HERE'S DAY 14 - COPY THIS INTO TEACHABLE:

DAY 14: DESIGN BASICS FOR NON-DESIGNERS

SOFT LIFE DESIGN SHORTCUT: Design overwhelm stops more creators than lack of skill. Inside the Soft Life Blueprint, this step is supported with done-for-you Canva templates so you are never staring at a blank page.

Reflection Prompt: How can your product feel simple, calm, and easy to use?

"I'm not a designer."

I hear this constantly. And it's usually followed by "so my product probably won't look professional."

Wrong.

You don't need design skills to create a professional-looking product. You just need to follow a few simple principles.

Today, I'm giving you the cheat codes that make any digital product look expensive and polished—even if you have zero design experience.

THE 5 DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A PRO

1. WHITE SPACE IS YOUR FRIEND

The #1 mistake beginners make: cramming too much onto one page.

More white space = more professional.

Leave generous margins. Space out your paragraphs. Don't fill every inch with text or images.

White space makes your product:

• Easier to read
• Less overwhelming
• More visually appealing
• More premium-looking

BAD EXAMPLE:

[Imagine a page with tiny margins, text from edge to edge, 
no spacing between paragraphs, images squeezed in everywhere]

GOOD EXAMPLE:

[Imagine a page with 1.5-inch margins, 
plenty of space between sections, 
breathing room around images]

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

For ebooks:

• Use 1.5-inch margins (not 1-inch)
• Add space between paragraphs (12pt spacing)
• Leave blank space at the top and bottom of pages
• Don't fill every page with text

For planners:

• Don't cram 20 lines on one page when 10 will do
• Leave space for people to actually write
• White space makes it feel luxurious

For course slides:

• One main point per slide
• Lots of white space around text
• Don't use every inch of the slide

Remember: Empty space is not wasted space. It's premium space.

2. STICK TO 2 FONTS (MAX)

One font for headings. One font for body text. That's it.

Using 5 different fonts makes you look amateur.
Using 2 fonts makes you look intentional.

Canva has thousands of font pairings. Pick one you like and use it consistently throughout your entire product.

MY GO-TO FONT COMBOS:

COMBO 1: Modern & Clean

• Heading: Montserrat (bold, sans-serif)
• Body: Open Sans (easy to read, clean)

COMBO 2: Elegant & Sophisticated

• Heading: Playfair Display (serif, elegant)
• Body: Lato (sans-serif, clean)

COMBO 3: Bold & Friendly

• Heading: Poppins (rounded, modern)
• Body: Roboto (neutral, professional)

COMBO 4: Classic & Trustworthy

• Heading: Merriweather (serif, classic)
• Body: Source Sans Pro (clean, readable)

HOW TO CHOOSE:

Step 1: Go to Canva
Step 2: Search "font pairings"
Step 3: Pick one combo that matches your vibe
Step 4: Use it for EVERYTHING in your product

Consistency = professionalism.

FONT RULES:

✅ Use heading font for: Chapter titles, section headers, emphasis
✅ Use body font for: Paragraphs, lists, main content
❌ Never use: Comic Sans, Papyrus, or anything hard to read
❌ Don't mix: 3+ fonts on one page

3. LIMIT YOUR COLOR PALETTE

Pick 2-3 colors and use them throughout your product.

Your brand colors should include:

• One main color (this is your primary brand color)
• One accent color (for highlights, buttons, or emphasis)
• Black or dark gray (for body text)

Don't use 10 different colors. It's chaotic and distracting.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR COLORS:

Option 1: Use a color palette generator

• Go to coolors.co
• Hit spacebar until you find a palette you love
• Pick 2-3 colors from it

Option 2: Choose based on vibe

Calm & Peaceful: Soft blues, greens, neutrals
Bold & Energetic: Bright oranges, reds, yellows
Elegant & Luxe: Deep purples, golds, blacks
Feminine & Soft: Pinks, rose gold, cream
Professional & Corporate: Navy, gray, white

MY COLOR PALETTE FORMULA:

Main color: The color that represents your brand (e.g., teal)
Accent color: A complementary color for highlights (e.g., coral)
Neutral: Off-white or light gray for backgrounds
Text: Dark gray or black (easier on eyes than pure black)

EXAMPLE PALETTE:

• Main: #2C7A7B (teal)
• Accent: #ED8936 (coral)
• Background: #F7FAFC (off-white)
• Text: #2D3748 (dark gray)

Once you choose, USE IT EVERYWHERE:

• Ebook covers and interior
• Worksheets
• Social media graphics
• Email headers
• Website

Consistency builds brand recognition.

4. USE HIGH-QUALITY IMAGES (OR NONE AT ALL)

Blurry, pixelated images make your product look cheap.
High-quality images make it look expensive.

WHERE TO FIND FREE, HIGH-QUALITY IMAGES:

Unsplash.com

• Free, professional photos
• No attribution required
• Massive library

Pexels.com

• Free, curated stock photos
• High-resolution
• Commercial use allowed

Canva's built-in library

• Free and paid options
• Already integrated into your design tool
• Easy to search and use

IMAGE RULES:

✅ Only use high-resolution images (at least 1920x1080px)
✅ Make sure images match your vibe and color palette
✅ Use images that enhance your message, not distract from it
❌ Never use blurry, pixelated, or low-quality images
❌ Don't use cheesy stock photos (avoid the "corporate handshake" vibe)

PRO TIP:

If you can't find the right image, don't force it.

A clean, text-only page with good typography looks better than a page with a bad image.

Sometimes less is more.

5. CREATE VISUAL HIERARCHY

Not all text should look the same.

Visual hierarchy guides the reader's eye and makes your content scannable.

THE HIERARCHY:

LEVEL 1: Main headings (Largest, boldest)
Example: Chapter titles, section names

LEVEL 2: Subheadings (Medium size, slightly less bold)
Example: Subsections, key concepts

LEVEL 3: Body text (Smallest, regular weight)
Example: Paragraphs, explanations, instructions

EXAMPLE:

CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED ← Level 1 (largest, bold)

Understanding Your Why ← Level 2 (medium, semi-bold)

Before you dive into budgeting, you need to understand 
why you're doing this. What's your motivation? What will 
change in your life when you have financial control? ← Level 3 (body text)

HOW TO APPLY THIS IN CANVA:

Step 1: Use the heading text boxes for titles
Step 2: Use subheading boxes for sections
Step 3: Use body text boxes for paragraphs

Canva does this automatically if you use their templates.

WHY THIS MATTERS:

When someone opens your ebook or planner, they should instantly know:

• What this section is about (main heading)
• What subsections exist (subheadings)
• Where to start reading (body text)

Visual hierarchy = easier to navigate = better user experience.

USING CANVA TEMPLATES (THE SMART WAY)

You don't have to design from scratch. Canva has templates for everything.

Here's how to use them professionally:

STEP 1: PICK A TEMPLATE THAT MATCHES YOUR VIBE

Search Canva for:

• "Ebook template minimalist"
• "Planner template modern"
• "Workbook clean"
• "Course slides professional"

Browse until you find one that feels right.

VIBE OPTIONS:

Minimalist: Clean, lots of white space, simple
Bold: Bright colors, strong fonts, energetic
Elegant: Serif fonts, muted colors, sophisticated
Playful: Rounded fonts, bright colors, fun

Pick the vibe that matches your brand and audience.

STEP 2: CUSTOMIZE THE COLORS

Don't use the template's default colors. Use YOUR brand colors.

How to change colors in Canva:

1. Click on any colored element
2. Click the color box
3. Enter your brand color hex code
4. Repeat for all elements

Change every colored element to match your palette.

STEP 3: CHANGE THE FONTS

Use your chosen font pairing.

How to change fonts in Canva:

1. Select text
2. Click the font dropdown
3. Choose your heading or body font
4. Repeat for all text

Now it looks unique to your brand.

STEP 4: REPLACE PLACEHOLDER TEXT WITH YOUR CONTENT

Copy and paste your content from Google Docs into the template.

Adjust text boxes as needed.

STEP 5: DELETE ANY ELEMENTS YOU DON'T NEED

Templates often have extra graphics, shapes, or decorative elements.

If it doesn't serve a purpose, delete it.

Less is more.

THE BIGGEST DESIGN MISTAKE TO AVOID

Overdesigning.

More graphics, colors, fonts, and effects do NOT make your product better. They make it messy.

Clean and simple always wins.

BAD DESIGN:

• 5 different fonts
• 10 different colors
• Random shapes and graphics everywhere
• Cluttered pages
• No white space

GOOD DESIGN:

• 2 fonts
• 2-3 colors
• Intentional use of graphics
• Clean, organized pages
• Plenty of white space

When in doubt, remove elements. Not add them.

DESIGN CHECKLIST

Before you finalize your design, check:

✅ White space: Are there generous margins and spacing?
✅ Fonts: Am I using only 2 fonts consistently?
✅ Colors: Am I using my 2-3 brand colors throughout?
✅ Images: Are all images high-quality or removed?
✅ Hierarchy: Is it clear what's a heading vs. body text?
✅ Consistency: Do all pages look cohesive?
✅ Simplicity: Have I removed unnecessary elements?

If you can check all these boxes, your design is professional.

EXAMPLES OF GOOD VS. BAD DESIGN

EBOOK COVER

BAD:

• 4 different fonts
• Clipart graphics
• Busy background
• Hard to read title
• No hierarchy

GOOD:

• 1-2 fonts max
• Clean background (solid color or simple image)
• Clear, readable title
• Professional photo or simple graphic
• Plenty of white space

PLANNER PAGE

BAD:

• Tiny lines crammed together
• Decorative elements everywhere
• Hard-to-read fonts
• No space to write

GOOD:

• Generous line spacing
• Minimal decoration
• Clear, readable fonts
• Plenty of space for writing

COURSE SLIDE

BAD:

• Paragraphs of text
• No images
• Boring layout
• Hard to follow

GOOD:

• One main point per slide
• Supporting image or graphic
• Lots of white space
• Easy to scan

DESIGN RESOURCES

Free design tools:

• Canva (primary tool)
• Adobe Express (Canva alternative)
• Pixlr (simple photo editing)

Free image sites:

• Unsplash.com
• Pexels.com
• Pixabay.com

Color palette generators:

• Coolors.co
• Adobe Color
• Canva's color palette generator

Font pairing guides:

• Fontjoy.com
• Canva's font pairing templates
• Google Fonts

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

TODAY: Design 3 sample pages using Canva

Step 1: Choose your font pairing (heading + body)
Step 2: Choose your color palette (2-3 colors)
Step 3: Find a Canva template that matches your product type
Step 4: Customize the template with your fonts and colors
Step 5: Design 3 pages using your content from Day 13

PAGES TO DESIGN:

For ebooks:

• Cover page
• One chapter page
• One worksheet page

For planners:

• Cover page
• One daily/weekly page
• One tracking page

For courses:

• Title slide
• One lesson slide
• One action step slide

TIME: 30-60 minutes

GOAL: Get comfortable with Canva and apply the 5 design principles.

Don't aim for perfection. Aim for completion and consistency.

TOMORROW

Tomorrow, we're talking about editing and refining your product so it's actually ready to sell.

You've created your messy first draft. You've designed some sample pages.

Now it's time to polish it into something you're proud to put your name on.

Editing is what separates a $7 product from a $47 product.

It's what turns "good enough" into "wow, this is actually really valuable."

See you tomorrow for Day 15: Editing & Refining Your Product.

Lesson Summary

The text presents a phased strategy for cutting work hours and enhancing efficiency in a business progressively. The approach centers on various tactics like delegating tasks, systematizing delivery, and using products and partnerships to achieve a shorter work week while scaling revenue. Key points include:

• Hiring contractors, creating SOPs, and automating tasks in different phases.
• Setting boundaries and preventing work hour relapses.
• Using a weekly review template to monitor progress and identify areas for enhancement.
• Transitioning from a 40-hour to a 20-30 hour work week while boosting income.

The focus is on:

• Building sustainable business systems gradually.
• Employing time blocking, task prioritization, and automation for workload reduction.
• Personal experiences shared by the author across four enterprises.

The text offers insights on:

• Constructed weekly schedules encompassing revenue and deep work blocks, and off time.
• Efficient time blocking and batch task processing guidance.
• Implementing strategies like the Friday Reset, email protocol, morning routines, and quarterly planning sessions.

The closing highlights a plausible timeline to shift from a 50-hour to a 30-hour weekly work schedule, aiming for a sustainable work-life equilibrium.