Some design dos & don’ts.

Do your research.

Know everything you can about a project before concepting a thing. Explore, ask tons of questions, learn your client’s expectations, identify your target audience and figure out how to emotionally engage them. What type of work has your client done in the past? What is the competition doing right? What are they doing wrong? Research builds a foundation that supports your design decisions later in the creative process. You wouldn’t build a house on a bed of quicksand would you? Why build your design on it? Arm yourself with knowledge discovered through research prior to concepting and creating.

Do develop a concept before you create anything.

A concept is a briefly stated clear idea around which a design is organized. In advertising for example, think of the concept as the common thread that is woven into every advertisement found within the advertising campaign. While we vary the visuals and copy in each ad to hold the viewers’ interest, the concept (the underlying message you’re trying to communicate) must remain constant throughout the entire campaign. The concept connects each of the ads together through a single, common message.

Ask yourself “what’s the big idea?” as you concept and you can ensure your headlines, visuals and copy support the big idea. Each of the separate elements in a design (headline, main visual, body copy, etc.) must work together as a team and support the concept.

Do reference, but don’t beg, borrow and steal.

It’s called inspiration for a reason. Let it do its job, but there’s a fine line you don’t want to cross. Rely on your creative morals when deciding what’s borrowed, what’s stolen, what’s inspiration and what’s a blatant rip off. 

Don’t go with your first idea.

Your ideas can’t become precious to you. Your first idea can be a good one, but the problem is nine out of ten designers would probably come up with the very same idea. In design an original concept (one that is unique) is important for it’s unexpected and will surely stand out from all other messages, thus helping to get the point across. Running with the first one or two ideas you come up with might not accomplish this “unique” goal. Many times I find the final direction is a hybrid of a few different initial ideas.

The idea generating process might sound tedious, but think about how many light bulbs Thomas Edison went through to get one that we would use for nearly a century. If we don't check all of our options we’re only cheating ourselves.

Do take creative risks.

A bit of advice given to a young Native American at the time of his initiation: “As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm. Jump. It is not as wide as you think.” - Joseph Campbell

Push yourself beyond what you think you’re capable of. Be a creative explorer and don’t settle for the expected or predictable. Go against the grain and march to the beat of a different drummer. Go rogue!

Don’t go trendy.

My absolute favorite quote of all time is by American essayist, philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” If you’re on a path, it’s someone else’s path. Chart your own path! It’s the best way to ensure you’re unique. Keep an ear to the ground, educate yourself about what’s current in visual communication and then run in the opposite direction as fast as you can. If you use design elements (colors, typefaces, etc) that everyone else is using how can your message possibly stand out?

An example for you: nothing says “I’ve was designed in 2011-2012” more than forked ribbons utilized in designs. This overused trend will surely mark the year 2012 in the graphic design history books. If you’re using forked ribbons, um, STOP!

Like borders, ribbons have long existed in various forms. What we’re seeing now, though, is the near dominance of a particular style of ribbon, easily identified by a fork at one or both ends. Some ribbons are also folded over twice, creating a faux effect of depth. (1)

Do put yourself in the shoes of the end user.

Yes, I want you to follow your gut instinct and want you to interject your perspective and opinion, but realize many times you aren’t the intended audience. Your point of view can only take you so far throughout this creative process. That’s right, get out of your own head and try to look at the message, concept and design from the end user’s perspective. What gets them to sit up and take notice? What speaks to them? What gets them to take action?

Do use a grid.

I’ve heard designs based on a grid can result in works that are too similar to each other. I don't agree with this. We can use our creativity and bring unique aspects to a design making it one of a kind. Integrating an underlying grid structure and establishing order won’t inhibit this creative magic from occurring.

A viewer needs to sense order to better understand the content. The grid accomplishes visual order through the structured placement of elements in a composition.

The grid also offers options when it comes to working with abundant amounts of content. It’s our responsibility to figure out how and where to place the content without the design feeling too busy or too minimal. There’s a dance of harmonious elements that needs to occur in order for the design to communicate correctly.

Don’t choose too popular and widely used typefaces such as papyrus and comic sans.

Do choose type that visually connects to what’s being communicated to the intended audience.

Type’s attributes (shape, form, line quality, etc.) can project emotion into a design and guide the viewer to understanding the tone of the message without asking them to read a single word. Your typography choice and placement subliminally establishes the intent of the message. The instant the viewer sees the letterforms they understand the tone of the message and can begin to relate to it.

Don’t use more than three typefaces in a single design.

Ok, there’s no hard and fast rule stating you can't use five, six or even twenty different typefaces in one document. That being said, too many typeface changes can distract and confuse the reader. Make your choices carefully and consider how many typefaces will be seen together in your design. Longer, multi-page publications (magazines, books) can often tolerate a greater variety of typefaces where shorter, smaller publications (brochures, ads) might not be able to handle a copious amount of type mixes. (2) Try asking yourself this question as you design: Do my chosen typefaces relate to one another, team up and support the message or do they fight for attention and create unwanted tension?

Don’t be a prima donna.

No one wants to work with someone who has an attitude. Creativity flourishes in a collaborative environment that motivates and inspires not in one that’s riddled with angst. Others are more apt to work with you and open to suggestions when you’re a team player. Like it or not, design is a service industry. Well, let me clarify that statement. What type of design are you creating, design for design’s sake (personal) or design as service (client based)? If this is a personal journey and you only have to answer to yourself, be as cocky or arrogant as you want to be. If you’re providing a service, you’re on a creative team and working with others (clients, designers, copywriters, photographers, etc). Learn to “play well with others” or the end product will suffer.

Don’t use external values to measure your worth.

Know your value, your worth and what you bring to the creative table. As you take on the design industry, you’re going to hear you’re not good enough. This I can guarantee.

Stumbling is a part of your creative journey. Don’t focus on the fall but do focus on getting back up, dusting yourself off and pushing forward. It’s a learning experience. I realize getting back up sounds a heck of a lot easier than it is to do. Find solace in knowing we’ve pretty much all been through it. Yes, we all fall and have been told in one form or another we’re not good enough. Don’t let the external influence determine your value.

In conclusion

The dezignrogue blog is an open discussion on our shared interest, design. It isn’t me talking design in a vacuum! This is the point where I ask you: any additional dos and don’ts you’d like to add to the list?!

Resources:

 (1) http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2012/03/15/symptoms-of-epidemic-web-design-trends/

(2) http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/fontselection/a/fewerfonts.htm