What’s a Design Dinosaur
by: Lala C. Ballatan
Are you fond of applying and scrambling old and new design clichés in one helpless web page? Are you one of the thousands not yet enlightened that ‘too much of a good thing is bad’? Are you too engrossed in improvising other designs and not coming up with your own?
Being a design dinosaur is a common sickness among designers who tend to be exposed and awed in latest design clichés coming out and copying or improvising them to concentrate on making his / her original design. But this practice isn’t entirely wrong, though. There’s always some "monkey see, monkey do" in the design world. Someone comes up with a great logo, Website, package and the next thing you know, they’re everywhere.
What’s bothersome in using most design clichés is that it implies you're not using up your own talents as a designer. In graphic designing, the ultimate creation to make you cry “Eureka!” may come upon us on our thirtieth attempt. This moment will happen once you really challenge and stretch yourself.
Here, we give you several examples of design clichés which uses seem to have gotten out of hand:
* Swooshes – this logo was started by Nike and before we knew it, "swooshes" were everywhere on the Net. It’s obviously been successful for Nike. But if your Internet company try to use this swoosh along with thousands, we can’t guarantee if anyone would remember you.
* Beveled Anything – this give depth to the appearance of your graphics and prevent it to look flat and one dimensional. But avoid excessive beveling just because Photoshop now makes it easy. Think about the company you're designing for. What sort of image do they want to portray?
* Ambiguous Icons – doubtful graphic icons for buttons which are supposed to lead the user to an important link won’t help you in gaining attention for your internet company. It would only serve to confuse users and eventually leave your site. Remember -- if you can't come up with a graphic that is easily identifiable with where the button leads to, don't use a graphic — or don't use a graphic with no text.
Some design dinosaurs are fond of Flash - fading text and moving text is pretty been there, done that. This effect can be seen everywhere and it's a rare occasion when moving text really catches the eye. There are also those who abuse drop shadows by having it go in different directions. A drop shadow, indeed gives depth to a page but if you won’t be so consistent the whole idea is spoiled.
If you don’t want to be a design dinosaur, don’t be too dependent on design clichés. The only way to achieve an original and outstanding design is by thinking about your design and deciding what’s really best for it. You have to challenge yourself and stretch your design muscles. Who knows? You might be the next one to make a design cliché.-30-
About The Author
Lala C. Ballatan is a 26 year-old Communication Arts graduate, with a major in Journalism. Right after graduating last 1999, she worked for one year as a clerk then became a Research, Publication and Documentation Program Director at a non-government organization, which focuses on the rights, interests and welfare of workers for about four years.
Book reading has always been her greatest passion -- mysteries, horrors, psycho-thrillers, historical documentaries and classics. She got hooked into it way back when she was but a shy kid.
Her writing prowess began as early as she was 10 years old in girlish diaries. With writing, she felt freedom – to express her viewpoints and assert it, to bring out all concerns -- imagined and observed, to bear witness.
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