As many of you know, computer defaults can be very good. That is were the problem lies. Defaults are sometimes so good that everyone uses them. That is where lack of planning starts. “Oh, I think that I will just jump on the computer and start designing!” To coin a term of the current holiday, “Bah! Humbug!”

Defaults can save time but in general are for chumps. If you don’t go through and kern and track a document as needed (especially a Headline), I hope that you don’t call yourself a craftsmen (craftsperson) of design. You are not a graphic designer. Every program that I can name or have had the pleasure of teaching has had wonderful defaults but the user immediately becomes ordinary by using them. For example, in Maya, default settings on lights can be very adequate but go through the attributes and adjust the color, intensity, Dmap shadows, decay and etcetera and the lighting becomes beautiful, amazing, so natural that one would not believe that you would every use default lighting again.

Photoshop is another one never to accept defaults in. Photoshop really, really has some great defaults. Accept the doctrine to not settle for defaults and change just one little thing and see how much better the result can be. Start slow. Make your own brushes or make an adjustment in brushes. It will really be an exemplary start.

Now, I can imagine that this sounds like a rant of an old time graphic designer (it is) but there is a lot to be said for those of us that still work out the design entirely on PAPER and then put it together and tweak it on the computer (which is nothing more than a tool). Don’t get me wrong, the computer is a wonderful time-saving device. It just will never replace a well educated, well rounded, imaginative designer. Especially if the user settles for the default settings.

Thanks. In the next blog I will rant less and set some useful things in motion. Any suggestions?

The entire world is organized by planning. There are so many people (especially students) believe that everything (blogs, websites, any type of design, cooking) can be done off-the-cuff. No planning what so ever. There are some designers that can produce well designed pieces without planning, but it is because of their experience, methodical production process, and incredible design sensibility that makes it happen.

For everyone else planning is a necessity. There are some designers that design for design’s sake, never considering the client, what the client’s needs are and (heaven-forbid) totally forgetting the user (target market). I am sure that you know some. Van Gilder & Associates have worked with education administrators at The Art Center Design College to come up with the term, OSI (outside-in design). This design starts with everything else but the design. It takes into account the target audience (users), the client and their needs, having a purpose for every element and every function.

By looking at the client’s goals, proposed audience and what their needs are, you can find an emotional connection and inspiration that speaks directly to the audience. In marketing terms, it is finding the sweet spot. This matches the product and services with what the client wants and needs. The more information that you have, the easier your design will be to complete. For example, lets say that the target audience is 18-26 years of age that are edgy, early adopters. They like specific types of layouts, type faces and color combinations. They like images and pictures that are created or manipulated a certain way. Even if a chaotic style is warranted, it will still fit in a grid that is angled. Putting together a design for this group could follow the parameters that have been laid out that appeal to that group. The real challenge is to take this information about the target and design  something never before seen by that group to make an immediate, stronger emotional connection therefore selling the product or service almost immediately.

Since the group were edgy, early adopters, all of their group and the followers of the target will also follow suit buying the product  or using the service just to fit in. If you want to know more about reaching the tweens, teens, and young adult, read Getting Wiser to Teens by Peter Zollo.

Planning is invaluable to the design process and creates better design, faster. You have to experience it to believe it.