On using Adobe Photoshop and graphic design

I make a living through the articles I write online. But I graduated with a degree in Digital Arts and Computer Animation (DACA). Many of my fellow graduates have gone on to enjoy successful careers in computer animation and graphic design. Some have won national and even international artistic awards for their work.

So I may not be the best designer around (I may not even be a designer), but thanks to my education, I know good design when I see it. That’s why layouts like the following make me cringe:

With the latest version starting at $699, Adobe Photoshop is too expensive for Juan dela Cruz. Thanks to rampant piracy however, the industry standard for photo editors and graphic designers can be had for as low as ?100. This means anyone with a decent PC can lay out pictures and text to their heart’s content. And that’s where the problem lies.

I’m not saying that Photoshop requires a degree. Two of the best designers I know, Christian San Jose and Rico Sta. Cruz, are college dropouts. But look where they are now: San Jose was actually featured in an Adobe advertisement, while Sta. Cruz has done work for a top online retailer based in the US.

The problem is that many people with access to a powerful tool like Photoshop tend to do too much. The common perception is that great things are complicated somehow, like how gaudy interior design is often mistaken for wealth and luxury. Wannabe designers would do well to keep things simple.

It’s clear that the person responsible for the birthday invitation featured wanted as much pizzazz on the layout as possible. Note the use of many different fonts, colors, and other elements. That’s a reason why it’s hard to read the text in the middle.

I ask: what’s wrong with keeping things simple? Here’s something I whipped up in 10 minutes:

Clearly not the best design ever. But the use of less visuals and only one kind of font is much more readable and pleasing on the eyes. In fact, why not rely on text alone?

Even if the designer of the original invitation was the celebrant himself — a kid — my advice still applies: keep things simple. Some of you may point at the portfolio of Christian San Jose, and say that many of his works are anything but simple. As an experienced artist with countless hours under his belt, however, San Jose is quite proficient at mixing different elements into a cohesive whole.

Graphic design is about communicating ideas through visual elements. If you include things that aren’t necessary, your message can get lost. Why cram an invitation with pictures of yourself, other kids and cartoon characters, when the goal is sharing the details of a birthday party?

Of course, any design project has its own set of requirements. Maybe the “client” (the celebrant) wanted his invitation to feature his friends and the Justice League of America (Superman and company). An experienced graphic designer knows how to work within these varying goals, so that the final layout makes a consistent impression. Even with numerous elements, nothing will look like it’s out of place.

Reaching that level of proficiency is desired by many but attained by few. It takes years of experimentation, inspiration and hard work. Anyone can be a decent graphic designer, however, if they keep things simple. Even the simple approach can achieve most — if not all— of a design’s goals.