- I found that designers aren't crazy
about too much color.
It will seem garish, unsophisticated,
or too bright.
The same time, black and white are dull, and unfinished.
As we've previously covered,
I have no issue with too much color
and nothing in my view can be too bright.
But I am a big fan of a robust black and white solution.
We think black and white is dull but in actuality,
we see very little black and white in the world.
Movies, television, and magazines,
the internet, and the world in general is in color.
In the midst of this,
the viewer notices black and white with high contrast.
This gives us a large advantage.
Gray and flat are the most common issues
of black and white work.
Nobody notices the bland, gray composition.
It's the designer's job to create a solution
that commands attention,
and does not recede into the landscape.
I approach this issue by making sure
that a black and white image has contrast.
There should be a pure black, pure white,
and values of gray.
In addition to the well-balanced black and white tones,
use typographic scale and weight changes.
Try a solid background and reverse the type to white,
or change the landscape to portrait orientation
to add the needed punch.
Scale and hierarchy are critical
when working with typography, and black and white.
The layout of typography with only one size,
one weight, and one color,
can quickly become a gray mass.
Use the opportunity to prioritize the information.
Make the headline giant or separate body contact
with an introduction paragraph,
and use the negative space to greater area of white.
Playing with different type weights and sizes,
the goal is to create a dynamic layout
that engages the reader.
It's okay for a page to shout sometimes.
But I like to show restraint with type.
I work with one typeface in multiple sizes and weights.
Too many other fonts creates a stew.
Rather than moving the elements around
endlessly on a page,
I set up a document with multiple pages
to save each variation.
Add 20 pages and use them all.
I'd love to say it works to compare them on the screen
but it doesn't.
Print the explorations out and pin them to a wall,
or lay them in line on the floor.
Seeing the physical, printed versions will quickly reveal
the most successful solutions.
I've worked on a black and white solution for hours
with no success.
When that happens, I invert the elements.
Sometimes, changing parts of a composition
from white to black makes a huge difference,
and I always do a wholly reversed version.
We're so used to seeing the white page on the screen
that we forget that a solid black background
can be bold and standout.
When the designer fills a composition with color,
the viewer is less likely to notice details.
A purely black and white solution
depends on the refinement and exquisite craft
of every part of the design.
It's hard to hide a crumby curve, sloppy kerning,
or unsatisfactory resolution with less distraction.
Make sure that you consider
and refine every shape, and element.
Black and white work can be bold and dynamic
but is unforgiving.
And finally, to contradict myself,
when all else fails and I can't make a design work visually,
I add one color, not 20, just one.
A moderate usage of one additional color
can make a significant difference on the page.
But do this as a last resort
and not as a stepping stone to a full color solution.
The more color I add,
the more I will dilute the dynamic
black and white approach.
A bold black and white solution is the best way
to create high contrast.
The rewards outweigh the challenges.
As you work, remember that the goal is to impact.
Stay true to the idea.
Dare to let the project be aggressive
and don't be tempted by the ever present swatch palette.