips for better colour use in design:

• Understand the colour wheel: Use complementary colours for strong contrast and analogous colours for a more seamless, polished look.
• Use colour psychology intentionally: Consider what emotions your brand colours evoke and ensure they align with your messaging.
• Prioritise accessibility: High contrast improves readability and usability, making sure your design works for all users.

3. Accessibility is a must, not a bonus

Accessibility isn’t just nice to have—it’s a must. After all, what’s the point of amazing creative if half your audience can’t engage with it? ABC iView demonstrates this perfectly. Its intuitive navigation, high-contrast text, and closed captions ensure that its content is accessible to users of all abilities.

Make your creative inclusive by using legible fonts, avoiding microscopic text sizes, and always adding alt text for images. Accessibility tools like Google Lighthouse can highlight areas for improvement. Bottom line? Accessibility doesn’t just widen your audience—it makes your creative better for everyone.

Make them feel something

HRportal – A comprehensive HR resource hub with Australian-compliant templates, policies, and a community forum for business leaders.

Technical excellence might grab attention, but emotion is what makes it stick. People don’t remember what you said as much as how you made them feel.

1. Knowing your audience

If you’re not speaking your audience’s language, you’re just shouting into the void. Spotify’s Wrapped campaign is a textbook example of nailing this. They didn’t just show data—they made it personal, wrapping up users’ listening habits into bite-sized stories of their year. And because it tapped into something deeply personal (identity), people didn’t just engage—they shared it everywhere. It’s even one of the most mimicked marketing campaigns of the year

How do you do this? Get to know your audience. What are their challenges? Their passions? Are they data-driven professionals or meme-loving Gen Z-ers? Tailor your creative to hit their sweet spot. If you can articulate your audience’s problem better than they can, they’ll trust you to solve it.

2. Tell a story they can’t ignore

Stories aren’t just for bedtime—they’re what make brands unforgettable. Bupa’s “This Is Health Insurance” campaign took an industry often seen as dull and turned it into something human. By showcasing real families and their health journeys, they made a potentially dry topic relatable and emotionally engaging.

When crafting your own stories, focus on authenticity. A simple narrative with a relatable problem, a solution, and a transformation can be more powerful than a big-budget epic.

3. Move them (with emotion)

Emotion drives decisions—full stop. Airbnb doesn’t just sell holiday homes; it sells connection and adventure. Their marketing makes you feel like booking a weekend away will magically fix your life.

To tap into emotions, think about what you want your audience to feel—nostalgia, excitement, urgency—and design every element to amplify that. Pair emotional copy with visuals or music to make it even more powerful.

How to do it:

• Identify the core emotion: What do you want your audience to feel? Relief, excitement, belonging? Define it before you create.
• Use storytelling: People connect with stories. Frame your message in a way that feels personal and relatable.
• Engage the senses: Use descriptive language, visuals, and even sound to immerse your audience in the feeling.
• Lean into authenticity: Genuine emotions build trust. Avoid generic, overused phrases and focus on real, human experiences.
• Create urgency when needed: Scarcity and time-sensitive offers tap into FOMO (fear of missing out).

A great emotional hook paired with the right design can turn a passive audience into engaged customers.

Bridging the gap between the technical and subjective

Melville Mazda – A trusted Mazda dealer offering new, demo, and used vehicles, along with expert servicing and genuine parts.

The best creative doesn’t live at one extreme or the other. It’s the perfect blend of technical precision and emotional resonance.

Start with a clear, actionable brief. Don’t just say, “Make it fun.” Instead, specify what “fun” means: “Create a playful ad for millennial professionals that highlights the simplicity of our service.” Be clear about both technical details (platforms, formats) and emotional goals (tone, audience reactions).

Once you’ve got your plan, test it. A/B testing, prototypes, and feedback loops will help you fine-tune until your creative is firing on all cylinders. Tools like Optimizely or UsabilityHub can be your best mates here.

Creative that connects

Perth City Prestige – A leading automotive dealer group representing Škoda, Subaru, Deepal, and Perth City Car Rentals.

Good creative isn’t bound by a single medium. Here’s how to apply these principles across different formats.

1. Social media graphics

Social media is where attention spans go to die. Keep it short, sharp, and striking. For example, an Instagram ad for Afterpay might feature a clean, stylish product image with the text, “Shop Now. Pay Later. Interest-Free.” The simplicity sells the solution.

2. Video ads (Videography)

Video is storytelling on steroids. NRMA’s “Help Is Who We Are” campaign combined real-life rescue stories with emotive visuals to highlight their core value of reliability. Hook viewers in the first five seconds, use captions for accessibility, and ensure the story reinforces your brand message.

3. Website design

A good website doesn’t just look pretty—it works. Qantas’ site combines clean functionality with striking imagery to evoke a sense of exploration. Fast loading times, mobile responsiveness, and intuitive navigation make it easy to book a trip, while the visuals make you want to book it now.

4. Email marketing
Inbox clutter is your biggest competitor. Capture attention with personalised, value-driven messaging. Spotify nails it with curated playlists tailored to individual users globally, while local brands like Koala Furniture keep emails playful and conversational to engage Australian audiences. Prioritise sleek design and mobile-friendly layouts.

5. Infographics
Complex data can be your ally—if you simplify it. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ well-designed infographics break down dense economic or population data into easy-to-understand visual stories. Use strong visuals and concise text to transform data into digestible, shareable insights.

Common mistakes to avoid

Udio – A powerful all-in-one class management platform that streamlines bookings, student interactions, and operations for class-based businesses.

Even experienced creatives fall into traps. Here’s what to watch out for:

1. Overloading the audience

Clutter kills creativity. Keep your designs clean and your messaging simple. Use the “1-3-5 Rule”: one main idea, supported by three key points, in no more than five seconds of reading time.

2. Focusing on trends instead of strategy

Trends can give your creative a boost, but they’re no replacement for a solid strategy. Duolingo nailed TikTok by combining viral trends with their quirky brand voice, showing how trends work best when they support your long-term goals.