Simplicity
BackgroundThe viewer should distinguish the background from the foreground and identify the subject of the portrayal. Good design needs to look effortless. Simple designs often stand out against the busyness of everyday life (McWade, 2013).
Simplicity is difficult to do well. Complexity does not make the message clearer - avoid distracting clutter. Reduce busynessWhen visuals or auditory elements are too busy, it isn't easy to process.
Here are some techniques that might help:
Introduce White SpaceOne way to simplify is to introduce white or negative space to help the eye and mind focus on the story's subject.
Unify elementsWhen you use a photograph - try to seamlessly integrate that with the graphic (e.g. title and background) so that it looks like one seamless element rather than a bunch of elements jammed together. Sample the colour from the photograph and make that your colour choice for the text.
Check EdgesOn a photo or video, ensure you get into the habit of scanning the edges of the frame for unwanted distractions. When taking a photo or video, the eye tends to ignore the peripheral distractions and focuses on the subject. When a person looks at an image in a different context, the distracting elements become glaring - and are often difficult or impossible to remove.
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PurposeSimplicity makes the message clear and meaningful without distraction.
Simple is PowerfulSimple is best - the simpler design is the far more powerful design Simple means fewer elements, less complicated elements, less to look at, less to think about - not that it needs to be simple-minded.
Tell just the essence of the message. Please don't add more elements to your page because they seem relevant. If it doesn't help tell the story, then take it away. We see nothing if the image is Photo simplicityIf you are going to make a photo or image small, ensure that the elements are easily recognizable even at the small size, it may need a different picture to achieve that purpose.
Simpler photos are better: Photos are often busy, so if you can remove the backgrounds and simplify the frame's information to just a few elements that represent the concept, it becomes a more elegant solution. Depth of field is one way to achieve this. Reducing Design spaceIn some cases, a stronger presentation is possible by reducing the size of everything.
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References
McWade, John. (2013). Before & after: Things every designer should know. Lynda.com. Retrieved from
http://www.lynda.com/Design-Page-Layout-tutorials/Before-After-Things-Every-Designer-Should-Know/
http://www.lynda.com/Design-Page-Layout-tutorials/Before-After-Things-Every-Designer-Should-Know/