Three Rules to Keep in Mind by Justin Couch

I guess one might assume that a designer such as myself would have a logical and formulated process, and that my designs are the end product of a rational set of decisions based on principles years in the learning. Let me assure you that, at least in my case, nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, I create stuff just like most kids do: by looking and finding things that are interesting, putting them together, and then pushing those things around until they click, and the puzzle is solved. But there is some method to my madness. Here are three rules I always keep in mind:

1. Content is king. Somebody once described type as being like a fine crystal goblet (because that’s what kings drink out of?), and content as being like the wine. The goblet is transparent; it doesn’t call attention to itself—it’s really there to make the wine better. That’s kind of how I think about my role when designing for somebody like Carla Speed McNeil. It’s not about me.

2. Usability is . . . um, also king (queen?). Good, usable design is a gesture of goodwill, and it should feel like a room you’ve known all your life. You should feel comfortable in it, not confused; you should know where everything is; and you should always know where you are.

3. My third rule is a bit Zen, and it’s something my first creative director taught me: enjoy the process. He taught me this rule in good Zen-master fashion by rejecting almost everything I put in front of him. Eventually I caught on. Try lots of things, experiment and play, take pride in your work, but never become attached to the final outcome, because the client is always going to make changes.

Justin Couch works at Dark Horse Comics and is the Finder book designer and FinderComics.com website designer. He is also currently working on Shmoo: The Complete Newspaper Strips, Mister X: The Brides of Mister X and Other Stories, and Citizen Rex.