— In Graphic Designers Are Ruining The Web, Observer writer John Naughton outlines his dismay that so many webpages have turned into so much bloat (over the last decade, the size of web pages has more than septupled.) He has a point, and designers and developers certainly need to work together to create streamlined pages that work whether you have broadband or dial-up. But don’t you find the quote above peculiar? It’s like he has no idea that minimalism is itself a design choice. The pages he professes to adore all accord with a set of design principles, even if those principles are to include a whole boatload of information (and, as it happens, have nothing whatsoever to do with minimalism.) Craigslist may be designed according to “un-design” principles, but it’s designed nonetheless. It’s a shame that more people don’t understand this, and it’s somewhat infuriating to hear designers equated, as here, with dumb maniacs who gleefully refuse to understand how the web works. Some of them are, of course. But it’s an unhelpful generalization, and makes for an irritating read. Don’t know about you, but I value content and I value aesthetics, and I firmly believe that the two can co-exist. </rant>
Brian Collins founded the Brand Integration Group (BIG) at advertising giant, Ogilvy and now heads up his own design and innovation consultancy, COLLINS:. He spoke at Design at Scale and gave an informative behind-the-scenes look at his life as a designer behind advertising lines. He concluded with a useful set of principles that we would all do well to remember:
1. Say Yes to Everything and Anything
“Ad guys are good at this. I don’t think designers are. Just say yes.”
2. Ask What is the Biggest Problem This Project Can Solve?
When asked to do a billboard for Hershey, Collins and team opened a Hershey store. When asked to launch Dove moisturizers in Canada, they created a global photography exhibition. There’s a fine line here, but it’s useful for designers to remember that they’re being hired for their creative input, and clients should welcome smart input that can elevate an idea.
3. Drive Story Through Everything
“If you’ve ever read a story to a child, you know they’re in control. They’ll ask ‘and then? and then?’ What happens next is the story. It’s a powerful way to build brands.”
4. Persist. Persist. Persist.
“I’ve had remarkable public failures, and I’ve had remarkable public successes due to working with some remarkable people.” The only thing to do is just keep on going.
