RidiculousDesignRules.comLike it or love it, we all have rules that help us at work. "Leave it until the last minute." "Never use a PC." They make sense because they work for you, and you alone. When you try and make someone else follow them, they stop working and become a joke. The problem is that every rule related to, or governing, design is ultimately ridiculous.
We decided to give you a place where you could unload those pretentious sound bites about design you've heard from colleagues, clients or anyone else who thinks they know more than you. Designers don’t need anybody else to make us laugh, when we do it so well ourselves. Send in your ridiculous design ruleAttachment? Send your rule to rules@bispublishers.nl
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 Ridiculous Design RulesYou'll find below a list of some of the most Ridiculous Design Rules we could find. This is only the beginning. Whether it's practical or a principle, add your own RDRs to compile the ultimate list of ridiculous design jargon. You can rate each rule on the Ridiculous Scale where 5 is ridiculously ridiculous and 1 if it almost sounds sensible. As if that will ever happen... If painters could write, they wouldn't paint.
Never use red text online.
Make one stupid detail important, then ask your client his opinion. That gives him the feeling that he is the one who decides.
Don't overaccessorize
Make design simple as much as you can
Discipline is for the best
Never mix metallicsLeave it until the last minuteDon't overaccesorizeFirst you must rest, then you must create.Fake it till you make it.Good design provides unexpected conveniences.Art is expression, design is communication.It's all about common sense. Nothing fantastic.Less is more.... more or less.Bad taste is bad tasteAvoid san-serifs. Use life as inspiration
When deadline is on, courier waits for that originals CD in the lobby and your head is empty - take 5
Always take away the last thing you put in to the design.
Bad taste is timeless
Everything on the page must align with at least one other thing
Logo's should not be handdrawn
Design the Future Dream
Comic Sans is to only be used in comic books. ONLY COMIC BOOKS
One of my early employers: "I can't think without a pencil in my hand"
It's in the eye of the beholder
Without CTRL+ALT+Z an artist could not survive
1.6180339887
If you don't know what to do... Just do it big and red
The Client is always right
Design is made by the client, designers only push some buttons
Brand logo must be the biggest detail in the composition
Always use landscape format pictures in web design
Always make the top left-hand logo of the website a home button
Always use two columns
Never use more than two types
Try to avoid developers - they will screw with your creative mind..and how many people unable to communicate does this world really need ?
Design isn't Art
All good design should be done by Photoshop
Never use Copy and PasteThe early bird catches the worm
Design is to resign
Redesign design
Simple design is better
If you have time, you are not a designer
God is in the details
Rounded corners are too hard
Use DaFont.com to find a more original typeface for this logo
Design is suffering
Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke
Never ever kern more than 5
It's called referencing, NOT copying!
Whoever says being pretty is not a function?
Moderation in all things and all things in moderation
'Good artists copy, great artists steal' (Picasso)
A good logo will help your business. A GREAT logo will help MAKE your business
Everybody is a designer
'The box' is inside out
Kill your darlings
[insert buzzword] is the new black
Always use an invisible grid and invisible guidesEverything needs to be balanced
Shine a light on it and call it art
Design is glue
To frame it is to lock it
Put two ears on it and call it a day
Use DaFont.com to find a more original typeface for this logo
If you can't hide it, make a feature out of it
No more slogans
Design is not a democracy
If we remove everything we will gain .000001% in margin
It's easier to convince the client to like your design, then to design something your client will like
You can always have attractive people using it... sex sells too
If you cannot use it then call it art
Nothing is evident
Design the design of the design
Design is what the designer decides
Garbage In, Garbage Out
WYSIWYG
Gradients are bad
A good copy is better than a bad original
Good taste is the key
A dress makes no sense, unless it inspires men to want to take it off you
You don't buy the product if you don't buy the story
Copy is sloppyWhen in doubt, leave it out
Never use stock images
Try using stock images first
Sometimes you have to create bad design to please your clients
Never use Photoshop to create a logo
Get it done on time
Simple is hard
"There's too much white space, what is it for?..."
Use more hair
Don't use all caps
Never pretend to be the target of other people's work
Power is nothing without ctrl+z
A giraffe is a horse designed by a committee
Never trust Helvetica. Just use it.
Trust no-one. All clients are bastards. Eat more fish.
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