for those hobby-based designers who don't have time to pick it up professionally or the proffesionals who needs some more spice (mainly for logos):
DeSiGN ONE: C.R.A.P rule
Contrast: if the colours don't help it stand out...or helps it stand out ugly-wise...change it
Repetition: No one element should look lonely (colour and design)
Alignment: No one element should float in mid-space or drift away, logos always work best if aligned right down the center (symmetry)
Proximity: use of space, don't cram it. The busier a logo is, the less impression it gives
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DeSiGN TWO: the.COLOUR.rule
1) make use of similar shades
2) avoid using ONLY primary colours (yellow, red, blue)
3) avoid neon colours (dull it down slightly)
4) colours should provide good contrast and unity (unity depends on location of the colors -symmetry)
5) always ask how many colours ur client can afford (keep in mind printing cost serious $$$, one extra shade of color in a logo can cost thousands of dollars in the long run)
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DeSiGN THREE: theFONT.COUNTS
LOGO-WISE
1) if it's for a proffsional company, don't get funky with the fonts
2) COPYRIGHT: don't EVER make a logo out of fonts u've downloaded off the net without checking with the author. law suit will bite u back
3) the company name should be readable when the logo's size is reduced dramatically
BROCHURE.POSTER.ESSAYS.MAGAZINE ARTICLES
1) captial letters are ALWAYS harder to read (so keep it minimal)
2) serif are ALWAYS easier to read than sans serif
3) AVOID white text over BLACK background (kills the eyes, unless ur building a satanic site)
4) Long essay text are easier on the eyes if broken into columns
5) Handwriten spicy/curly styled fonts and script fonts is a form of suicide (university teachers will u a dead zero if u dare touch'em)
hope this helps all of u, they're the best design rules i've learnt in 3 years of school
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