20 design rules

1. have a concept – have a reason to design something and a purpose for your design solutions to a plan. Have a path to go with and be able to stay on track. No message story idea then it will become flat nor purpose to designing.
2. communicate don’t decorate - limit to flourishes and over excessiveness of materials and mood and feelings and layers of design to present your concept
3. speak with one visual voice – one idea that gets placed on everything and keep in same color and feel throughout to make the project cohesive
4. use two typeface families maximum. Ok, maybe three – staple rule one san serif and one serif have rule with two fonts and possibly a display font for small text that is easy to read – just a guide
5. use the one two punch – hierarchy given the point quickly see and understand it
6. pick colors on purpose – make a point to your color have a reason behind your work
7. if you can do it with less than do it – simplify design and clear and easy to read without to many generic symbols or flourished symbols
8. negative space is magical – create it don’t just fill it up – break for the eyes and clear hierarchy
9. treat the type as image as though it’s just as important – dominate type as image and use symbol and color
10. type is only type when it is friendly – does it compete or work together
11. be universal remember its not about you – design for universal demographic and create to everyone’s best interest
12. squish and separate – group together and pull the white spaces out
13. distribute light and dark like firecrackers and the rising sun – contrast of colors
14. be decisive and on purpose or don’t do it at all – have a reason for everything and create to a specific purpose
15. measure with your eyes – grid and look at how it looks visually see where things need to be to rest the eye and relax it and make it cohesive in a way
16. create images don’t scavenge – from images and manipulate them on photoshop and create the mood and town of your book with color and tone
17. ignore fashion seriously – fit within the trends but still design to your liking
18. move it static equals dull – make it moving and wanted to be looked at
19. look at history but don’t repeat it – aware of what is happening get a reference but then create your own work and design from your own mind
20. symmetry is the ultimate evil – off balance is good more interesting

Most important – have a concept, a reason, distribute light and dark – make it cohesive, symmetry is the ultimate evil, make it unbalanced and visual appealing

Need to work on – use two typefaces, measure with your eyes, speak with one visual voice

Want to ignore – squish and separate, ignore fashion seriously, type is only type when it is friendly