Had lunch with a friend today at Edelweiss.
I consider it a good lunch if we can just catch up with each other.
One of those topics we broached was business since she runs her own business too. As a copywriter, she helps clients produce clear content either through writing, editing, proofreading or translation into European languages.
Whether it is in design or writing, clarity is never to be underestimated. And we both felt that today’s communication isn’t doing its job because a good piece of design or writing should immediately let the consumer know what’s needed and what’s the next step.
It is a bad piece if I pick up a flyer and don’t know what to make of it. What does this business sell? What is it trying to tell me, assuming there’s something to be told?
She recounted how she saw a flyer which incidentally advertised a friend’s business. The flyer wasn’t clear enough and she thought she would do her friend a favour and let him know what could be improved.
All she got was a curt thanks.
He never appreciated her advice and thought she was trying to ‘sell’ him her copywriting service.
Which is a pity because if only he acted on her advice, he would be connecting better with his prospects.
When I get junk mail/ junk flyers in my postbox, I give them a perfunctory glance and chuck them aside to be recycled.
I don’t bother.
Unless the flyer is so good and compelling.
Which most times aren’t.
All I see these days are flyers crammed full of colours, shapes, photos but paltry text. Not a shred of information.
Yes, yes, it’s good for the creatives but tell me, what is your product and why should I even care?
Far too many creative types think creating/designing a flyer with the colours of the rainbow is what consumers want to see.
What happened to real communication, the basis of design?
What happened to clarity?
What is the flyer/brochure trying to sell?
Once, Nic’s friend asked,” Why is it that you English-ed types like to have things plain and white?”
(This guy likes his brochure splashed with colours that boggle the mind. Bright pink, yellow, green. It’s like a candy store.)
I wonder if the type of schooling affects how we design or how we appreciate design.
You know, white space for most people is a waste of space.
Every inch of the flyer MUST be covered in colour or design. Otherwise, wasted lah all that money I pay to the designer.
I call these Jinjang Joe design.
Just because you know all the Photoshop tricks doesn’t mean you have to use everything!
And on top of that, the flyer has no worthy content! That’s the worst crime of all.
If there’s content, be afraid. Be very afraid because somehow there’s bound to be some weird sentences. Weird because they’re translated literally from Mandarin or BM or Tamil. Or spelling so bad it’s hilarious.
I am not trying to be mean or nasty but designers should always understand what they’re trying to do with their design.
So this friend of mine is considering using a blog to help people along to see how bad copy can be improved.
Yes, do that, I tell her. Most people don’t know what rubbish is like.
By highlighting such ‘junk’ on her blog, maybe people will sit up and take content seriously, instead of it now being a stepchild to design. And maybe, her friend won’t be so supercilious. Oh and I advised her to charge for her advice too. Free advice is often sneered at and undervalued.
Design and copy must go together. Good design is enhanced by good copy.
What do you think? Do you cringe when people write badly? Would you correct them or would you let them be?