Sometimes the most effective visual devices are the most simple.
I was reminded of this over the weekend, as I read to our wee 16 month-old son, and we poured over the illustrations of some of his favourite books.
The ones he enjoyed the most had loads of white space, bold illustrations and simple catchy text.
This is a formula often overlooked in printed media.
The saying, “Less is more” was often overheard where I studied. A reminder to keep students from over-working drawings, or adding too many elements into a design. A bit like the ‘too many chiefs’ analogy; building in too many elements can create confusion.
Giving the eye less to decipher and making the most of the choicest components in a design offers the most impact in the shortest amount of time. Lets not forget that amongst the hustle and bustle, thousands of businesses compete for those precious split seconds where a glance from a potential customer is the door to a sale.
It’s well worth considering how you can say as much as possible with as little as possible.