- I can't express the importance of contrast too much.
Contrast is the key ingredient in successful modern design.
Contrast is the difference between thrilling and boring.
Contrast is strength.
There are multiple kinds of contrast.
Contrast between dark and light,
large and small,
vibrant and somber,
happy and sad,
complicated and minimal.
The last thing you ever want your solution to be is dull.
When a piece lacks contrast it becomes recessive,
uninteresting and forgettable.
In film and writing, contrast creates interest.
In "Star Wars," compare the dynamic swings of action
from intense to quiet,
and the dark of space to the bright of a desert.
Now think about sitting in school and watching a documentary
on how to use good manners to be popular.
Low contrast,
no exploding death stars,
dull.
Great design relies on the same dynamic.
This concert poster is a fine example of contrast,
with color, black and white and scale,
with the enormous B and much smaller typography.
Color is another element that can create contrast.
I used saturated red, black and white
against bright golden yellow.
These high contrast in colors demand attention.
I needed to make sure that a customer will see this
before any other in a bookstore or online.
Obviously, the difference between solid black
and solid white creates the highest possible contrast.
Interestingly, people assume black and white will be dull.
In reality, we see everything in color,
so high contrast black and white is compelling and rare.
Contrast works with extremes.
Big things look bigger placed near something small,
white is brighter set against
a vast amount of black negative space.
A common mistake I see is small moves.
I may work with a designer
and suggest making something larger on the page.
When I return, it's 5% bigger.
Why bother?
I once worked on a catalog with the artist, David Hockney.
When he worked,
he painted on a huge canvas and made giant strokes.
This inspired me to expand my work.
When making moves, think big.
Work in broad strokes and big gestures.
Make something so bright
that someone needs sunglasses,
so small that it is the tiniest thing on a page,
and so large that it bleeds off the page or screen.
If it needs to be pretty and nice,
make it extremely pretty and nice.
So nice that you want to throw up.
There is no room for polite and just okay in great design.
Go forth,
be brave and bold.