Less is more
Dieter Rams, the German Industrial Designer said it first – his unobtrusive approach and belief in “less but better” design generated a timeless quality in his products and has influenced design in all areas. My tutor at UAL drummed it into us – it was very good advice and something I have strived for ever since!
Good design and advertising should be uncomplicated and clean – the more that’s going on the less chance the audience have of taking in the message. Cluttered, busy work is hard to read, fussy and almost always unattractive. Design needs breathing space. Good design shouldn’t need to be explained.
It’s not a case of leaving important content out it’s a case of saying it in a better, neater way. Cut to the chase, get that all important USP across quickly and easily. No tricks are needed here – everything about the design should be suggestive of the product for sale or the information being offered. It takes time – just trying to create that one simple message can be more time consuming than filling your page with meaningless content.
“Make clever simple and simple clever” – Raphael Mahon
Below are a few examples of great ads that fulfill the less is more brief:
Weightwatchers
Advertising Agency: DraftFCB, Germany
Pedigree Chum
Advertising Agency: AlmapBBDO, São Paulo, Brazil