Don’t get stuck, get smart.
by Signify. Location: Gimmelwald, Switzerland
As a designer, and even as a photographer, I often feel like the ideas in my head are not translating like I want them to. It is frustrating. And I know I’m not alone on this one.
So it was really interesting and helpful to read an article by Nina Boccia on azuremagazine.com this morning about the designer, Michael Bierut, and his guide to successful design. Apparently he jokingly refers to himself as a “lazy” designer – in truth, he’s actually just very smart. It’s not about being lazy at all, it’s about being resourceful and keeping a project within reasonable effort, time and budget. The article’s content is an excerpt from one of his lectures, and it shares his seven methods to design efficiently and effectively. I really appreciated his first few steps, so here’s my take on those as a designer:
His first step is to simplify – stay away from ideas that are elaborate and time-intensive.
My take: A novel idea. And it relates to the concept, “don’t bite off more than you can chew.” Both of these thoughts will allow me to work more efficiently without feeling overwhelmed. Keeping it simple while still producing quality work can deliver the best results for everyone.
His second and third steps are to use the elements of the design that are already working rather than scrapping everything and starting from scratch.
My take: Interesting. A lot of times I tend to think that what the client has already could be so much better if only I could get my hands on it and give it a complete overhaul – I like to think of it as my “creative ego.” But his thought is that I need to first find out what is working already, then figure out how I can improve it and make it work even better. Re-working just one aspect of the design may drastically improve the piece.
This article opened my eyes as a designer and allowed me to realize that I don’t need to fight with the design – if I use these principles, the design will work with me. And I also was reminded again that less really is more. Stop the clutter and make a statement.
I feel refreshed and motivated, how about you?
- Laura