Advice: Always do it for real

If you are a blogger, and many of you reading this are, then you'll always have several posts saved up in your head. I know I do.

I'm always waiting for the perfect image, event or news story to trigger my awesome post. But that never happens. Rather obviously.

So over the next few days I'm going try and get these often half arsed posts down on to paper. Or screen. Here's the first, it's called Advice: Always do it for real.

This is something that I 'think for granted' and I presume everyone else thinks like this too. But they probably don't.

As a designer, if you're asked to put some hand writing onto a brochure of a document, do it for real. DO NOT use a hand writing font. (How can you have a hand writing font, anyway?) Write the text out and scan it in.

If you need some distressed type, then print the type out, screw it up, photocopy it, re-screw it up, re-photocopy it and so on and so on. Distress it for real, DO NOT use a distressed type font.

If the client asks for a scrapbook style brochure, then make a scrap book and scan it in. Page by page. DO NOT use Photoshop layers.

If the job requires some chalk writing on a blackboard - then do it for real.

Sure, all this takes a lot more time (and therefore costs more money) but it will look a million times better, it will make you think about the thing you are designing and good people will be able to tell you've done it for real. And they will appreciate that.

It's not just designers, ad agencies need to do it too. Actually the good ad agencies are very good at it. For example, if you need to chuck some coloured balls down a hill, then chuck some coloured balls down a hill, don't just CGI it. If you need to make a six foot pencil, then make a six foot pencil, don't just enlarge it back in the editing suite.

And if you're not convinced, then take a look around. There are millions of examples of hand writing fonts, photoshopped 3D text and models comped onto dodgy backgrounds.

Don't do it kids. Always do it for real.

Comments

[Blip]

Another plus point for doing it for real, doing it not the easiest way: more likely to produce one of those inspiring mistakes.

[Ben]

Blip, a very good point.

[jon]

a good post, but you mention two very important things, "time" and "money"....

[dan]

Great post. Agree entirely. It feels so much better to have real writing on something, rather than a lame handwritten font. Wise words.

[sulu-design]

Agreed! Great post - I found you linked on Ace Jet 170 and am enjoying your blog.

[Brett]

Well said. Half assed approaches/executions lead to half assed results.