The Elements of Style = The Elements of Design

I love simple tips that help me become a better designer. Today, I love Christina Wodtke from Boxes and Arrows. Christina has translated a “List of Reminders” from Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style into tips for designers to keep in mind.

It seems that good style is universal. Christina says:

“…what is good for words is good for pictures too. And thus we discover The Elements of Style is just as relevant for young designers as for young writers.”

Christina isn’t alone in this belief. “Read Strunk and White” were the first words of advice Hugh Dubberly gave me as his pupil, and they came as a surprise. I had expected him to point me to something like Muller-Brockman’s Grid Systems, Alber’s The Interaction of Color, or Graphic Design Manual by Armin Hofmann. Instead he gave me a little book for writers.

Hugh was pointing me towards the philosophy behind Elements: be simple, be clear. Don’t show off. Don’t let style impede substance. The Elements of Style truly are applicable to design as well as writing. Cheers to Christina for the translation.