Keeping it simple for maximum impact

Less is more.

How often have we heard that famous saying? And yet, it’s so true.

I looked simplicity up in the thesaurus: words like “effortlessness, ease, easiness, straightforwardness” emerged. Isn’t that what design is really all about? Often the simplest things are the things we remember — not the complicated ones.

Complex layouts can be counterproductive. They give off the feeling of chaos, difficulty, and conflict. It feel claustrophobic. Too frequently, we are trying to add too many words to a postcard or we want to use a filter or effect that we’ve just learned.

What we are NOT doing is thinking in terms of who will actually have to read what we are designing. Everything needs to be used in moderation…

Simplifying is simply removing the unnecessary:

1. Establish one focal point
2. Number of fonts used in a publication
3. Increase line spacing
4. Limit how many colors are used
5. Remove text and tighten up the body copy
6. Backgrounds used sparingly
7. Limit the amounts of pictures used
8. Include more space between columns
9. Use short lists whenever you can
10. Add some white space around the page.

SIMPLICITY CAN BE COMPLEX

See the sample in my portfolio that uses simplicity here.

Technorati Tags: Design Theory

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