Simplicity in Design
I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy listening to podcasts. Have you heard of 99% Invisible? Roman Mars and his rich, deep voice deliver stories about the aspects of design and architecture that no one thinks about. It’s beautiful and informative, and I recommend it often to my creative friends.
There are a few new projects going on in the office this week, and it made me think of this 99% quote:
“Fundamental Principle of Design – if you want something to work – and work well – keep it simple.”
A quote to live and die by. Granted, they were talking about performing a bank robbery, but simplicity is an important element that is essential for effective design. To me, simple means easy to understand with few weak spots for failure. The simpler the design, the greater the impact.
However, the invisible aspect – the part that is talked about in the podcast – is that simplicity in design does not always equal to “easy to design.” Think about it. A bank robber doesn’t wake up and just decide to rob a bank that afternoon. Planning, research, and experimenting need to happen before execution. The same thing goes for creating a website, logo, photograph, or product. It takes time and effort.
Some of the best shots are simple in subject but complex in technique. For the website redesign for Hartman Executive Advisors, the team at Hartman and Incite Creative spent months developing a look that conveyed a message to viewers. The front page consisted of “pain” shots to convey the difficulties companies face with technology. The inner pages had “relief” photos to show the joy in having a professional on their side.
“Pain”
“Relief”
Months of preparation went into this. Between vetting models, creating spec shots, and planning professions/poses for each models, no detail was overlooked. This design needed that level of attention and planning in order to come to life. When you visit their website, you have a clear and simple message that is effective for the viewer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re developing a website, designing a building, or creating a marketing campaign. Everything requires thought and planning. The end goal is all the same – How do we make this as easy as possible for our audience? What’s the simplest way to send a message?
In the end, “keep it simple.”