- First, you should congratulate yourself.
This has been a demanding course,
but you made it through all the lessons
and are ready to tackle your next project.
It's not going to be possible
to recall every single thing we discussed.
Take it step by step.
It may seem that the experienced designers don't even think
about all these lessons,
that they have an innate talent
and can effortlessly make a great design.
But all of us have gone through the same lessons
and at one point or another
made some pretty awful solutions.
Every designer, regardless of experience level,
deals with all of the issues we've covered on each project.
Let's recap.
The most important issue is a strong idea and goal.
Once you've arrived at this,
a great layout will make it powerful and clear.
I start with a size and format.
Then I look at shapes, color, and its meaning,
and make sure the words are to the point and clear.
I explore compositional solutions
that create a dynamic solution
and check to see if the project is slipping into boring.
Now it's time to look at the hierarchy.
Is the priority level of each element apparent?
And now I play with different proportional structures.
Is the golden section right?
Or does a grid of squares work better?
Now I have most of my elements
in place and a rough sense of proportions.
I add a grid to help lock in the pieces and create cohesion.
I check the level of simplicity.
Is there anything there that doesn't need to be on the page?
Anything that is purely decorative?
If so, it goes away.
And finally, I integrate the imagery,
making sure the cropping is dynamic and I'm telling a story.
There are many kinds of designers in the world.
There are a multitude of styles and approaches.
Where you land on the spectrum is a personal choice.
You have a unique life experience and view of the world.
It's your duty as a designer to share this
and create work that is dynamic and exciting
but could only be made by you.