Giving the Blank Page its Due

The blank page is a funny thing. It provides endless material for metaphors. It’s freedom can be crippling. It represents both fear and opportunity. It’s paradoxical. We populate the page to communicate a message, and yet, the more and more we fill it, the harder the message is to decipher. But, the fact remains that our natural inclination is to fill it. As designers, we fight that urge with every fiber of our being.

We’ve all heard it said that a blank canvas is the artist’s enemy, and by the same token a designer’s enemy is the blank page. In either the artist or designer’s case, the antagonistic nature of the relationship is owed in large part to a fear of having to fill the void with meaningful content. There’s no taming the blank page, so as designers, we’ve learned to respect it and have even enlisted its help as an ally with the use of white space. It’s the only way we’ve learned to live with it.

That doesn’t detract from the fact that not everyone has grown to revere white space as designers have. Some people are never content with just enough on the page. As if by force comes the urge to fill every square inch to inform, entertain, or *shudder* just because. What is often overlooked in that scenario however, is that with an ill-executed use of space and overcrowded messaging nothing gets highlighted and no clear message is communicated at all (other than “we can’t make up our minds about what’s important to you.”) Rather than entertain, you annoy – or worse – confuse.

If communication is the ultimate goal of good graphic design (and it is), then take stock of the communication goals of the project at hand. Check personal preferences at the door and:

a) Focus on a primary message.
b) Communicate it appropriately.

Simple.

Anything more than that and you’re overcomplicating things. Period. End of story.

White space, whether it appears on the web or in print, isn’t the enemy. Rather, when used effectively it’s another valuable communication tool allowing for the primary message to really shine through. White space can highlight and become a subconscious draw to the overall message – making it all the more appealing.

So next time you feel the urge to entertain, inform, or fill up a page just because – ask yourself why. If the answer isn’t coming from that strategic and communication-focused part of your brain (the one that’s not tied to personal preferences) then chuck it. The blank page is powerful enough on its own.

A Special Thank You

Thanks to everyone who came out in support of Veronica’s House and for making it such a huge success.

Veronica’s House was a night to raise awareness of autism spectrum disorder and to raise funds for Veronica’s expensive Intensive Behavioural Intervention therapy.

We were honoured to have contributed to the evening and hope for many more successes to come – be they large or small.

Signed,
5th

Signed, The Forgotten Brand

One of the keys to successful branding is consistency. One of the keys to consistency is attention to detail.

It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind but doing things that put your best branding foot forward help you stay on message and help people become more familiar with you and your company.

Take e-mail signatures for example. How many small businesses don’t have a template with a name, telephone and extension number that automatically adds itself at the end of their message? Taking that thought a step further: how many small businesses don’t have a an e-mail signature at all? Having an automatic e-mail signature can help you save time and add functionality to your e-mails. Who wants to have to search through a company directory for an extension number when e-mails can contain that information so handily?

To sum it up, consistency is just as much about being good at the details that aren’t in your face (ie: making your clients’ lives easier) as the ones that are.

Food for thought.

How to Fix a Broken Brand

I think I can say with a great degree of certainty that just about everybody understands the importance of branding as integral to distinguishing your business from its competitors. Your identity is just what it says it is – your identity. The way you speak to your customers will ultimately decide how they feel about you, which will – in the end – decide whether or not you become successful. In a lot of cases, your brand tells a story; in other cases it communicates an ideal, and in other cases still it makes a promise to your customers. Your brand is a very real thing that greatly affects your business. But what do you do when it’s not working for you?

Read the rest of this entry »

Flicker of Life

It says here that we’ll be posting more often – and more regularly – in 2009.

Thanks for staying tuned, and we hope you enjoy the ride with us.

- 5th

5 Elements to a Successful Project

In marketing and design there are countless factors which lead to the success of any given project, but some weigh in more heavily than others. With the absense of some of these, you’re success is left to chance. With the absense of all of these, you’re looking at disaster.

Without further ado…

1. Step Out of the Bubble

Don’t look at things the same way for too long…

Read the rest of this entry »

Bigger? Not Better

Picture this scenario: you commission a designer, you outline the budget and give them a project brief. A few days later, your designer presents you with his masterpiece.
It’s beautiful.

The balanced layout communicates your message simply and brilliantly. The attention to detail is magnificent.

But there’s something terribly wrong with it… your logo.

Read the rest of this entry »

Extensions the Play

Hi everyone,

This March, a good friend of ours is teaming up with the Violence Intervention Project to stand up against gun violence in Toronto.

For three nights at De La Salle College, Nick Harauz of Inconscience productions is putting on an entertaining blend of theater and documentary, with proceeds going to East Metro Youth Services and the Violence Intervention Project.

“Extensions: the play” focuses on the perils of gang membership and gun violence – weaving an intriguing tale by using modern day situations and believable, rich, and multi-dimensional characters that youth can relate to. Extensions will engage and affect at-risk youth by encouraging dialogue in communities most affected by tragedy and violence.

We can’t snap our fingers to change our current reality, but helping change the way people think – by showing that options exist, that violence is not the answer is the most certain way to ensure a chance for things to change for future generations.

No one is immune to violence – that’s why we’ve been so proud to help Inconscience with the play’s promotional material and website creation (extensionstheplay.com).

*We will let it be known that choice exists.
*We will speak out for those that have lost.
*We will be catalysts for change.

– 5th

Additions

It was a busy holiday season for everyone, but luckily thankfully we’ve found some time while celebrating with family to post an updated main page focusing on a DVD packaging project we completed for Inconscience Productions.

Judging by the number of return visitors to the site, you’ve been waiting to see something new for a while.

We’ve got some exciting projects coming down the pipeline for our friends at Halton Hills Financial and more high-profile work for Inconscience Productions that we’ll be sure to post.

Thanks for staying tuned.

– 5th

Fully Charged

It’s that time of year.

After the very necessary Christmas lull, our batteries are recharged and we’re more excited than we’ve ever been for any year.

We’ve been busy working on some truly rewarding projects, and working with people that hold the same values we do and appreciate our craft.

Thanks to all who helped us along in 2006, and here’s to wishing you all the best in 2007.

– 5th