Rules of Design

[vicfurth]

I've been thinking. What if we kinda made this a core of info on design subjects, like:

Rules of design

Design do's

Design dont's

How to get our names out there

Etc.

There's a lot that people can learn from some o' you guys.

[NewYawkSeahawk]

I'll give you one Design DON'T!

DON'T use more than 2 Photoshop Filters or Effect on any given layer object.

Anyone can put 10 filters & effects on something in Photoshop and call themselves an artist.

[Stampman]

I don't know if "rules" is the right word--it sounds like it stifles creativity and imagination--in design there ought not to be rules, but guidelines...

However in a contest--yes rules, and in a paying job parameters...

And though I would say do whatever you want in general for designing--yes there are somethings that will almost always look cheesy...

And it's okay to have your own "rules" in the sense that you're stretching yourself so you're going to do this or that -o not do them--in a concept...

SO if you usually use a certian eefect, or technique, or colour--then try a design without them...

That said--I haven't done a lot of concepts outside of Madden designs--and other than the rules the Madden uni template inflicts on you--and dark for home, white/light for roads--I can't think of any rules I was slavish too---

[Gothamite]

Hmm. You're right. Rules can be tricky.

I would say that by my own sense of aesthetics, simpler is better. My rule - keep it simple.

Stampman's idea is great - break out of the standard barriers you place on your work. Too often, we see concepts posted for multiple teams that are the artist's standard template with a new name.

Also, just my pet peeve - if you use any part of someone else's idea or template, credit them wherever possible. It's just polite.

[FeenVol]

DON'T use more than 2 Photoshop Filters or Effect on any given layer object.

Anyone can put 10 filters & effects on something in Photoshop and call themselves an artist.

Preach on NYSeahawk...and stay away from using gradients! They have their uses but not in everything.

[Phil]

A couple of guidelines...

Consistency is good. Especially when dealing with line weights and the like...

The fewer the colours, the more your fans/customers will be able to identify themselves with them.

[Diablo de Tejas]

To add my 2 cents, I do alot of print design for large scale companies. The biggest thing I can say is don't fall in love with your designs. I have never in 5+ years, ever gotten an approval on the first layout. You have to park your ego in the garage and take every critisism and comment non-personally. Also, as far as print goes, you must work in CMYK. If you work in RGB and try to convert it, your colours will go haywire. Also, I agree with NewYawkSeahawk, if you can't create without filters, you really need to reavaluate your design.

[Stampman]

To add my 2 cents, I do alot of print design for large scale companies. The biggest thing I can say is don't fall in love with your designs. I have never in 5+ years, ever gotten an approval on the first layout. You have to park your ego in the garage and take every critisism and comment non-personally. Also, as far as print goes, you must work in CMYK. If you work in RGB and try to convert it, your colours will go haywire. Also, I agree with NewYawkSeahawk, if you can't create without filters, you really need to reavaluate your design.

Well as I said in paying jobs you have parameters...

But a good way to learn is just go wild--but remember the ego thing too...

I actually design more than I post here--but most of it isn't fit for human consumption...

[jamesjduncan]

I am relatively new to this, but in my short time I think I have learned a few things.

Try using MS Paint at least once to do a jersey. From what I understand, everything else is easier. Completing a project with this application is a task to be proud of.

Don't do it all in one shot. If you are gunning to get it done in one sitting, you will get burned out and sloppy. It's a hobby, not a way of life.

Credit templates you use. Someone brought that up earlier, and that's huge. I use alot of Roger Clemente's stuff. I like to note that, and leave all his tags on there. Aussie has a template with his design logo on top. Same there. It's a golden rule thing.

Lastly, just do whatever you feel. Don't avoid something because it don't seem right. If it sucks, people will tell you. But they will also offer advice to make it better. Use that.

L8r,

Jimmy

[AAO]

To add my 2 cents, I do alot of print design for large scale companies. The biggest thing I can say is don't fall in love with your designs. I have never in 5+ years, ever gotten an approval on the first layout. You have to park your ego in the garage and take every critisism and comment non-personally. Also, as far as print goes, you must work in CMYK. If you work in RGB and try to convert it, your colours will go haywire. Also, I agree with NewYawkSeahawk, if you can't create without filters, you really need to reavaluate your design.

Exactly. dont let your ego get in the way is key. and everything else this guy said. oh and i have never used photoshop for any of my designs

Try using MS Paint at least once to do a jersey. From what I understand, everything else is easier. Completing a project with this application is a task to be proud of.

heh i would know all about that...the good old days...haha

[BaltimoreFan]

I heard this in an really old post, but it is very useful. For all the Paint users, Do save your images as .PNG files. They look much better when you post them on the boards.

[Stampman]

I heard this in an really old post, but it is very useful. For all the Paint users, Do save your images as .PNG files. They look much better when you post them on the boards.

When I started saving them as PNG's they looked better--no more distortion, or colour changes--a few more bytes to save them as PNG's--but well worth it!

[flynnagain]

Hi a few things to avoid headaches

1) work in illustrator-CMYK....use the pms library (coated) and find out the colors you can work with as far as the uni maker is concerned ie. pantone 125c may be perfect for the piece but if CCM doesn't use it in their uni's, you will have a hell of a lot of back tracking to do

2) jamesjduncan's comment about not trying to do thing in one shot is right on....take breaks and go back to the logos.......sometimes you'll look at what you have done and say what was I thinking......give you self time to do this (although you will get a few clients that want things in a hour or two, ....which usually end up as crap)

3)as FeenVol said, avoid "gradients" ...they can be hell when trying to put the logo into different applications

4) HAVE A THICK SKIN

[iDonovan]

MY $0.02

Never sell yourself short....I have a few points on this.

Don't be afraid to charge what you feel is right, to many people are gettng paid very well for very poor designs. Play the starving Artist role and you will end up living the life.

Try to never charge by the hour..but by the design. There are so many idiot and cheap a$$ people out there . I like the guy thats says I want to be only charged $100 or a design worth $100. So if you charge $25 an hour and you have put in 4 hours of work and only half done do you give them half the design.

Just my do & don'ts

[toxicsoul]

Here are some things that I have learned over the years, it's a bit wordy, sorry for that?

Research, you can never do enough and never have enough reference materials from which to work. The more material you can get, whether it be a photo, another logo, a definition or description, it will help your design. It will help you stretch your boundaries because you might come across a look you might not have ever considered.

Never rule out the unexpected, you never know when a great idea will pop into your head, I have a notebook next to my bed and always have some form of paper around me to jot down an idea. I take the train everyday down to to Center City in Philly for my job and everyday I seem to come across stuff that triggers an idea or a look or style? be it architecture, or the way a shadow hits the ground, you just never know where your next idea might come from or be influenced by.

Over the years I have seen the computer begin to take the place of the pencil. This is a blessing and a burden. I love computers but there is nothing that can take away what you can do with a piece of paper and a pencil. I find that when I start a project I always do with a pen and paper because it find it easier to doodle a bit before I commit to a look or design. It helps me weed out what might not work and what will. I'm not even talking tight final comps but just lines and shapes in some cases.

Again as it was mentioned in previous posts, walk away from your work and then come back to it. I find that looking at something for a long makes me fall in love with it. But when you walk away and come back after a while you start to see things in a different way.

Ask your friends or fellow designers for their opinions. I'm going to tell you not every person will love what you do. I have had people tell me that they don't like something, this is a good thing in most cases as it will help improve upon that which you do. Case in point myself and one of my fellow designers at work bounce ideas off of each other on a daily basis because he may see something that I did not and vice versa.

Have a feel for when to stop. By this I mean we all have a tendency to want to keep making changes or additions, it's like an addiction, but the key is to find the balance that is that design. Not any other. Each one has a life of its own. I find that if I want to continuing making changes I either scan it in or copy it and work off the copy as so not to lose the original, in case it goes a bit to far away from the vision, you still have the original.

Also keep in mind, 99.9% of most jobs that you will do are those where you are working for a client, not for you. Make sure you take their needs into consideration (remember this design is not for your use), lead them down a road but don't force them. Also I would say a very good percentage have no idea what goes into a good design as a good portion of design is just the opposite (I have had clients say to me make this look like that logo, which is hardly ever a good thing since you want to do something unique to them but keep in mind they are the ones writing the checks). Be patient. Listen and try to find a solution for them that is in their best interests while still maintaining your ideals as a designer even though your idea may not be the one that makes it through to completion.