finding a new problem | a new perspective

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Although the trendsetting authorities may change over time, the existence of popular, confirmed styles is a repetitious issue in graphic design. It is inescapable that imitating a mainstream approach without questioning causes disidentification rather than creating a sense of belonging. Correspondingly, the idea is forced to be behind the visuality and design begins to lose its meaning. 



Christoph Niemann

As Paul Boag mentions that it is inevitable as our industry matures and good design is about working within constraints. (2016) These trends are likely to occur due to demand and comprehending users' expectations is essential to interpret this monopolized structure in contemporary design. From books to websites, all products have a perceived story in users' minds and people tend to prefer things they instinctively know which calls the "mere exposure effect". In terms of design, that means the more users are exposed to the same kind of visual elements, the more they prefer it. To set an example, a study by Google stated that users will judge websites as beautiful or not within 1/50th to 1/20th of a second, and visually complex websites are consistently rated as less beautiful than their popular and simpler counterparts. The enthusiasm for excessive simplification may arise from this demand for ease of use, but leaning to this purpose does not mean not supporting the design choices with reasons. In his speech named Design for Simplicity, John Maeda says "Simplicity is about living with more enjoyment and less pain." It's inspiring to realize that simplicity isn't just about diminishing, it's about reducing distractions, and sometimes complexity can be the way to move a story forward.

Here is the new branding of a simplification trend follower, Patreon. It is one of the most exemplary rebranding projects. A huge majority of people assume that the brand took content away from the visual by decreasing the recognizable part of it which makes it less recognizable and does not serve the aim of being a logo. Even it is beneficial, alteration is a topic that generally gets negative responses but the reason behind these concerns is worth further research.


    

Patreon Logo Old vs. New



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