How breaking the rules sparks more creative design
Written by Megan Williams
Here’s a question…
When it comes to graphic design, should we always stick to the rules?
Because recently, I’ve started to think the answer is no.
With the overconsumption of social media rising and our attention span decreasing, standing out as a brand is more important than ever. And for graphic designers like me, the challenge of creating eye-catching work has increased tenfold.
Things are so bad that a recent Microsoft study found the average attention span to be less than 9 seconds. Making us all worse than goldfish. (I mean… are you even still reading this!?)
Anyway, with just nine seconds to play with I’ve noticed a lot more graphic designers ‘breaking the rules’ and pushing visual boundaries lately. Particularly when it comes to brand cues.
The strategic use of brand cues is one of the most powerful tools we have for building a brand’s identity.
It’s consistency that builds recognition with a consumer, and so by drilling in distinctive brand cues such as colours, typography, imagery and logos, we can help ensure that a brand stands out, is trusted, and makes a lasting impression.
Take, for example, the recent trend of fragmented logos.
If done well a brand can still be recognisable and resonate with audiences without the need to place its logo over every image.
Just a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable to produce content that didn’t feature your brand’s logo, but in the example below, Thorntons is able to confidently display its brand cues, while letting the product stand out. It doesn’t rely on its logo to tell the story!
And the greater your branding, the greater power you have to push these boundaries and break free from limitations.
Tesco’s most recent out-of-home campaign is another bold example of how breaking ‘rules’ like this can create more memorable and attention-grabbing visuals.
In a series of billboards, the supermarket stripped away their brand name and relied solely on the familiarity of their five blue chevrons and ‘every little helps’ strapline.
They strayed away from traditional graphic design principles of clarity and direct messaging by replacing their brand name with everyday groceries – each one representing a letter in TESCO. E.g. Edam is for E, Carrot is for C and so on…
By tearing up the script, they’ve created a piece of design that takes longer than nine seconds to decipher and so is more likely to stop people in their tracks.
Another widely recognisable brand who doesn’t play by the rulebook is Heinz.
This year, they arguably broke the number 1 rule: do not flip or distort your logo.
But in doing exactly that, they created an innovative and meaningful out-of-home campaign.
The infamous bus stop ad represented an upside-down bottle being shaken – a daily occurrence for lovers of Heinz.
As designers, we have always been taught to never flip or distort our logo but as seen in this simple yet smart Heinz OOH ad, we can and should bend the rules if it results in more meaningful work.
But can you only bend the rules if you have a widely recognisable brand?
Not necessarily.
When it first came on the market, Liquid Death designers had to ask themselves: how do we make a water brand stand out in an overcrowded market?
And the answer came from a rulebook of their own making…
Step one: know your consumer. Liquid Death wanted to appeal to a much younger audience and make something as plain as water seem suddenly fun and rebellious.
Step two: think outside the norm. Most water brands have a clean-cut design that evokes purity. Liquid Death defied this traditional approach by adopting a deliberately provocative can aesthetic.
Liquid Death’s design embraces the power of disruption, proving that sometimes breaking the rules can be the most effective way to make a brand unforgettable.
Unleash creativity in your next design brief
When it comes to our own work, I’m not saying we need to go wild and break every design rule in the book! But from these examples, it’s clear we shouldn’t let ourselves be restricted either.
Design should embrace creativity, push boundaries and explore new possibilities.
So next time you provide a creative brief to your designer or design agency, why not encourage them to think beyond the usual boundaries?
About the author
Megan has been Brilliant Agency’s Designer & Content Creator since 2023, where she brings ideas to life and helps shape the visual identity of all Brilliant’s clients.
As well as helping our clients’ socials shine, Megan’s design expertise also contributes extensively to all the agency’s campaign and rebrand projects. Working closely with our art director, she was most recently behind the packaging refresh of British wine brand Silver Bay Point, helping them to increase brand awareness and secure new supermarket listings.
