philosophy
of
design
Designing around the project
»eBook
Client: Cement Association of Canada
Project: Update the previous year’s english Guide to Sustainable Design with Concrete interactive eBook and create a french version.
Published: February 2008
Notes: Interactive, printable eBook based on template of version 1.0.
Good design is more than just eye-catching graphics; it takes into account every aspect of the project. Project goals, media types, target demographics, and content are the most important. Analyzing these before starting on a design is essential to creating a product that catches the attention and conveys the right message.
Media types
»Tech Note
Function over Form
While design choices are made based on individual projects, current trends – especially in Web media – lean towards more subtle designs that highlight rather than distract from the content. Fewer and less busy elements are used, with more thought going into the interaction of design elements with each other and with content.
Paradox has experience in a range of medias, and understands that each has to be approached in a different way. Print is a static medium, and requires an understanding of the printer’s requirements, while web designs are fluid and need to work on different browsers at different resolutions. Design elements that work well for print almost never convey the same impression on the web, and vice versa.
Encouraging creativity
It’s too easy for a designer to find something that works and then use it over and over. Paradox tries to avoid this by emphasizing the creative process and experimenting with new techniques. After all, designing is what we love to do.