More Design Tips

• • How to Lure in Your Audience with Good Design
• • Get That 3D Look Without Breaking Your Budget
• • Boost Your Marketing Prowess with Perfect Postcard Design
• • 5 Ideas to Spark Those Creative Juices
• • 5 Ways to Toot Your Own Horn
• • A Metaphorical Idea
• • 5 Must-Haves in Every Layout
• • Trim the Fat: What Your Logo Doesn't Need
• • Timeboxing: An Outline for More Efficient Design
• • Paragraph Indicators - Make A Dent in Your Universe
• • Designing for Color-Blind Viewers
• • Add Sparkle With the Symbolism Tool
• • Grab Them Right Out of the Gate
• • Depicting Time and Motion with Design
• • When Color Matters
• • Design That's Easy as A-B-C
• • Eye-Teasing Design
• • Variation on a Theme
• • Room to Breathe
• • Low-Cost Clip Art and Images
• • Typographical Terms
• • Breakthrough Brochures
• • The Risk of Over Designing
• • Successful Newsletters How-To
• • Do-It-Yourself Letterhead
• • Creative in Black and White

The Risk of Over Designing

Simplicity is often seen, but it's a concept that is not easily explained. For some graphic designers, it's second nature. For others, it involves much forethought. Today's designers are trending toward more simple, clutter-free designs, as they return to simplicity. Here are some examples of how the traditional theme of less is more is used:

• Advertising
  Not only can simple ads grab attention, but their short and to the point messages are also easier to comprehend. The concept of "less is more" is especially effective when writing ad copy.
  
  
• Catalogs and Brochures
  Catalogs and brochures are expected to be a vast source of information, yet readers appreciate when they are simplified, organized, and easy to read and comprehend. Simplicity is often its own reward since it encourages increased use.
  
  
• Packaging
  Like a poster, a package needs to attract the eye within seconds of its initial viewing. In recent years, shelves have been jammed with products whose designers have attempted to out-design one another. This gives simple package designs featuring primary colors, bold copy, white space, and clean design the ability to effectively break through the clutter.
  
  
• Identity
  Not only do logos convey the personality of a company, but they also offer a memorable impression. Simple designs that incorporate a company's complex ideas are the root of a logo's power.

One of the perks of being a designer is the ability to develop a personality or character for a company or product. For designers, simplicity means a return to basics, but not at the expense of creative design.