In the age of Pinterest, the design-seeker is never short of inspiration. Free fonts and grunge textures are only a Google search away. Even if you’re not a designer yourself, the Internet and life (yes, they are still two separate things) are overflowing with great and not-so-great designs to stir up the visual parts of your brain. But this might not as beneficial as it seems.
Problem: A boundary-less design space is the breeding ground for ugly, misdirected results.
Solution: Design boundaries clearly align your brand’s story with how it presents itself visually.
Great design is all about limits; it can be much more about making choices for what your brand isn’t than what it is. Surprisingly, these limits develop stronger results than creative free-for-alls. It sounds counter-intuitive to how we think of creativity, but limits only develop clarity, just like a solid writing prompt or a well-defined task list. Develop direction up front for your brand, or your poster, or your little notebook doodle, and the story behind the design can shine through without clutter.
To put into more specific terms:
- Six fonts is too many. Pick two, and rely heavily on fonts that have a variety of great weights.
- Your colors can’t be all the colors.
- Get off Pinterest.