Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
10. Clarify your intention.
Design is about choices and intentions; it is not accidental. Design is about process.
Design is often systematic, although there is room for great flexibility and creativity within
a system. The end user will usually not notice “the design of it.” To the user, it may seem
like “it just works,” assuming they think about it at all. This ease-of-use or ease-of-
understanding is not by accident. It's a result of your careful choices and decisions,
including your deliberate choices about what to include and what to exclude.
11. Sharpen your vision and curiosity, and learn from the lessons
around you.
Good designers are skilled at noticing and observing. They are able to see both the big
picture and the details of the world around them. Humans are natural pattern seekers, so
be mindful of this aptitude in yourself and in others. Design is a “whole brain” process.
You are creative, practical, rational, analytic, empathetic, and passionate. Foster these
skills in yourself and in others.
12. Simplify as much as you can—but no more.
It was Albert Einstein who said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but
not simpler.” Simplicity is our guiding principle. Simplicity means many things to many
people. Scores of topics have been written on the subject. For our purposes, simplicity
means embracing most of the concepts discussed here to avoid the extraneous. It
means making the conscious decision to cut unnecessary information and design
elements. If you can do it with less, then do it with less. Yet simplicity is not only about
subtraction. As MIT professor and designer John Maeda says, “Simplicity is about
subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.” You will find tools for achieving
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simplicity in many of the principles covered in this topic, including hierarchy, unity,
balance, the use of color and typography, and much more. All of these principles can
help us achieve clarity of message and simplicity of design.
13. Utilize empty space.
Designers see empty space not as nothing but as a powerful something. The biggest
mistake most people make is seeing empty space as something that must be filled in
—as something that is wasted unless it is occupied with more elements. But it is the
empty space, also called negative space or white space, that makes the positive
elements of a design stand out. If you look at empty space as something to be avoided,
then your designs are very likely to be cluttered. The intentional use of space does not
just lead to better aesthetic qualities; it's a powerful tool for directing the eye and
establishing clear design priorities. Empty space, then, is absolutely crucial for obtaining
clarity in your message.
14. Learn all the “rules” and know when and why to break them.
