Keeping Organized

Cambridge Dictionary defines "organization" as "the way in which something is done or arranged." With that being said, organization is around us in everything we do. It is crucial to stay organized, as it makes whatever task needs to be done easier. I am personally a big supporter of organization as someone who works for several teams and organizations. Seen below are my computer files, which are all organized by the teams or the purpose. After losing all my files in my sophomore year, I knew I had to make a change and have completely streamlined the process. In addition to this, I have a document for all the organizations I'm in that has all of their logos, colors, and other assets. This is another great way to stay organized, especially in a design session. I come back to this document daily as I pull elements from it.

Although keeping files and elements in a row is a form of organization, I feel like an important and very relevant part of design is organization. Using design principles and tools like grids and other structuers help a design stay organized. In addition to these, I've compiled other tips that can be useful for keeping a design organized:

Focus On What's Important

One of the most important things when organizing is dictating what is important and what isn't. That's why I am very meticulous in what choosing to include. By doing that, you don't dilute the important stuff in your designs with elements that are less important or even unnecessary. All in all, organization is very similar to design in a way that having good organization is like having a good design. This is echoed in a quote from Hans Hofmann. He says that "Design is the intermediary between information and understanding." It seems that he is talking about the similarities of design and information. From there, you can take all that information and understand it better by having it organized.

Simplisity is Key

This somewhat ties in with the first tip, but not everything needs to be so complicated. Having a strong design with fewer elements is much better than something that is cluttered. A good rule of thumb when designing is to use only three or four colors and only two fonts. This is a good way for beginners to not overdo it and keep a design organized and simple. Obviously, this rule isn't black and white, but it is a very useful rule of thumb. Joe Sparano talks about how "Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent." I found an example of this online with the genius of Apple products. Every angle and curve is intentionally done, and altogether has a beautiful design system.

Overall, design and organization go hand in hand. It is very important to have designs that are well organized as well then orgaining what you do with your designs. Both of these are important skills for a graphic designer to pick up. Once done, it makes the processes done daily. much easier

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