Form Follows Function

Form Follows Function - 

White Space is not Your Enemy, by Kim Golombisky & Rebecca Hagen mentions that in design, form always follows function. This is a principle that suggests, graphic designers do not have the luxury of doing design work for the sake of art. That job is left to the fine artists. Designer must be practical in their expression of art.

How does this translate to worship design? Even in the church, design should always be functional first and foremost. This means, if you are a traditional church, do not use grungy fonts and big bold neon colors for the sake of attempting to fit in. Be true to your own church congregation and remember the functionality of the design work you place in front of them. If the design hinders communication, it is not an appropriate design. 

One way to help get yourself started on a path towards functional design, go to a grocery store and find five food labels that catch your attention, and five labels that you had to work hard to see the product. Then analyze the design tactics used in these labels to help them grab your attention. The grocery store is one of the most visually overloaded spaces, and good designers must catch the attention of their audience amidst thousands of other visual stimulus. Begin to use some of the ideas you find on the good eye caching products in order to boost your own design.