Never Use White Type on a Black Background: And 50 Other Ridiculous Design Rules

Design has many rules that claim to be big truths and full of wisdom. Designers all go by rules that work for them. However, their rules may not work for someone else, or for a particular piece of design work. When a rule is forced upon you, it stops working and becomes a joke, like “Never use a PC,” or “Leave it until the last minute,” or the most famous of them all, “Less is more.”

The problem is that every rule related to, or governing, design is ultimately ridiculous. In this book we have collected the most talked-about rules and the viewpoints of designers and thought leaders who live by them or hate them.

Anneloes van Gaalen (1979) is an all-around creative, working as a writer, editor, curator, and documentary filmmaker. After receiving a MA and MPhil in English, American Studies, and Cultural Analysis, she started writing for a wide variety of publications.