Dead Simple Design 3 - For Web Designers
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The document discusses the concept of 'dead-simple design,' emphasizing its importance for web designers who must balance creativity and technical skills. It presents guidelines and techniques for effective design that prioritizes clarity, engagement, and minimalism. The author advocates for simplicity in design while also highlighting the challenges and common mistakes made by designers.
Dead Simple Design 3 - For Web Designers
- 1. Dead Simple Web Design 3 Confessions of a Forty-something Design Guy Living In a Hipster World. ! John Coonen The FINAL >
- 3. “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Albert Einstein
- 4. But First… ! Let’s introduce you to various creative types: fine artists, graphic artists, graphic designers and you: web designers ! …
- 5. Fine Artists: They create works to please themselves.
- 6. Commercial Artists: They create works to please their clients.
- 7. Graphic Artists: crossover fine/commercial artists, with a bigger mortgage to pay.
- 8. Graphic Designers: are graphic artists, with a serious case of OCD
- 9. Web Designers: are a mix of all that, plus code! Which means…
- 10. …We are seriously messed up.
- 11. So, if designers were were personified by dogs…
- 12. Fine Artist: A Breed Apart
- 13. Graphic Artist: Everyone’s Favorite
- 14. Graphic Designer: Perfect Showdog
- 15. Web Designer: The All-Purpose Mutt
- 16. Web Designers are today’s design, code & project management pros; Jacks & Jills of all trades, and masters of none.
- 17. The way to stay within your skillset, and keep customers coming back is through “dead-simple design.”
- 18. “Graphic design is a creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas.” -AIGA
- 19. Dead-simple design delivers maximum information with a minimalistic style.
- 20. “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, Mark Twain so I wrote a long one instead.”
- 21. Dead-simple design: ! Communicates Engages Clarifies Economizes to MOVE the User Along
- 22. Design is not User Experience, but design helps dictate UX.
- 23. This is NOT Dead-simple design:
- 25. Neither is this:
- 27. But this is:
- 33. There’s dead-simple, and there’s dead on arrival…
- 35. (OK, take a deep cleansing breath)
- 36. God likes things simple for us. He said:
- 37. “Just follow these ten simple rules.” ! - God
- 38. But did we listen?
- 39. “OMG. That’s not so good.” “Only TEN Laws? It can’t be that simple. We need MORE!”
- 40. IF/AND/THEN:
- 41. IF 90% of communication is non-verbal,
- 43. THEN you can communicate 90% better through great design.
- 44. we may be living ! ! ! in a hipster world
- 45. but don’t worry, most hipsters can’t design either. but now, you can too!
- 46. These dead-simple design techniques & tools will have you designing like a hipster in no time. !
- 47. • Don’t use more than 2 fonts or variations • Don’t break the grid • Don’t let your client dictate design • Don’t view templates first • Write first • Embrace the grid • Coordinate colors • Use paper & pencil • Use Photoshop or Fireworks Do This. Not That.hipster approved
- 48. ! • Don’t ignore accessibility • Don’t forget to “kern” headlines ;) • Don’t mix design styles, no matter how tempting • Embrace photos • Choose classic fonts • More line space! • Be consistent • Hire a designer (seriously) Do This. Not That.hipster approved
- 49. Also: • Make the point early • Know the rules before you break them • Focus on benefits, not features • Be reserved in your art direction ;) hipster approved
- 50. • Edit, edit, edit • Question every step, remove if unsure • Check final against goals • Get input before going live • Show it to a 5th grader hipster approved
- 51. Read up on Saul Bass & Paul Rand, kings of dead- simple design. hipster approved
- 53. Paul Rand
- 54. “Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations.” Paul Rand
- 55. These design resources will give you a head start: hipster approved
- 61. And Finally, My “Never Evers” ! • Never Ever: estimate under 40 hours to create a website or app • Never Ever: estimate under 60 hours to fix someone else’s
- 62. CREDITS: ! Bass, Saul Budweiser Canter, Mitch Dannaway, Adham Da Vinci, Leonardo Einstein, Albert Fairey, Shepard ! God King, Phil Lautrec, Henri de Toulouse Leroyer, Philippe Levie, Aaron Matisse, Henri Miedaner, Eke Miller, Alyssa Miller, J. Howard Monet, Claude Petrovski, Vase Rand, Paul Rebsch, Sadi Roscover, Dylan Twain, Mark Warhol, Andy Williams, Sean Logos & brilliant quotation Budweiser poster Clever tweets Web design / Coder iIllustration The Mona Lisa Quotation, the e=mc2 thing & crazy hair Smashing Pumpkins album cover Obama Hope poster 10 Commandments, plus like, everything Sweet mutt photo 7 Dance at the Moulin Rouge Wicked tattoo artist CEO of Box, smart Tweet on UX Isn’t in this. I just like Henri. Photo of the “fine artist” dog “Rafa” the Golden Retriever portrait “We Can Do It!” poster Monet Reading The Newspaper Wizenheimer photo Quotation & awesome logos Typography poster with Super Mario Steve Jobs illustration Quotation + great sense of humor First “selfie” ever Bob Marley poster
- 63. Contact Info: ! ! John Coonen Partner, Coffee Group Inc http://coffeegroup.us @CoffeeGroup !