What makes a good logo? In my opinion, simplicity, appropriateness, and uniqueness. I drive around town and see many poorly designed logos. Some are too complex, some don’t reflect the business appropriately, and some are clichés.READ MORE
A subtle and often overlooked design principle is texture. Derived from the Latin word meaning “to weave,” texture arises from interwoven or layered parts. READ MORE
I’m intrigued by the idea of flow. I’m certain that I chose graphic design as a career because getting lost in my work brings me into the flow state. When I was a child, my father called me a macher, which is German for “maker.” I am still happiest when I am making something.
In his book Finding Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (me-HIGH chick-sent-me-HIGH) defines flow as moments when “there is no room in your awareness for conflicts or contradictions. When heart, will, and mind are on the same page.” After studying hundreds of people, he learned that most of us are likely to find flow at work than anywhere else.READ MORE
Rhythm establishes consistency in your design. Repeating elements operate like the bass line in a good tune. Rhythm can create movement through a multi-page publication and help your viewer navigate.READ MORE
You know how important balance is in life. Balance is also a fundamental design principle. READ MORE
What if a movie had no climax? A news article had no headline? A song had no refrain?
One of the most basic design principles is unity. Unity brings diverse elements into a cohesive whole. The image above is unified by color and shape. Think of unity as getting every element to work together for a purpose.
Red is the color of excitement, energy, action, and power. Circles are endless. A circle represents the whole person, planet, idea, or universe. How would you interpret the message of this composition?
Every message you send can be made stronger and more effective with design basics such as these. Choosing the right colors, symbols, and words creates clear, authentic communication that puts you ahead of the pack.
Lines can be delicate or aggressive, directional or meandering, representational or abstract. Lines do much more than delineate a shape. They have rhythm. They have motion. They can fill space, enclose space, or create negative space.
Let’s talk about white space—or more accurately, negative space, because it doesn’t have to be white.READ MORE
