I kept hitting a wall with my poster layouts feeling too stiff

The problem was everything looked too perfect and centered, you know? So I tried setting a 5 minute timer and just throwing text boxes and images around randomly in Figma. After the timer went off, I'd pick one random arrangement and actually build it out properly. The last poster I did that way ended up with the headline at a 15 degree angle in the corner, and the client loved it. Has anyone else tried forcing themselves to be messy on purpose to break out of a design rut?

2 comments

2 Comments

blairwhite1d agoTop Commenter

Wait, you got a client to sign off on a 15 degree angle? That's the real magic trick here. I can barely get them to okay a font change without three rounds of notes. The timer idea is smart, but my brain is stuck on a client actually liking something that wasn't perfectly centered and aligned. That's the dream right there.

perez.barbara16h ago

My clients would probably have a heart attack if I showed them a crooked headline. I'm lucky if they let me use two colors. The timer trick sounds like a great way to get past that need for perfect order. I might have to try it, but knowing my luck, the one random layout I pick will be the only one they hate. How do you even begin to sell a tilted design in a meeting without getting shut down immediately?