Avoiding the “Make it Bigger” Syndrome
Over the years I’ve come across numerous clients and worked with many designers. Often, I have found myself in the midst of a classic struggle of balancing client satisfaction with design integrity. It is often a delicate situation that is balanced upon a fine line of subjective opinions and taste. Unfortunately, this balancing act gets toppled at times by the infamous request, “make it bigger.”
As creative professionals, we have a duty to explain to clients the purpose behind any particular design. Whether it is a multimedia website, a direct email, or a multi-page brochure, the selection of colors, layout, and graphic elements all serve a purpose of achieving client goals. The “make it bigger” request typically surfaces when a client wants to see their logo dominate the screen or printed page. Sometimes it is the body copy, or a call-to-action that says, “Buy Now!” To address this issue, we need to understand principles of positive and negative space, mass and overall layout.
Positive space comprises the actual elements placed onto a page. These of course are images, headlines, body copy and any other element seen on the page. Negative space (sometimes referred to as white space) is the areas of the page that are empty or surround the elements on a page. A creative use of negative or white space can create visually impactful designs that capture a viewer’s eye. Negative space can allow the design to flow from element to element, creating a clean appearance. Clients at times can request changes that clutter the page leaving hardly any white space, which ends up creating a confusing layout that does not communicate well with the audience. A typical example of this was all the portal/search engines of the late nineties. Then one company came along and displayed the ultimate use of white space, Google. The simplicity and cleanliness of their design was one of the major factors to their success.
When viewing various elements on a page, mass plays an important role in signifying areas of importance and organization. Page headers normally have a larger mass than body copy, which helps the viewer quickly identify their location. Calls-to-action usually have a larger mass associated with them compared to other areas on the page. However, a typical mistake is to “make everything bigger” so that no one item stands out as being most important.
Layout is the organization of elements on a page, and it is critical to the success of a design. It guides the viewer’s eye to particular components within the design. The placement of images relative to copy, the spacing (leading) between lines of copy or even between letters (kerning) are some detailed aspects of layout. A common pitfall when creating a composition is “make my logo bigger,” which often ends up competing with specific elements on a page that you want a viewer to interact with. In other words, branding is great, but at some point you need to make a sale.
Next time you work with an agency or design firm, beware of the “make it bigger” syndrome. Remember you are working with experts that know their craft well - that is, if you hired a reputable firm where you based your decision on a solid body of work. However, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give input. Make sure you discuss the issues at hand, and any good agency or designer will be able to justify or give you a rational explanation as to the purpose behind the design. I have seen clients give excellent feedback that helped create a better end product. And of course, I have seen the opposite. Again, remember to listen to the experts, state your opinions and discuss the issues based on an educated and informed dialogue. This will result in developing an end product that is clearly great and a rewarding relationship between you and your marketing partner.