6 Checks Before Approving an Ad Design
You don’t need a designer’s eye to review an ad. These 6 quick checks help you judge the message, layout, spacing, size, and CTA.
Key takeaways
- Look at the design for three seconds, then close it. If you can’t remember what it sells and what you’re meant to do, the message isn’t clear.
- Space around elements is not wasted room; it helps the eye find the headline and the price.
- Check the design at its actual size on a phone, not zoomed in on a computer screen.
- Write specific feedback and send it all in one message so you make the most of the revision round.
Before you type “approved” on your ad design, check six things: can the message be understood in three seconds, are the elements balanced, is there enough space around them, is the text readable against its background, is the size right for the platform, and does the ad include a clear call to action. You don’t need design experience to review these, and two minutes is enough. An ad that passes all six will not necessarily be a work of art, but it will do its job, and that is what you are paying for.
The three-second test
Open the design on your phone at its actual size, look at it for three seconds, then close it. What do you remember? If you remember the product and the offer, the design is working. If you only remember the colors and decoration, the message is lost. Also try it on someone who does not know your business. You already know what the ad is supposed to say; they do not.
The six signs
- 1. One message: one ad should say one thing. Putting an offer, a discount, a new product, and a new branch opening into one image means none of it will get read.
- 2. Clear visual order: the biggest element should be the most important. If the logo is bigger than the offer, the order is backwards.
- 3. Balance: the elements should be arranged so one side does not feel crowded while the other feels unintentionally empty. Balance does not mean symmetry; a large image on one side and text on the other can be balanced too.
- 4. Space: empty room around the headline, price, and logo, plus margin from the edges. Space highlights the key elements and reduces clutter.
- 5. Contrast and readability: light text on a dark background or the reverse, and a clear font at a size that can be read on a phone without zooming in.
- 6. Call to action: “Order now,” “Book your appointment,” “Link in bio.” Without it, people may like the ad but do nothing.
Check the size and details
- Size: square or portrait for posts, and full vertical for stories and short videos. Ask the designer for a version for every place you will publish it.
- Edges: in stories, the app interface covers the top and bottom of the image, so do not place important text there.
- Spelling and numbers: check the price, contact number, and offer date character by character.
- Logo and colors: are these your brand colors, or colors the designer picked on their own?
- Images: they should be clear, not stretched, and you should have the right to use them.
Write your feedback clearly
Revision rounds are limited in most services, so make them count. Vague feedback gets you a different design, not a better one.
| Vague feedback | Clear alternative |
|---|---|
| “Make it look nicer” | “The headline is hard to read over the image; put a dark color behind it” |
| “Make everything bigger” | “The price is the most important part; make it bigger and reduce the logo” |
| “I don’t like the colors” | “Use the attached brand colors instead of blue” |
| “There’s too much empty space, fill it” | “Add the contact number under the offer, and leave the rest as it is” |
| “Change the font” | “The current font is hard to read on a phone; choose a simpler font for the small text” |
And collect all your feedback in one message after checking with anyone whose opinion matters to you. Scattered messages sent over two days use up revision rounds and confuse the designer.
What is not worth a revision round
- Pure taste that does not change the result: a slightly lighter shade will not increase sales.
- Filling every empty space with extra information.
- Making the logo so large that it competes with the offer.
- Adding every social media account and every branch: include one method you can use to measure the ad.
After approval
Ask for the files in the sizes you will publish, and for the source file if it is included in the service, then keep everything in one place. After publishing, compare two different ads with different headlines or images to learn which one brings more orders, because numbers judge more accurately than impressions. On Hylance, at the time of writing, the design of three ad banners starts at about SAR 45 (about $12), and six ads in platform sizes start at about SAR 120 (about $32). The exact price is listed on each service page. Do not confirm delivery before you check the six signs, because the payment stays on hold until you confirm.
Example: one ad before and after the check
A burger restaurant ad arrived from the designer like this: a burger image in the middle, the restaurant name large above it, and around it a lunch offer, news of the new branch, two phone numbers, and icons for four delivery apps, all at almost the same size. After reviewing it using the six signs, it became this: the burger image fills the top half, below it one large line saying “Lunch meal for SAR 25,” below that “Order on the app,” and the logo small in the corner. The new branch news became a separate ad. The numbers here are only for illustration, and the lesson is that removing elements improved the ad, not adding more.
Ad design services on Hylance
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Frequently asked questions
How do I know if an ad design is good?
If someone can understand within three seconds what you’re selling and what you want them to do, can easily read the headline and price on a phone screen, and can see a clear button or line telling them what to do next, the ad is doing its job.
What does white space mean in design?
It’s the empty space around and between elements. It reduces clutter and makes the key parts stand out. An ad with a headline, image, and price plus enough space will be read faster than one packed from edge to edge.
How do I write revision feedback for a designer?
Name the element, the problem, and the requested fix: “The price is too small to read on mobile; make it bigger and place it next to the product.” Put all your notes in one message instead of sending separate messages.
Ready to put this into practice?
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