top 3 1/2 design commandments
When one sits down to address a design problem, whatever it is, there are always 3 1/2 commandments to follow;
1. Design always follows simple truths.
Under this commandment there are 2 sub-commandments: First - form follows function - once you understand why you are designing (the function) then you can begin to experiment, with the form. And second, the K.I.S.S. principle - Keep It Simple Silly, which means - human beings see and understand simplicity much clearer than complexity which simply complicates.
2. Don’t break the rules until you’ve learned and understood them.
Rules are not what you really want to hear about when designing yet, they are necessary. Moving ahead without an understanding of the rules will waste your and your client’s time.
The rules of design (or principles) have to do with layout, type choices, colour decisions, etc. After acknowledging these rules and keeping them in mind, you can begin making sure that you also have all the required components. As you move forward with your designing you now can experiment and iterate creative possibilities by attempting to ‘break the rules’. For example; move the illustration/image off the page, bump the copy text into the headline text, maybe even force text into an irregular shape (oooo risky), … If you decide these work (and they do have to ‘work’), then you can see if they add to the uniqueness of the design solution.
3. Communicate not decorate.
That’s ‘nice', 'pretty', ‘sweet’ - or there is an obvious pause - if that’s the feedback you are getting from your art director then you are not effectively communicating your message. Design needs to employ the best solution to the given problem. Adding decorative flourishes to type or imagery can dilute the concept.
… and as a bonus, Learn to pivot!
Pivoting means to shift to a new strategy. The likelihood of this happening while collaborating is very high so learning this skill is of great value. In a recent post, you can find more details about this maxim.
Once you assimilate these commandments and they become second nature, then you can discover that they are not actually, carved in stone!