Beware the Design Gremlins: 5 Common Branding Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Meet the five sneaky design gremlins wreaking havoc in your brand visuals (and how to stop them!)
You sit down to design something for your business and... suddenly you're knee-deep in Canva templates, surrounded by 12 fonts, 7 different colours, and nothing looks quite right.
Sound familiar?
It's not you. It's the design gremlins.
They're small, sneaky, and weirdly fluffy. And they love to mess with your visuals when you're not looking.
Let's meet the gremlins causing chaos in your brand design - and I'll give you specific action steps to keep them under control.
1. The Colour Chaos Gremlin
The Colour Chaos Gremlin thinks more colours equals better design. Spoiler alert: it doesn't.
This little monster LOVES colour. All the colours. Every shade, every tint, all at once.
You start with a calm idea and suddenly you've got neon green, pastel lilac, fire engine red and rogue peach battling for attention on one Instagram post.
How to beat it:
Create a 3-5 colour palette and stick to it
1-2 main brand colours
1 neutral/background shade
1-2 accent colours for pops of interest
Set up your Canva Brand Kit now (only if you have a paid version of Canva)
Upload your exact colour codes
Delete any colours that aren't yours
This stops you reaching for random colours mid-design
✓ Use the 60-30-10 rule
60% neutral/background colour
30% main brand colour
10% accent colour
The Font Frenzy Gremlin
The Font Frenzy Gremlin whispers "try that swirly one" until your text becomes completely unreadable.
This gremlin lives for fancy fonts. Swirls, curls, overly decorative scripts... he'll whisper they're elegant. But when your audience can't read a word? Problem.
How to beat it:
Pick your 2 fonts and save them
1 for headings (can be more decorative)
1 for body text (must be readable at small sizes)
If you have Canva Pro Save them in your Brand Kit
Test the "squint test"
Step back and squint at your text
If you can't read it easily, choose something cleaner
Reserve script fonts for special occasions
Logos, quotes, or single words only
Never use for paragraphs or important information
The Template Temptation Gremlin
The Template Temptation Gremlin loves when you save 14 templates and use absolutely none of them.
You open Canva with a clear plan... then it happens.
"Ooh that one's nice!" "Maybe this fits better!"
Before you know it, you've saved 14 templates and used none of them. This gremlin thrives on overwhelm and indecision.
How to beat it:
Create your "Brand Template Folder" today
Choose 3 templates that match your vibe
Customise them with your colours and fonts
Save them in a dedicated folder
Use the "Rule of 3"
Pick 3 post layouts max
1 for quotes/text-heavy posts
1 for product/service features
1 for behind-the-scenes content
Set a timer
Give yourself 15 minutes to choose and customise
When time's up, go with what you have
Remember: done beats perfect every time
The Wonky Alignment Gremlin
The Wonky Alignment Gremlin nudges everything just slightly off-centre. You can't explain why it looks wrong, but it does.
This one's subtle but powerful. It quietly nudges your text slightly off-centre. Moves images just enough to be annoying. Suddenly everything feels messy, even if you can't figure out why.
How to beat it:
Use Canva's alignment tools religiously
Select all elements → click "Align" → choose "Centre" or "Left"
Use the grid view (View → Show rulers and guides)
Create consistent spacing
Pick one measurement (like 20px) for all your margins
Keep the same gap between text blocks
Use Canva's spacing tool to make elements evenly distributed
The "Screenshot Check"
Take a screenshot of your design
Look at it on your phone
Wonky alignment is much easier to spot this way
The Inconsistency Gremlin
The Inconsistency Gremlin thrives on chaos - pastels one day, neon the next. Your brand identity? What brand identity?
One day it's pastels, the next it's bold colours. One post is minimal, the next has glitter and gold. This gremlin thrives on chaos and keeps your audience guessing (not in a good way).
How to beat it:
Create your "Brand Rules" cheat sheet
Write down your 3-5 colours (with hex codes)
List your 2 fonts
Define your style (minimal, playful, elegant, etc.)
Do a monthly brand audit
Look at your last 9 posts
Do they look like they're from the same business?
If not, course-correct with your next posts
Batch create content
Design 5-10 posts in one sitting
This naturally keeps things consistent
Plus it's way more efficient
Your Gremlin-Fighting Action Plan
This week:
If you have Canva Pro Set up your Canva Brand Kit with your exact colours and fonts
Create 3 template designs and save them in a folder
Write down your basic brand rules
This month:
Do a brand consistency check on your recent posts
Batch create your next set of social media graphics
Practice the alignment tools until they become second nature
Ready to Banish the Gremlins for Good?
You don't need to be a designer to create professional-looking brand materials - you just need to know what not to listen to and have the right systems in place.
But if the gremlins have completely taken over and your Canva looks like a design jungle, I'm here to help female founders create brand design that works.
Get in Touch - let's set up branded templates and systems that keep those gremlins at bay, so you can focus on running your business instead of wrestling with fonts at 2am!
