Bright White Paper

When someone creates a brilliant concept or design and you think to yourself, "It's just too simple to be good. Let's add some more to fill it up/make it fun/make it pop" just stop it. Take that little thought and a small mental hatchet and chop that thought up until it is no more. When you are listening to a pitch about a short informational video, that is so clear and consistant, and you notice yourself waving your hands in semi circles and explaining how the graphics can zoom in, for the love of the Karate Kid, just stop it. When you see a designed piece of equipment and find yourself commenting on how unimpressed you are because it doesn't seem that complicated, oh you better shut it up.

Let's start with a little analogy and think about a time when you were asked to close your eyes and clear your head as a means of relaxation. What did you think of? I typically think of all white, free of any objects, walls, or even space itself. Relaxing isn't it? So we can all agree white space is beautiful. If you don't, I'll give you back your Lisa Frank notebook (go wild).

Let's now think about a very stressful time most of us have encountered, a city rush hour. You can be in your car, walking to work, or if you live downtown, attempting to sleep, but there always seems to be a constant loud rubble of noise. Something leaking out of the sewer is just choking you as you pass by and you're attempting to read your 3 text messages you received and you missed the traffic light. Not relaxing! Something about the constant stimulation really begins to eat away at you, your temper, and/or your ability to pay attention to one simple task.

Now let's pretend these two situations are pieces of paper. One is a nice white sheet of paper; no creases or stains, bright white paper. The other paper is mud covered, drawn on with the disgusting black licorice smelling marker, and the whole surface is crinkled. If you were going to buy one of these pieces of paper, which one would you choose? Unless you are some hipster (damn the man), you would choose the bright white paper. It's relaxing, understood, clean, simple, and you are able to project yourself on to its endless possibilities. The other thing to understand, is a lot of work went into making that piece of paper that glowing shade of white, the right weight, and the right size. Just because it appears simple, does not mean the process of making it is.

So the next time you're thinking about get your money's worth by filling up every square inch with text and bursts, think about that beautiful white piece of paper. If you want to continue to yell a message over the noise of the city, remember how the constant stimulation makes that little voice, that tells you to do bad things, in your head grow louder. Or if you are mad that you're paying an arm and a leg for something that looks so simple, just remember that a lot of time went in to making it look so clean, because it sure as heck didn't start off that way.