Limited scope = Good design
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- detritus
An interesting article on Wired that sums up much of what I've come to believe about working in 'design'..
http://www.wired.com/wiredscienc…
ie. it's all about working within a problem.
I'm often bemused when designers find that their ideal solution to a client's problem is to Start From Scratch - especially where there a brand detail, like a logo, font or schema that they don't like or want to work with.
Not only is this doing their client and their industry a form of disservice, it distracts them from properly investigating their own field.
.
Alternate reasoning - I'm putting this here to refer subsequent designers to my clients to when they turnaround and ask 'who made this crap?'. Think of me as a farmer of sorts..
- detritus0
Limited link length = highlighs badly-considered headlines
- animatedgif0
bad designers find it hard to work within restrictions
- monospaced0
I find that I create my best work when under the tightest restrictions.
- limited color / type / budget = creativitymonospaced
- What about limited time? As in you can only spend x amount of time, how do you go with that?numero1
- that toomonospaced
- but, it's hard to say when a design is really finishedmonospaced
- on second thought, I do my best under pressure, so even limited time helpsmonospaced
- Monospaced, I would like a website using only white and yellow, along with 8 different typefaces. You have 3 mins.aanderton
- Websites don't count.monospaced
- uan0
without reading that article, I totally agree.
I remember learning this in architecture lessons, it was some book by Le Corbusier I think.
- Fax_Benson0
Yeah, when clients say 'just be creative, we have no preconceived ideas', they never mean it, or if they do, it doesn't help.
- ideaist0
From Wikipedia:
"Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system."
The more assets, information, etc. you begin with, the more informed your solution will be but too much often results in bloated, unfocused results...
; )
- vaxorcist0
yes!
When I was a Teaching Assistant in grad school, one of the profs I worked with did a test, first, third and fifth assignments had really, really tight scope, second and fourth were wide open.
at the end of the semester, we all had to rate the quality of everyone else's work, secret ballot...
for most of the "wide open" (second, fourth assignment) that work sucked, the really tightly scoped work was great in comparison....
- for the tight one's you come up with the 'best' solution, for the open ones you tend to try and go with the 'first' idea imoMulatu
- waterhouse0
I'm warmed by all of the like-minded sentiments here. I've felt since school that I belong in the design industry because of my love for problem-solving.
The more challenging the "problem," the more I enjoy my work.
- nadanada0
in architecture school, the best projects were the hardest. due to a weird lot, a seemingly impossible zoning issue etc. those were always the projects that were the most fun - and produced the coolest work.
now, as a graphic designer, i totally agree - when the scope is tighter, the work is better. 100 variables are better than ∞.
- 23kon0
i'm with monospaced.
I work best when under the tightest of restrictions/budgets for creativity/timescales.
When you know you have loads of time to work on something then it never gets your full focus, youl just fart about
- animatedgif0
Best spam is within a limited scope
- BonSeff0
you just wanted to mix in the word 'bemused'
- duhsign0
agree
- gramme0
Agree 100%. I also agree with the sentiment that bad designers struggle to work with restrictions. I especially get bothered when people use too many typefaces, weights, sizes, colors, etc. If the content is good, it needs space to shine without being encumbered by frills. If the content is no good, the writer or client should be fired.
- doesnotexist0
i find myself making limitations and setting rules when the client has none. the more restrictions, rules, limitations, &c the better the work for sure.
- monospaced0
I saw a documentary about the White Stripes recently and there was a section interview with Jack where he talks about this same phenomenon. He says that being limited to two people, a string instrument and percussion, doesn't limit their musical capabilities but instead fosters it. He takes this to other levels too, forcing himself to run around on stage to his several instruments, purposefully making them harder to get to. I loved this idea, and how he even extended it to the simple color palette they use.
- he's showing off what can be done with a bare minimummonospaced
- monospaced0
^ starts at 4:13
- antimotion0
I always think of films when I hear this inquiry -
District 9 cost 30 mil - really great story, direction, effects...
A film like Transformers cost 195 mil - great effects, but sadly that's about it.
I think it works in the design world as well - when you're limited, you have to think "how can I make this to the scale of creativity I would want it to be" and do it within the confines of, for instance, budget, timing, materials etc...
Every design / project is simply a different puzzle to solve - the execution of creativity is limitless.
- Fax_Benson0
same goes for any creative endeavour. All artists start with limitless possibilities in terms of subject, media etc. It's the restrictions they impose on themselves that define their creativity. Some people, with access to the full gamut of humanly audible sounds, create trance albums.