Organization is really the mainstay of effective design. First, you need to know what point you're trying to make. Whether it's a newsletter or an ad, if you don't know the main theme you want to get across, you'll be designing things forever trying to get where you want to go by trial and error. Try to sum up your main point in a few brief words, or at least one sentence. Then build the basis of your entire design, including and sub points you want to make, in the same way you organize the points you want to cover in a presentation or a group discussion. Think of a good ad design as a great piece of artwork, expressive and able to relate a little bit to almost everyone. That's where your main point helps your focus. Then, add in all the little sub points you also want to make, and work them in according to their order of importance. Remember, not everyone will pick up everything you put in an ad or design. So keep the points simple, cover just a few things, and cover them in the order of most importance.

Like art, a good design is very detail oriented, but just like an exceptional piece of art, an exceptional design only puts in exactly what it needs and nothing more. Intricate detail is always important, just remember that good detail adds to the overall effect, it never takes away from it. If you have too many details, the reader doesn't know where to look first. A good design helps the reader to focus and understand what you're telling them. If you're not sure that a point should be made, it probably shouldn't. When you keep your designs simple, and follow a few basic rules, you'll increase your reader's ability to follow what you're saying 100%

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D. Schroeder is Project Designer for OverNight Graphics, and a Former Graphics Communication Instructor.
(Copyright 1995, OverNight Graphics)