About design
BY CHUCK GREEN To me, design is a communication art and the people who practice it should be held, or hold themselves, to a far higher standard than the terms imply. Following are the standards I aspire to. Someday, I hope to get halfway to achieving them.
What is 1 view? Designers and authors have at least two things in common—they think they know stuff and they believe other people care what they think. This, of course, could have something to do with the fact that many of us have blimp-like egos. Being both an designer AND an author I have enough opinions for three people (I hear you, but technically I AM an author—a reporter once told me anyone who writes a couple of books that are published by someone other than his parents can legitimately be called an author).
Can design be “learned?”
I think you can learn if you’re willing to devote the time necessary. The neat thing is it’s all there in front of you. You can choose an ad or brochure that you think works well and deconstruct it—analyze what is happening. What message is being communicated? What typefaces are being used? What kind of grid is the layout based on? What is the color scheme? Then go back and create your own version following, roughly, the same rules—don't copy—reinterpret.
Where do get your design and marketing ideas?
I use a process I call “jolt thinking.” I question the basic premise—the what, why, and how of doing something. It’s easy to fall into a rut of “formula thinking”—a brochure has a headline on the cover, text in the middle, and a logo on the back—certificates have frilly type and seals, and so on.
Jolt thinking is the opposite of formula thinking—it challenges you to examine your mission, strategy, and execution of a project. Ask yourself “what” is the purpose, “why” is it done the way it is done? And “how” can I do it more effectively? You must understand the fundamentals of what's going on before you can make different things happen.
How does a veteran print designer make the transition to the Web?
I have fallen head-over-heals for this medium. To me, it is the ultimate design tool. You don’t have to wrestle with color separations and press checks—what you see is what you get. It wasn’t long ago that design was a much more of a craft—one of my mentors spent much of his time hand-lettering headlines!
Today, a large percentage of your time can be devoted to creating effective messages and building designs around them. That is liberating and a little scary—liberating because there are no holds barred—scary because there are no holds barred (and fewer people to blame).
The basics still apply—you establish a goal, develop a message, proof and publish. I am a proponent of using a linear, print-like metaphor on line. Interactivity is great—but you still need to lead people through your message—from beginning to end. Putting a bunch of links within a paragraph of text, for example, is an invitation to break the readers train of thought. There are lots of neat things to be done, but you have to choose carefully.
What are the most common mistakes inexperienced designers make?
Mistake #1: Lack of a grid—You can pick out a layout that isn’t based on some kind of grid in a heartbeat. A grid is a series of columns and gutters that establish the underlying structure of a layout—an invisible structure that shows you where to line up each element on the page. An important element that is most obvious when it's missing.
Mistake #2: Kerning and leading of type—In prehistoric times, one of my first jobs as a paste-up artist was to manually cut and adjust the space between lines of type and individual letters to make them look like a unit. This may sound nutty but it makes all the difference in the world. Today, I don't spend a lot of time doodling with text-sized type, but I still spend lots of time adjusting the space between the letters and words in a headline—even with digital typefaces that use algorithms to establish spacing.
Mistake #3: The missing message—The purpose of design is to communicate a message, but lots of ads, brochures, and Web sites read as though the designer never met the copywriter. A design is not a design without an idea that grabs attention, some thoughtful selling, and a crystal clear call to action. If you are not selling your idea, product, or service, you are decorating not designing.
What 5 fonts do you think are essential for any designer?
Certain combinations of fonts evoke a certain mood. For example the combination of Frutiger Ultra Black headlines, Frutiger Roman subheads and Times Roman text, in my opinion, create a “dynamic” look. Charlemagne headlines, Franklin Gothic Condensed subheads and Minion text look “classical” to me.
I guess though, if I was shipwrecked on a desert island with just five typefaces—I’d go with my utility players—Franklin Gothic Book Condensed (sans serif) and Minion Regular (serif) for text, and Griffith Gothic Ultra, Requiem Fine Roman, and Slippy Black for headlines.
Beyond that, I’m fickle. I’m always coming across a new or new to me font I can’t be without. Most recently I've been eyeing some of the distressed stuff like Roadkill at veer.com and one of the many beautiful handwriting typefaces: Cezanne at p22.com.
Where do you get your design inspiration?
About 10 feet from where I’m sitting is a big box of stuff—magazines, brochures, printouts, direct mail pieces, and such, that I throw into the box as they come across my desk. In it are lots of great color palettes, design ideas, typeface combinations, and marketing strategies. When I need some inspiration I open the box and wade through.
I also keep a notebook for in my hip pocket at all times (a Pocket Moleskine—I give myself a great discount at the ideabook.com store). I take notes in it, scratch out logo ideas, jot down thoughts on layouts, and record various production and design concepts as they cross my path.