Does your design stink?

“Whitespace is like air: it is necessary for design to breathe.”

Wojciech Zieliński

 I love great design and how my emotions are touched by it. It is such a monumental part of my life now. 

 Design projects are where I get inspired and have so much freedom and fulfillment, especially when I can pull off something that looks enticing, gives great joy and most of all, stops a reader to actually pay attention.

Recently, while designing e-zines for the studio, I realized a few things about design. These were principles I knew, but they have always helped me, so I thought I would share them with you.

ONE: Every design piece must be simple, easy to read and quick to grasp.

That is the "utility" part of designing. Everything must function correctly, grammar must be right, text must be laid on the page where it is easy on the eyes and the message must be clear and easy to understand. 

I made sure that for every text-heavy page, it was followed by a design page with a quote and image with a lot of negative space around it. 

This gives the eyes a place to rest and take a breath, so to speak! These pages like an oasis in the desert.

TWO: E-zines need beauty and emotion as well as content. 

I knew I needed to make these e-zines so compelling that the reader couldn't stop looking at it.  

By the use of unique fonts, colors and images along with creative page layouts, I knew I could make the publication beautiful. 

Emotion came in the stories and quotes and it really added to the mix to create pieces that were easy to read and also delightful.

THREE: You really don't need all of those words!

While words are one of the most important aspect of designing, too many words and not using enough imagery can be a big mistake.

Remember the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words?

Read your materials over a second and third time and see what text you can eliminate. 

Don Norman, an author and engineering professor said, "Aesthetics matter. Attractive things work better."

Daniel Pink, the author of "A Whole New Mind” says this, "Good design, now more accessible and affordable than ever, also offers us a chance to bring pleasure, meaning and beauty to our lives. But most important, cultivating a design sensibility can make our small planet a better place for us all."