Learn by Looking Around - Design is Everywhere!
A lot of creative people - from novelists to musicians to, you guessed it, graphic designers - are used to being asked the same questions over and over again: Where do you get your ideas? How do they come to you? Where are they born?
Some people might scoff when they hear these inquries, but hey -- they're good questions! Where do designers get their ideas? Do they just pop out of nowhere, or is everything truly inspired by something else? In this article I'll fill you in on a few golden rules of 'good design' and tell you where you can look to discover a few more.
A while back, web design teacher Vincent Flanders developed a popular website called Web Pages that Suck, with the catchy motto Learn Good Design by Looking at Bad Design. I have nothing against the site, and I've enjoyed grimacing at a few of the poorly designed gems that Flanders has showcased throughout his website's history. However, I don't agree that becoming an effective designer is simply a matter of figuring out which mistakes to avoid by noting the mistakes of others; rather, I invite you to learn good design by looking at... good design.
Seek out the work of reputable design firms. Marvel over the techniques and practices used not by the worst of the worst, but by the best of the best. Whereas the "bad" designers routinely make the same mistakes over and over again, the "good" designers are constantly pushing the envelope, finding new and exciting ways to delight our eyes and minds. Good design is more than a flat image on a piece of paper or a computer screen - it's an idea, a concept, a scheme which stimulates the senses and evokes a powerful response. Where can you go to see good design in action? Follow me!
Trade Shows
Trade Shows, Expos, Conventions - I can't get enough of them! Macworld, Internet World, the PCExpo, Ad-Tech... the mere mention of any of these gigantic annual events makes my mouth water and my pulse flare in anticipation of exciting booths and pavillions, the latest and greatest technical innovations, cutting-edge advertising, and as many free T-shirts as I can carry. Companies spend millions on marketing and advertising at these tremendous expos, and it shows. Humongous banners hang from the ceiling. Stress-balls and keychains and dozens of colorful buttons are passed out for free to anyone who wanders too close to a booth. When I attended Macworld '99 at the Javits Center in New York City, the first thing that I saw when I got out of my cab was a row of banners advertising the new Apple iBook draped across the front of the building. It was a powerful, arresting image, and even though I'm not a "home" user (I buy G3s and Powerbooks, not iMacs) I suddenly found myself wanting, needing to have an iBook in my hands at that exact moment. Now that's good design - good graphic design, intelligent advertising, savvy marketing. You can bet that I stopped by the Apple pavillion to pick up some literature. Elswhere at Macworld, Flash creator Macromedia, Inc. was giving a live demonstration of a few of Macromedia's recent web design software packages. How did I find the Macromedia? By following the spinning Macromedia logo, which was thrown across the ceiling by a large projector originating from the booth. Nothing fancy was needed - no robot to come and escort me down the rows, no obnoxious voice blasting from a loudspeaker, no annoying college kid passing out brochures to everyone who passes by. Just a simple, two-color logo which flitted and danced across the ceiling, drawing the eye and urging it to follow. Good design! I invite anyone with an interest in commercial design to visit one of the big tradeshows - there is so much to see and do that you'll think you are walking through a Las Vegas Casino instead of a convention hall. Put on a pair of sneakers, hop on a train, and have a ball!
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