5 Things I Learned from Good Design with Jean Puerini

By: Traci Picard

November 4, 2016

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SEG’s Lunch and Learn series presented a workshop with Jean Puerini, creative director at Jump Design Studio and SEG Hub member. Jean is an expressive speaker with a good eye for composition–her presentation was visually inspiring. She broke down some complex concepts in order to show us what good design can do for us, for our business or our cause.

  1. Design affects us on more than one level. There is the actual information that marketing materials conveys. Dates, times, costs. But the medium is the message, too. Much information is conveyed by the intangible-color, materials, typography, shapes, proportions.
  2. Keep it simple. She stressed that confusion is the enemy of clicks, and that if a potential customer can’t understand the intention of the material, they can’t fully participate.
  3. Not another lightbulb! Jean suggests that we avoid cliches in our design. There are reasons why some of the more popular logos are globes, leafs, and circles and are easy to create and lovely. But she suggests we put forth a bit more effort in our ideas.
  4. Be willing to discard. It’s OK to fail. Not all designs will work, and letting go of them may be the best option sometimes. It’s better to let go of a sub-par idea  BEFORE you have it printed on 3,000 coffee mugs!
  5. Know your audience. Design that works for elderly Iowans may not speak to 19-24 year olds in New York City. Navigational choices that present no problem to people working in tech could overwhelm  less computer-savvy customers. A little time spent researching the intended audience ahead of time can save much work later.

You can see more from Jean Puerini and Jump Design  Studio here.

 

Traci Picard
Venture Development Assistant

Traci Picard is a VISTA serving as Venture Development assistant here at SEG. She comes from the world of alternative health, running a small herbal business and teaching classes like Critical Thinking for Herbalists and Asking Better Questions. Traci is also a writer pursuing a Journalism degree, a mother of 3 and a passionate fan of books and the Public Library. Born in Providence, she has lived all over but continues to return home.

Contact: tpicard@segreenhouse.org