Mini-Art 1: 10 rules

For the first mini-art project, I used Jim Krause's Design Basics Index (2004), Golomsisky & Haven's White Space is Not Your Enemy (2010) and 10 Web Design Rules That You Can Break website to help with my critique.

The ad I chose is one in a series by Valspar paint. I consider this a GOOD ad based on the following 10 rules:

Full image here

Rule 1

Golombisky & Hagen (2010) wrote, "Don't be stingy with your margins". Earlier in the text he wrote that white space is not always white, it can be black (so think of it as "negative space"). The ad is a good example of maintaining proper space, and letting the ad breathe. There is no lack of "white space" in this ad, and even though the ad goes to the bottom of the page, the even spacing on both sides of the text and image draw your eye to it naturally.

Rule 2

Going with the idea of drawing the eye naturally, Krause brings up the idea of dynamic spacing. There should be movement to create energy, and to convey the message. Even though the length of the rose is about half the length of the page, and it has one centered stream of paint going down the middle, the other two drips give it directionality. The fact that the whole paint bucket isn't shown gives this ad dynamic spacing, a feeling of going down, into the bucket.

Rule 3

In White Space, sin #6 is centering everything. EVERYTHING. This ad is mostly centered, but the text is to the left and to the right, while creating balanced asymmetry. It doesn't look like it at first, but both sets of text are equidistant from the edge of the paper. The ad in the upper right corner also helps off-center the whole thing.

Rule 4

Sin #7 is to crowd the corners, and fill every space. This ad obviously does not, and the placement of the Lowe's logo is crucial. It is there for a reason, why the logo or tags, as White Space calls them.

Rule 5

I want to focus on the Lowes ad twice. First, in Krause's book, he writes about grouping, "visual thematic associations" (2004, p.44-45), and making sure everything is grouped accordingly, nothing is singled out, or so close to an obejct that it is incorrectly associated. The ad is about Valspar paint, NOT Lowes ... but it's sold at that store. So in order to dissociate the product from its selling locaiton, the store's logo is separate, and distinct. It is clear that Lowes is not the maker of the paint.

Rule 6

Second, we need take into consideration the flow of the ad. Krause wrote that left to right is how most of us read and this translates into speed, going fast. But going from right to left conveys a sense of slowness ... this ad clearly means for the eye to linger on the slowly dripping paint. The long drip lines signify that the color is thick paint, and the paint is as vivid as a real life rose.

Rule 7

10 Web Design Rules stated their rule #3 is to not use too many colors. The plain black background allows for the vibrant colors of the rose to really pop, which is further accentuated by a muted-color bucket. Even though the Lowes logo is bright, it's a place for the eye to start to descend. Definitely not too many colors in this ad.

Rule 8

White Space said that sin #9 is a busy background, and this ad cannot be any simpler. A solid color to just accentuate the main image, the rose dripping into the bucket.

Rule 9

Sin #10 is tacky type -- something I have definitely been guilty of! The font face is a simple sans serif font, it looks like Arial, with a rounded edge. The slogan is emphasized only with all caps, nothing else, and the informtion about the paint is small enough so as not to take away from the main message, but still is legible.

Rule 10

Finally, Krause points out the visual hierarchy. There should not be a war between the text and the imge. One should clearly dominate over the other and be the focal point. This ad does not have that issue, the font is there to subtly convey a textual message, the image speaks for itself.