The Vignelli Canon
In
this book, renowned designer Massimo Vignelli teaches his fundamental
principles of design, covering many topics such as; typography, grids, layout,
paper and scale. As a result of the numerous aspects of design Vignelli touches
upon, there is no resultant argument or theme, more so a large quantity of
ideas and opinions, these include: Semantics- fully realising and researching
the meaning and context of a design before carrying out any visual development;
Typography - only a small quantity of typefaces are required to create
successful design work - "it's not the type but what you do with it that
counts."; Timelessness - a design should stand the test of time and never
become outdated, typography should "transcend subjectivity. Design should
not follow trends.
I
think Vignelli clearly had an exceptional wealth of knowledge and experience in
the world of design. He demonstrates with great clarity his grasp on grids,
rulers, layout and spacing. His principles on white space being key to
editorial layouts, contrasting typefaces being used for effect and the hierarchy
of a designers 3 biggest responsibilities (personal integrity, the client and
the consumer) are perceptive and logical. Having said this, I do believe some
of his rules are too restrictive and old-
fashioned; such as there only being a necessity for a handful of typefaces or
his minimal application of colour. Ultimately I think this is down to the
difference of the times he was operating in compared to modern day. Graphic
Design is a complicated pursuit, rules, grids and guidelines can help us make
sense of it and create successful designs, but in the end it is still a
creative endeavour, and sometimes defying the rules can be justified when it
looks and feels right.
No comments:
Post a Comment