On developing good Graphic DesignAdvice from Mcladin.

*Know Your Client

*Study their message and style

*Highlight what it is that sets them apart from others

*How do they currently present themselves?

*Does it need to change to help reposition them?

*What is their competitive advantage?

•Sketch your ideas first.

*Otherwise they might turn into digital disasters.

•Avoid Using Too Many fonts and Colors

*Keep a hierarchy of message and tone

*Remember, color can help set the mood

•Keep Your Skills Up-to-Date

*Learn the latest styles and trends

*Do tutorials and learn how to use new pro grams

•Stay Inspired

*Attend conferences and workshops

*Surf the web

*Travel and expose yourself to different design

*Collect samples of designs you like and use them as references

*Read DESIGN MAGAZINE!

•Creative Freedom

*Try to push the envelope

*Don’t do the tried and tested—be bold!

•And finally, LESS IS MORE

*I repeat: Less is more!

You don’t have to be a designer or critic, or even posses a creative bone in your body to have an opinion on a piece of design, such as an advertisement or logo.

There are just some things that can’t be looked at subjectively, no matter what your art teacher used to say or who the audience is! Often we are exposed to outdated designs with no relevance to their purpose. Design should be the voice of the brand.

Is poor design a result of character less brands?

Maybe. If that is the case, then take some time on your client’s behalf to help develop their brand. Create a personality for your client that will aid you in developing their new look.

I was going to go off on a tangent and list every sorry-excuse-for-a-design present here in Jeddah. But who am I to sit here and say this is “good” design or that’s “bad”? Decide for yourself. The design police have given you the tools to be the critic we know boils within you. So use the stickers provided or visit the site, www.design-police.org and download and print the ‘Visual Enforcement Kit,’ and start bringing “bad” design to justice!

Advice from McLadin, on developing good Graphic Design:

If graphic design is the ability to solve problems visually, then much of the designs being created in the region are actually adding to the problem rather than solving it. Over designing is a huge issue for most designer share. Just because something is complicated, doesn’t mean its better. Keep it simple and obvious.

To produce effective and visually appealing designs, make sure you:

• Take your time to research
• Don’t start designing unless you’ve done your homework
• Get other people’s input before you submit it to the client
• Understand your audience