After more than a decade, Nigel French's How to Be a Better Designer series has reached its final installment. In this episode, Mike Rankin and Nigel French celebrate the conclusion of the 12-part series, which began as a pair of articles in InDesign Magazine back in 2013 and was later revisited and expanded for CreativePro Magazine. They look back at the long journey of the series and the ideas at its heart: studying the past, learning by doing, embracing constraints, understanding the rules of design, and knowing when to step away from the computer. They also talk about Nigel's approach to typography and composition, the influence of his photography on his design work, and the ongoing challenge of putting his own advice into practice.
Key Takeaways:
Study the past to understand the present. Learn from the history of design and typography, and look closely at how designers before you solved familiar problems.
Paint the back of the fence. Take pride in the details that may never be seen by building files that are organized, thoughtful, and usable by whoever needs to work with them next.
Don't polish a weak idea. When you find yourself endlessly nudging, tweaking, and adjusting, step away from the computer and ask whether the underlying idea is strong enough.
Know the rules before you break them. Understand the principles behind established design practices so you can make deliberate choices about when to follow, adapt, or abandon them.
Design is simple, that's what makes it so complicated. Limiting your choices can focus your thinking and lead to simpler, stronger solutions.
Keep learning, no matter how experienced you are. The deeper you get into design, the more you realize there is to learn, so stay curious and embrace being a perpetual student.
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