Design tips for Non-Designers

27 January 2004

A list developed by moi - my personal faves:


  1. Leave graphics and page layout to the people who know what to do with them. *Design will make or break a site, ad, or whatever else it is you're printing or marketing.* Typography, photography, and goodkarmaography all matter - let the designers do their thang.

  2. Your reader should either know what the point is in all of 2 seconds, or they should be hooked & lured in by curiosity. If you don't hit that window you'll lose your audience.

  3. Get to the meat of the content - don't leave people searching, reading, or guessing. Ambiguity is for the birds.

  4. Take pride in your work.

  5. Ask the people who know what to do for help.

  6. Use common sense!

  7. Go outside for goodness sakes, it's gorgeous out. Unless you live in Minnesota this week where it's bloody cold. Then I suggest taking a nap ;).

Comments

Amen Sister!!

There are way too many Microsoft lovin', Front Page usin', tutorial readin', bitmap creatin' MORONS in this world and every Tom, Dick (huh-huh -- I said "dick."), and Susie Sunshine thinks they can do a friggin website.

Even worse: Those who think that if they can successfully find and open Photoshop from somewhere within the depths of their desktop-shortcut-cluttered cataclysm of a computer that they are in fact certified designers.

As they say on SNL, "Moooooooooove!"

Posted by Keira on January 27, 2004 9:18 PM: