Coloring inside the lines

Rules are meant to be broken.
You have to learn the rules to be able to break them properly.

You have to have a darn good reason to break the rules (and be able to defend it).

These three statements pretty much sum up what I learned in four years of college. Sure, I learned the programs and how important rulers really are, but the real things I learned didn’t occur to me until I had a ‘real’ design job. And a boss who demanded an explanation for everything I did.

I’m a rule follower — it’s how I live my life. My parents would probably say that I was the rule-breaker of their three kids, but I never strayed too far from the line. My siblings probably never crossed it until they were out of the house — or maybe they were just better at hiding it than I was. I still never break many rules. I drive the speed limit, I wear my seat belt and my bike helmet, and I design on a grid — for the most part.

There are times and places to break out of the box, and there are really good reasons to do it. Without breaking rules our design would never evolve. So as long as you have a reason, I’m all for it, but breaking the rules just to break the rules isn’t normally a sound decision. Yes, some people can pull it off, I’m just not one of them.

What is outside the lines is determined by a different person in every situation. Your boss, client or colleagues all probably have different opinions and standards, but you, the designer, have the final say. What can you live with, what can you defend? Is it worth sacrificing your standards to make a client or a boss happy? Do they have a point?

It’s one of the most interesting parts of design for me, asking someone why they did something the way they did and making sure I have a reason for what I do. Sometimes it gets me stuck for a few days but I find it gives me insight and expands my views. And sometimes it even gives me a reason to color outside the lines.