What Montana taught us about design

November 10, 2009

It happens what seems like a million times in what seems like a million meetings around the world. Over-designing. Too many gradients and too much color and seven different fonts and a billion little bullet points and a few logos – one for each sponsor, as well as one for the company itself – and suddenly…

Ugh.

You and I know better. But that doesn’t mean we can stick it to some group of design non-believers with a list of the Seven Deadly Design Rules and force them to submit. We have to understand that, sometimes, circumstances require us to be creative in our application, that, sometimes, those bullets are necessary and that extra typeface is needed and those logos are untouchable.

Then again, sometimes, we need to stop, step back, strip it all down and reconvene with the bare basics.

Believe it or not, sometimes, it works.

Today’s example: the State of Montana.

After years of diverging license plate designs, ugly pastels, a roster of causes (105 in all, not counting University-specific plates) and, yes, what seems like a million typefaces, Montana took its recent history of over-design and wiped it clean.

A lack of consistency? Gone. A full palette of colors? Gone. A feeling of retro freshness that will hopefully inspire others (including Nebraska, of whom we will only say, “Please. Hire. Designers. Next. Time.”)?

Absolutely.

New Montana plates (c)AP Photo/Matt Gouras
(Photo via greatfallstribune.com, ©AP Photo/Matt Gouras)

Great design doesn’t mean doing the most with what you have. It means doing the best with what you need.

Thanks be to Montana for reminding us.

(via: Design Observer, which was via: W Magazine)

By Corey

Filed Under Design, The Process

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