Rules for novice design Mark

Often see some talk about how to learn the design of the article, frankly feel some of the same-made, and perfunctory, all said to read books, learn some painting, practice software, more observation ... Alas, the practice of software is to say, do you still need to tell a person to learn to develop is the need to learn programming language?

Learning is based on the growth of past experience, each person's knowledge background is different, the need for individualized teaching. Those who do not have a clear audience of the tutorial, itself is pseudo-proposition. It's a different story to design for an art student and a programmer to design.

What are the key questions about programmer design? As a science and engineering-born designer, will write a bit of code, perennial in the entrepreneurial team and engineers mixed together, I think I still know quite well.

(There are many aspects of design, here we mainly talk about partial aesthetics, partial visual level.) ）

The five big mistakes

Most programmers are more or less in the design of these blind areas, minefields:

Think that aesthetics is difficult to ascend

Not only to their own aesthetic lack of confidence in the promotion of aesthetic also have no confidence.

Do not know how to improve the aesthetic

The rational person, for the aesthetic such "no theoretical support" things, do not know how to improve.

Wrong to think that only by looking more can improve the aesthetic

All speak to be good at observing, see more works to enhance the aesthetic, according to do, but have not mastered the key idea of "see": Nothing to stroll dribbble think everything is beautiful, but actually all watched the lively, but in fact, "see" Must Be with "do" combination, and often "do" earlier.

Think the design has infinite possibilities

Not like a clear thinking to solve the problem of programming, design seems to be open proposition, there are infinite answers, even if mastered the software, the face of real design problems can not be found. But the truth is, maybe more than 90% of the design is essentially moving the wheels to assemble, you first have to familiarize yourself with these wheels.

Never realized that design can also be assembled.

What does a picture have to assemble? In fact, just as the program consists of a line of code, the design can be deconstructed, anti-compilation! It can also be assembled.

Think that you lack inspiration

The inspiration is a pseudo proposition. The idea that heaven strikes you in the twinkling of an eye is often based on some piece of information in your mind, but you may not remember when and when it was created. So, lack of inspiration, just to show that you do not see enough to see the intentions.

three great cheats

In response to these problems, there are three major cheats, is my own study of the process of design summary, it is likely to be "unique stunt":

Theory first!

How to improve aesthetics quickly? Reading, theory first! and use your good at the derivation of the ability to deeply understand these theories.

Classified!

More than 90% of the design can be categorized and may disappoint you, but that's the truth. The classification allows you to see the "wheels" hidden behind the design for your own use.

Deconstruction!

It refers to the basic composition of a design work when it is seen. This is actually closely related to the collation, which complements each other and doubles the speed at which you design the level of improvement.

As for the more practice of what, are Tong, there is no good-winded.

As you can see, the cheats here are logical ways of thinking, as programmers, smart as you, isn't that what you're good at? So, I always quite agree with that sentence: the programmer to learn the design, compared to the contrary design to learn the program, it is much easier. Let's focus on the following:

The theory first--the Aesthetic Express

This topic is mainly about aesthetics, the most basic and most important.

Aesthetics is not innate, and no one is born with an outstanding aesthetic ability. Of course, in such a low-average-aesthetic country, you are likely to be affected by the environment, resulting in the system default value is very close, but this does not mean that you have been so for a lifetime.

In fact, this video on how to become a good designer this point, has been told enough good, most of the views I agree. But in fact, they are still relatively basic, common sense, the lack of specific groups of "black technology."

Why this emphasis on aesthetics, I believe you have feelings: for design, aesthetics is your simulator or test environment, is the evaluation criteria, without it, design can not talk about.

It's not enough to improve the aesthetics.

Theory is the foundation.

In front of the video, Rozichon special emphasis on aesthetics through the more excellent works to improve. Yes, but in fact, I think the light is not enough, especially for programmers, this does not play out your ability to think.

What should we do first?

The answer is, read ... Learning design theory.

Maybe it looks a bit like a nerd's answer. But recall that you learn any new development language experience, first brush the book, it is certainly necessary, the design is the same.

Just like the object-oriented, MVC design pattern of programming, almost universal to the popular framework, whether it is back-end Rails or front-end Angular, or the client's Cocoa Touch, the Reactjs of the fire is connected with the design of the 3D game animation engine. In the world of code, the same philosophy underpins the different areas of the framework and implementation.

In fact, the design is the same, the limited design theory, the same support the unlimited types of design works. It's not "a group of people with a sense of beauty that makes a cool design" like this.

To calm down, read a few books on the theory of graphic design, for example, many people are recommended by the "write to everyone read the design book" , as well as I saw after the excitement of the "Universal Design Law", I believe you will also have a clairvoyant feeling.

For the science and engineering background of the people, theoretical support is actually very important, because the past can be used to solve the problem depends on this.

Theory can not be divorced from practice, after understanding the design theory, the focus is to see the work of the design theory, to observe the work of the design theory of the application, do design exercises. For example, how it uses fonts, how to layout layouts, and so on.

In addition to "see", for "practice" is the same. At any time, you can try to apply the theory of the book, when you go to a dead end, do not know where the problem is, you can also find the relevant design theory as an inspiration. This process is like you first know the Pythagorean theorem, and then constantly exercise proficiency, until you can skillfully used to solve various proofs, computational problems.

And gradually these truths will be imprinted on your mind:

• Form your high standard of aesthetics;
• See any work, you can look at the good, where the difference;
• Correspondingly, when designing, you can quickly find out where the problem is.

This is the perfect way to express the aesthetic.

Design theory, not unfounded

Love inquisitive's friend, will feel that the design theory is not scientific support, have to admit that you are difficult to do an experiment, prove that a certain thing most people must think good-looking.

Although there is a "famous saying" is "the difference between the United States and only in the non-professional people", but I still believe that the real beauty of things, non-professional people will not have differences, such as the Blue sky, sunset ...

So, when you think about each design law from the deeper levels of evolution, cognitive psychology, and the characteristics of human cognition, you will find that all this seems to be doomed! When you have a much higher sense of identity with these theories, you will be more comfortable with their application.

For example, when I was studying photography, there was a book that made it easier to have a visual impact picture with a different perspective than normal observation. For example, close the camera to the ground, or try to lift it with both hands. But why? Then I suddenly figured out that when you take a normal stance, the first photo is your view of the world over 90% of the time, and once you take a photo with a different perspective, it will be a novelty for your brain to "see the world in another way" and the photo is more likely to brighten up your eyes.

For example, in cognitive psychology, the less information is more likely to impress the human brain. This is the photographic composition, design and typesetting in order to concise, prominent focus on the reasons behind, messy typesetting will give the brain a cognitive burden, aesthetics is even more impossible to talk about.
Classification--The design is limited

Design novice, always feel that all design problems are open-ended problems, there is unlimited possibilities. For programmers accustomed to finding the best algorithms to solve problems, this is a bit counter-clockwise.

In fact, this is a misunderstanding! Let's do a "big data" analysis to illustrate the problem.

On the dribbble search "logo" this keyword, according to Popular default sort, the first 10 pages of the works total 120, remove is not Logo or low recognition, the remaining 55, I have a rough classification of them:

Even if you are not sensitive to the design, you should also be able to see, be classified as similar at least in the sense of close. Look closely, their tonal, texture, shape processing methods, shadows and graphics use, a lot of similarities.

Logo so, in fact, any design category is similar, do not believe you go to search "landing page", look at their layout way ...

More color, can also be classified as red orange Green indigo Purple. Design is the same, are composed of color, shape, you can classify.

So I'm afraid the general designer won't tell you the truth is:

• The common beautiful color combination is so few;
• The common beautiful typesetting way is so few;
• The usual illustration style is just a few.

By classifying and accumulating these common skills, you can quickly assemble a beautiful design that satisfies more than 80% of the scene.

This reminds me of my high school, the first two years did not lecture, to later found that their mathematics almost a blank, have to break through the pass line. Sophomore next semester Big review, pain determined, directly began to all the math problems to be categorized, a loose-leaf of the big class, sub-categories, variants all listed in, to the end I see more than 95% of the problem can be identified by the category, call method, to the college entrance exam, I have been the best number of students in mathematics, And when my library set up more perfect, I usually do much less than other people, the days are quite easy.

Exam-oriented education is offensive, but "classification" is really a good way to learn.

So when you come across a realistic design problem, look for inspiration while looking at a lot of related work. Try to categorize them from multiple latitudes, and see what kinds of designs you can choose, what are the pros and cons, and how to make a choice.

Deconstruction

I'm afraid some people will say, you look at a kind of things, I think how is still very different ah? Well, it means that when you look at a design, you don't deconstruct or decompile it.

To gradually practice the ability to "see the mountain is not a mountain", whether you look at a Logo or a Web page, do not just to appreciate, the brain to try to break down its shape is how to compose, with what kinds of typesetting, color gradient, with what texture, plus how the projection, highlights, strokes and so on. (In fact, like to see the original files of excellent works, which layers were used, respectively, how to add the style)

When you finally see the glow of the sunset is a gradient, a cloud is a few brushes, that you become.

At this point, the collation design is also easy, compared to two works, you can quickly see which of the same parts they used.

Therefore, "classification" and "deconstruction" are also the ability to complement each other and grow together. And when you use them again and again, your aesthetic ability will rise.

Summary

Although unlike Coding, it is a simple tool (just write and write) to do complex things (logic ...). ORZ), the design is more complex tools (the top designers may not be confused about the full functionality of PS, AE buttons to let you crash) do simple things (good design is very simple).

But they are deep in the soul, all have their own laws, and their own learning skills.

Cross-border can help you build a deeper understanding of each of them.

@ Kevin Lee-kevinli

Rules for novice design Mark