420 Creative Blog

Paul Rand paraphrased by Steve Jobs

2009-07-18T00:21:21+00:00

I will solve your problem for you. And you will pay me. And you don’t have to use the solution. If you want options, go talk to other people. But I’ll solve the problem for you the best way I know how. And you can use it or not – that’s up to you. You are the client. But you pay me.

[ Via No-Spec.com and Unfit for Print ]

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Designers are more than artists

2009-07-17T03:10:54+00:00

Every so often a friend or client or other creative colleague will refer to me as an artist. I understand why this happens. Design does require some art knowledge if only to a degree. Basic art principles of balance, light, hierarchy, weight, etc. are just as important in design work as it is in painting or other fine arts.

The thing is, design goes beyond that. And to suggest designers are merely commercial artists (as they used to be called) puts an emphasis on the visual - it makes us out as nothing more than decorators. Design however, has always been about communication and problem solving.

While one could argue that a painting or ceramic piece can communicate an idea, fine art is much more open to interpretation and subjectivity. That's not to say that either doesn't exist with design. To a degree there will always be interpretation and subjectivity. After all, no everyone will like the design of your brochure or logo or website.

The difference, however, lies in the fact that despite subjectivity, the design solution needs to communicate a single message. Further, it needs to work with marketing and business goals.

That brings us to problem solving. Every business has a problem - usually more than one. That may be how to get more visitors to a website or store, how to convert visitors into customers, how to get the word out, etc. While those problems are presented as business and or marketing problems, the solution rarely exists without design at some level. Getting those eyebals to follow a path is not about decoration but about problem solving. Creating the right logo for your business is less about pretty colors and fonts as it is about figuring out what will make you stand outand attract your target audience

Critical issues to discuss with your web designer

2009-07-16T00:35:13+00:00

Pretty basic stuff listed here, but bears repeating.

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Stop counting clicks

2009-07-15T23:36:14+00:00

David Hamill at UX Booth:

...in order to keep some tasks simple for your users, they may have to click more often. In the same way that a cyclist needs to perform more pedal strokes when climbing a steep hill.

Just as the cyclist is not counting her pedal strokes, your user is not counting his clicks. They both just want to get to where they’re going.

[ via @thegraphicmac ]

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Mac users left out of the MS Office 2010 launch party

2009-07-15T14:35:36+00:00

Ha. Big surprise. →

Awesome Design: Senay logo

2009-07-15T01:42:03+00:00

Not sure what it is about this logo that I find so appealing. Perhaps the balance and clean, sophisticated feel to it.

Found on LogoPond

9 great sites for fonts

2009-07-13T18:38:22+00:00

Like most designers, I'm a bit of a font/typeface fanatic. While I try to keep my typefaces down to a minimum, that minimum is just over 900 fonts. In some circles that's amateur. :) In purchasing and downloading fonts over the years though, I've come to really appreciate the great resources for buying (and sometimes downloading free) fonts. So, I thought I'd list my favorites. And yes, I know there are plenty more font sites out there (featuring free and paid fonts), but these are the ones that I've come to rely on over the years for one reason or another.

MyFonts: My go-to site; and with their recent site redesign, even more pleasing to the eye and easier to use. They have a large database of typefaces from a variety of foundries, and often at incredibly affordable prices. The only reason I'll purchase a typeface elsewhere is because MyFonts doesn't have it. Their specials can rarely be beat.
Fonts.com: Also a large database of great typefaces.
FontFont / FontShop International: Perhaps the most expensive typefaces I ever encounter but the quality of typefaces is incredible (and well worth the price, especially when you buy as a family instead of individual fonts).
Veer: Not just a great place for unique stock photos, Veer also an incredible selection of typefaces. They can get spendy at Veer but it's worth it.
Adobe Fonts: Often the best place to get Adobe's fonts, but not always (see #1).
Fontex: A new one to my list. Well designed site and great free fonts available.
UrbanFonts: One of the nicer designed sites for free fonts and the font selection is pretty decent.
DaFont: Good selection of free fonts but I personally find the design getting in the way of its usability.
Phil's Fonts: An oldie but a goodie. The only reason this one is at the bottom of my list is because I haven't used it in a really long time.

So there you have it – my top 9 sites for typefaces. Got any you really like? Share them in the comments!

Direct and useful project feedback

2009-07-11T00:33:09+00:00

Seth Godin on project feedback:

It might be an internal team developing a website or it might be an outside designer working on a logo. Regardless of the team's make up, as their client, you walk a fine line. On one hand, you want their best, most creative insight, delivered with passion. On the other, you want the people you represent (your boss, the customers) to be happy with what gets made.

Which leads to the feedback part. (Not criticism, feedback).

420 Creative turns 6!

2009-07-09T23:03:27+00:00

Alright, so technically 420 Creative has been operating for 7 months or so. But since all that changed was the name (from 420 Design), and we're essentially the same as last year, I say 420 Creative is 6 years old today! In fact, it's 6 years to the day!

While this blog post is a bit self-serving, I am still humbled and extremely appreciative of the good fortune I've had and the great clients and friends and peers I've met along the way. 420 Creative certainly wouldn't be where it is today without those folks, so many thanks to you all.

Here's to continued success, not only for us, but for everyone!

Drop down navigation menus: use wisely

2009-07-09T17:59:26+00:00

I'll come right out and say it – I'm not a big fan of drop down menus. You know the kind. You visit a site, roll over a navigation link and out comes a menu of subpages links. Aside from just plain being annoyed, I do have some concrete reasons as to why I'm not a fan.

Overcomplicates the simple

Navigation links are supposed to be simple and general. Stuffing it with hidden sub-navigation goes against that entirely. As Albert Einstein said, "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." Navigation links fit right into this.

Confuses users with too many options

The freedom of choice is a great one, but when it comes to certain things like website navigation, limited options is a good thing. Too many options and a user is bound to get confused with what you've decided is the best way to categorize something. And the potential to completely miss what is being looked for resulting in frustration increases dramatically with additional options. Instead, keep your navigation general and present subpage links in a subnav on the subpage.

Search engine relevancy is watered down

As search engines crawl and index your site, one thing they look at is your site's navigation links. What these links point to is important for search engines. So having more than half a dozen or so main links easily waters down the relevancy of the main links. Keeping the number down to as few as you need plus/minus 1-2 is a good guideline.

Poor excuse for organization

This is a biggie. More often than not, sites I've seen with drop down menus have done a really poor job of organizing the site in the first place. The idea is to organize via the navigation. Tsk, tsk. That's a lame attempt at something that should have been handled with solid information architecture and/or usability. Bad organization of a site will make it confusing and frustrating to visitors.

So the question is, are there any reasons to actually have and use drop-down menus? In my opinion, very rarely. Use them sparingly - they'll just complicate things anyway.