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March 30, 2021

Quote: “All things are created twice,” says Stephen R. Covey

“There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things.

“Take the construction of a home, for example. You create it in every detail before you ever hammer the first nail into place. . . .

“Then you reduce it to blueprint and develop construction plans. . . .

“You have to make sure that the blueprint, the first creation, is really what you want, that you’ve thought everything through. Then you put it into bricks and mortar. . . . You begin with the end in mind.

“Through imagination, we can visualize the uncreated worlds of potential that lie within us.”

—from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

August 5, 2020

Proximity

The proximity principle: elements that are close spatially are perceived to belong together. Use this to your advantage.READ MORE

July 10, 2020

Outlines, drop shadows, and gradients, oh my!

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

July 7, 2020

Basic Color

“Color adds tremendous meaning to communication as it vitalizes the visual message, delivering an instantaneous impression.”

—Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color

Green is the color of nature itself. It is nurturing and secure. Deep greens are lush and prestigious. Light green is minty and refreshing.

June 1, 2020

Design Principles: Texture

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

May 22, 2020

How to Spend More Time in Flow

Book Review: Finding Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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.READ MORE

May 18, 2020

Design Principles: Rhythm

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

May 12, 2020

Design Principles: Balance

You know how important balance is in life. Balance is also a fundamental design principle. READ MORE

May 5, 2020

Design Principles: Emphasis

What if a movie had no climax? A news article had no headline? A song had no refrain?

April 28, 2020

Design Principles: Unity

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.

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