RidiculousDesignRules.com

Like 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. 

Most Ridiculous Design Rules

 

Below you'll find a list of some of the most Ridiculous Design Rules we could find. This is only the beginning. Add your own RDRs to compile the ultimate list of inspirational/delusional design jargon for the world to judge.

 

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...

 

 

 

Never trust Helvetica. Just use it.
A picture is worth a thousand words
A dress makes no sense, unless it inspires men to want to take it off you
Always make the top left-hand logo of the website a home button
Break the rules
Design means being good not just looking good
'Good artists copy, great artists steal' (Picasso)
Never use white type on a black background
Good design is good business
God is in the details.
Everybody is a designer
Show all

DESIGN RULES ARE

Ridiculous

Quite helpful

Very dated

A necessary evil

 

One picture is worth...


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BIS Publishers

Ridiculous Design Rules: The Book


The world of fashion and design is inundated with a seemingly endless list of rules. Think of “Less is More,” “Form Follows Function,” “Keep it Simple,” “Dress Your Age,” and the list goes on and on. They’re familiar sayings that some designers consider to be valuable words of wisdom, which serve as a guiding line and source of inspiration. To others, these rules are mere restrictions: design dogmas and fashion formulae that need to be bended, twisted or broken altogether.

Rules tend to have a life of their own: over time their meaning changes or the rule is adopted by a whole new group of followers. Take, for instance, the classic “Form Follows Function.” It started out life as an architecture guideline but has crept its way into other creative fields. This evolution is reflected in this book by the chronologically placed quotes that accompany each rule and that are courtesy of designers, architects, fashion designers, typographers and other creatives. All rules are also accompanied by an image that either negates or supports the rule.

Our aim is not to list all the rules that you need to adhere to. Nor do we take sides in the whole rules debate. Granted, creativity knows no bounds and therefore it seems rather ridiculous to restrict that creativity by sticking to a couple of age-old rules. However, in some cases the rules seem more like the basic principles that every designer should love, honor and obey.

Whichever side of the fence you yourself are sitting on in the rules debate, you’re bound to find this book a source of inspiration, comfort, joy or just good old fun. Enjoy.

ISBN: 978-90-6369-207-0
Author: Anneloes van Gaalen
Design: BORN84
Publisher: BIS 
Publishing date: May 2009
Format: hardcover
Dimensions: 12 x 17 cm
Pages: 160

 

BUY THE BOOK HERE...


25/04/2009 | Link



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