I hate manifestos.

 

I hate taking a black and white stance on a subject.

 

For one thing, collaboration is objectively better than conflict. Understanding and education and empathy is better than taking a divided stance on a subject. If the world would stop thinking, “it’s us versus them” and start thinking “it’s everyone versus the problem”, things would be a lot less violent and a lot more understanding.

 

Manifestos demand that you agree with their revolutionary niche point on a subject.

 

I hate manifestos.

 

So here is my design anti-manifesto.

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Here are the rules:

1. Always leave white space

2. Do not mix serif fonts

3. Keep to the rule of thirds or other grids

4. Use the golden ratio

5. Always have a balanced composition

6. Always establish a hierarchy with size and space

7. Do not use white text on a yellow background

8. Make sure your colors are in harmony

9. Less is more

10. Do not date yourself with rules limited by the insight of the age it was created.

 

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Do not date yourself with rules limited by the insight of the age it was created.

 

The world changes. People change. Things change.

 

Graphic design is, and I proceed loosely, a type of art, digital or otherwise, that uses visuals to communicate, typically, one-to-many, but not restricted to such, for the purposes of marketing, advertising, message delivery, or any other purpose not listed.

 

A trend changes, the eye of subjectivity changes, graphic design changes.

 

Any attempt to expand on to the term “graphic design” may risk becoming dating in a short matter of time, in this fast-paced, perpetually evolving field.

 

This is a design anti-manifesto.