The Letterpress trend has to go
Posted on 16 June, 2009 at 16:46 PM
There are already 26 Comments
About the Show
I really do love the letterpress design element. For some reason it looks very cool.
But there is a problem... we all think it's awesome and because it is very easy to create we are all using it. I strongly believe that the Letterpress design trend is the latest Drop Shadow/Gloss effect. It has been overused by all of us and really has to go.
Today I rant on and on about my thoughts on it's overuse and encourage you to a) tune us and b) look away from the screen for inspiration.
I really want to do a video post about going outside to get your inspiration, you can gain it from shopping centers, a drive to the petrol station, a party... anything. But at the moment we are all looking inside our web design bubble and it is taking us no where. It feels like design innovation has hit a new road block.
It took us a while to get over our drop shadows etc, but now we have a new hurdle.
Sheesh... sorry.
Links mentioned in this post:
Related Shows
- (3) Episode 189 - Using Inspiration Effectively
- (5) Episode 187 - Design with the Lights On
- (9) Episode 186 - Apples and Oranges
- (2) Episode 185 - Design like a Dictator
- (25) Episode 184 - Murdoch vs. Google
User Comments
Bianca 16 Jun, 2009 17:16:00 PM
This made my day. I think people conform a lot to trends because it's the easy way out to make something that looks good. Anyway, loved the rant.
Sanne Terpstra 16 Jun, 2009 17:16:40 PM
I agree with you guys 100%!
I see those effect's alllllll the time, booooring.
:)
Rob MacKay 16 Jun, 2009 17:20:15 PM
*me beats the meatshield*
shes got a point dudes... your logo is pressed... lol and arnt you bannery titles? they looks pressed too... :D
I dunno - letter pressed hasn't irritated me yet... flourishes have though I must say its getting a little too much with all the floral...
David Perel 16 Jun, 2009 17:35:32 PM
@divinefusion - that is hardly letter pressed, that is a subtle inner gradient. I am talking about the full hog here. I am going to update the post with what I am talking about, full on inner and drop shadows.
Just because I am using it doesn't make my argument wrong, its being used on every new design portfolio on the web... we have all gone overboard now.
It's up to you to change your buttons / headers.... I am just sharing my opinion. I am just as guilty as anyone, so maybe I will change that logo today.
And peeps, please don't compare this to using the colour blue, for example....
Joel Beukelman 16 Jun, 2009 18:40:52 PM
David,
I completely agree and disagree with your rant on design trends. Yes, I agree that the design community kicks the dead horse trends that apple seems to start, and being ground breaking and innovative should always be our goal. However, I think that design's main purpose (looking past trends) is to be functional and useable. I agree the pressed text is overdone, but in the same respect we shouldn't be designing based on what is popular or not. We should be designing based on the function for the client and its relevance for their audience. If the press text is relevant and appropriate for the job, then it should be used.....no matter how many people are using it. Just a thought.
In the end...I'm more of a Keep It Simple Stupid kind of guy. Loving the show guys. Keep it up.
Sat Pirott 16 Jun, 2009 21:01:48 PM
Ay Guys! I am not sure whether I should agree, or not ... The thing is, that most parts of the design-world get copyed as soon as they are gettin' famous in whatever way. May there be the simplicity, or the feedback they get from customers vs. users. So, if we go further, anything that's great will be over- and reused (if it's not a style element which is key for identity, like keyth herring's "doodles"), did you get my point?
Imho I think it doesn't metter how often things get reused and therefore we should not stop people doing it. If we all would live in a world of total perfection an peace, how could we now what peace is anyway? What I want to say is, as long as we own our creativity, we can always create NEW things. So we do not have to care who uses overused elements - because they are the contrast to the real new inventions and to the real design. Overusing designs sure "down-grades" the value of it, but it still gives us a scale to measure and to seperate styles. So we still know what bad design is, you know? :-)
(I personally click things away or ignore them, as soon as I see that styles are copyed. I just then say to myself "what creativity does a guy have, that does not have a spark of own style" - but this would only take action if, in this case, a website would be letterpress-styled from start to end)
---
Changin' the topic here ... what is wrong with you guys? Sorry for not always watching your stream, but when I do (even if it is interesting) I only see one of you guys do the talking! I don't really know who is who (again sorry for that), because I am not totally into this blog (don't have the time to fully concentrate on any blog these days), but regarding to paralanguage and yes, the end of the clip, somehow you should talk ... The left guy of yours - why aren't you beating your word out? Is this part of a big plan, or what?
I am just saying! Don't take it personally, but I am a little confused here ... Maybe I am wrong and just and outsider of this blogs-inside, but tell me - why is always one guy speaking? I don't really find that reasonable. Because, if there is one person speaking, but place for two - you don't have to fill the gaps with agreeing dolls, right?
Keep goin' anyway! You're doing just fine ;-)
Greetz from Germany
Sat Pirott 16 Jun, 2009 21:04:04 PM
Sorry for double posting and the long message ... ... but you really should get an "edit comment" function.
I am blushed for having those misspellings there. Man, I should re-read more often!
David Perel 16 Jun, 2009 21:28:26 PM
@Sat - Don't worry about spelling mistakes dude, From the Couch is a relaxed place... we don't worry too much about spelling and after all... it's a video blog.
In terms of only one of us speaking, today I (David) had the topic in my mind and since it's design based, Marc the programmer (the quieter one in this episode) didn't have much to add.
It really does depend on the show but in general I am the much more talkative one in real life and often do the most talking on the show. Neither of us stress too much about it because the nature of From the Couch is about going with the flow. There are no scripts or pre-planned shows, so if one of us doesn't have anything to add then we just chill out.
There is no big plan or anything ;)
I used to do these design rants on my own at my desk but decided this year that Marc needs to pop in his two cents if he has anything to add.
----
Regarding your opinion on letterpress: I agree that we need repeated design to seperate the creative from the general landscape but I still think that the letterpress craze has gotten maybe a bit too popular.
What I am trying to encourage in this rant is for people to think out of the box and not to be satisfied just because it looks good. There has to be something more behind it.
meredith 16 Jun, 2009 21:44:41 PM
@sat mad me laugh...
when you guys first started, I couldn't tell the difference between you two either. Your hair was exactly the same, and I thought you were twins. Then David got his hair cut, and all the sudden it was two different people. I think David needs another haircut, maybe @sat would be less confused.
I also have a feeling that even without cameras rolling, David talks a lot and Marc just kind of observes and nods his head. The fact that shows in your vids means you guys are being you. If you changed the pace and had Marc jabbering away, I'd question whether he was in an altered state.
Sat Pirott 16 Jun, 2009 22:04:58 PM
Lols @Meredith too :-D
Yes, well - I am no all day visitor of OTC, so I had it a bit harder ... But I looked at Obox Design after posting here and made use of the "Team" button. Maybe you guys need that over here too?!?
Well, anyway.
@Dave I must agree with your point! I am currently less doing design on my own, because I still did not get a frickin logo for myself finished. I would not say I am a bad designer, but I am hardly happy with things I produce, when I do it for myself. I bet you know that feeling. And this might be the problem of some people. They don't think enaugh - and I thing too much.
Well, let's see ... There are styles like this www.behance.net/area105/frame/245659 which are totally unique and awesome - and then there are styles similiar to that one, that got copyed by several "designers" as they are called. I am not making anyone bad, because they master it anyway - but I am sick of seeing that stuff ... I am pointing fingers at stuff like this one: www.behance.net/Gallery/Massive-Attack/211452 Regarding the last link - I don't know if Steve's artwork got copyed, or if he is just one of those copying it from someone other. And I don't care anymore, because every time I see one of those posters I am pretty much bored.
So, I know how you feel when it comes to letterpress design. It's just that I think people should get out of those habits on their own you know? People go to school, then they move on with life, study - or whatever. People get creative and learn by copying and viewing works of others. The only bad thing is - there is no bad thing. The bad things, when they exist, are those making trouble. And in my opinion you can't force anyone making trouble. Either they do it, or not. And if they're not doing it, they will never reach new targets.
I am doing hard to describe my point right now, but - let's just see how people move on. Maybe there might be one day where people wake up and stop posting tutorials that already exist (with much better results *sigh*). Maybe people stop using letterpress also ... who knows ...
What you do is right and I admire it, but maybe some things are better kept a secret - or not? :-)
*wink,wink*
Sat Pirott 16 Jun, 2009 22:32:10 PM
OMG, I just noticed I am loosing the main topic somehow. Well, I must apologize for that - again ...
I am not sure if I can suggest any new styles, but I am thinking hard though. There really are dozens of these letterpressy thingies - lol ... and apple really has done a great job too. Maybe they're the only real inspiration we've got right now - ahaha
Ok - leaving kidding behing, I'd say we're all feeling this big stop sign ahead of us and we all (also me) have done this biiiig f'in mistake of repeating styles in the bad way. At specialy letterpress. I used it myself for application splash-screens and headers and so on. But let's speak facts. I am a minimalist and I love raw type. Raw, typography and less colours (is it color, or colour? I only speak american - I love the british accent though).
I think I am pretty good with beeing minimalistic. But that can be boring too. Imagine anyone having flat type as headers - may even without any image. Just pure typography. That's boring if you see it anywere - and you can't really change that.
Grunge is getting overused too! We are all trying to be superduper realistic and raw - or on the other way we try to be glassy and classy as Apple or (damnit - I don't like it) Microsofts Vista / W7.
I mean - WHAT can we do? I still like minimalistic, pure design - just like white paper. In reality we only see white - white with (mostly) black type on it. And then? We use space! Lot's of space! The less content and the more space you have, as better it gets - that's what I think and do. We've all have gotten stupidwhen it comes to implementing function into design. There are a thousand buttons, super detailed textures and shiny letterpressed (whatsoever) headings. But what we really should master is doing more with less. Combining several things into one object, making function depend on situation and so on.
Flash sites are always Fullscreen, forcing slow pc's or macs to display it even slower. People don't think to keep it small - not anymore. The times were smart russians published BIG games with 100KB is over. There are thousands of things we have to keep track of. When people start to split full flash sites into XHTML, CSS and flash parts for functions (Players, or smth like that), then people start to get it.
Try to be minimalistic here too! Less images, faster loading times, simple typo, simple styles. It will look more elegant, professional, attractive and less like a pure website - trust me! This is style-info I normally keep for myself, but now I share it - because I think it's the real thing!
charles 17 Jun, 2009 02:13:18 AM
This is silly. Your site is heavily dependant on both drop shadows and "letterpress effect." Stop creating controversy just to get your hits up and make yourself feel like real designers, or that your opinion matters.
This is the first time Ive commented here, and it will be the last. I usually try to ignore this site, its usually just trying to strike a nerve by "calling out" industry trends and playing them against themselves. There was one vid I saw where these guys were in their car talking out of their ass about how blogging is akin to spec work. Uggghhh. Not thought proviking, not smart, not cool. Just trying to be noticed. I know I'm feeding it by commenting here, but trust me, this will be the only time, and I wont check back to read any responses.
David Perel 17 Jun, 2009 10:32:17 AM
@Charles - Thanks for the free hit and page view, always good to see that even though you don't like the show that you stayed till the end. If everyone liked it then it's growth would be stunted, but you need to polarize some opinions in order to move forward.
I stated quite clearly in this episode that we are just as guilty as anyone else when it comes to letterpress ;)
I don't think you have watched enough episodes (150 and counting) to call out what our show is about, rants only occur once every two weeks depending on our mood and the rest of the time we are just offering our advice and experience to those who are willing to listen.
It's a pity that you think we are just out there to grab free hits by creating controversy, at the end of the day we are just asking our viewers to think differently. I think based on the amount of comments we get on these subjects that we do get a couple of people to actually take a second look.
Max Stanworth 17 Jun, 2009 16:12:37 PM
Im not sure about the letterpress effect i think it has its use
The best way is to let yout imagination run wild, like you said about posters and magazines, i think its ok to get inspiration from them as long as you can think of a way that you can enhance the design beyond being a simple magazine layout with the current design trend which sometimes can actaully prove quite difficult at times etc.
I think because you guys mentioned flaming people actaully took it seriously lol
Max Stanworth 17 Jun, 2009 16:13:26 PM
Im not sure about the letterpress effect i think it has its use
The best way is to let yout imagination run wild, like you said about posters and magazines, i think its ok to get inspiration from them as long as you can think of a way that you can enhance the design beyond being a simple magazine layout with the current design trend which sometimes can actaully prove quite difficult at times etc.
I think because you guys mentioned flaming people actaully took it seriously lol
macorocks 19 Jun, 2009 00:14:29 AM
I really appreciated the rant but to be completely honest, as somebody who hold a bachelors in fine arts, I was expecting to see ACTUAL letterpress effect (as in the old school type of printing that requires a press, and wood or lead blocks...and the effect looks like there may be some spaces where the ink is not evenly distributed.)
I wish that you would have looked up the term before going on with this rant. The effect you are referring to is probably better described as an engraved in metal effect.
Other than that, I think we have a ways to go before we totally whore out this engraved-in-metal effect. We definitely used the shiny bubble effect way longer. But I agree that at this point, is just a trendy effect.
neon 19 Jun, 2009 21:49:21 PM
Your site is very good. There are useful information and most importantly, for sharing great. Thank you ....
Julie 23 Jun, 2009 04:38:44 AM
Poor Marc lol That was a sweet rant though. I agree, but this is what happens all the time in the design world, whether it's web, fashion, house design etc, there's always one trend that gets over used because it's so cool. Oh well...
Jason 26 Jun, 2009 17:45:37 PM
I'll play devil's advocate because I also like the letterpress effect apart from its present abundant use.
The H2 elements on your site are a current trend for web designers (the headings - e.g. 'TV Guide'). Yours are a little different in that they are curved. CSS-Tricks uses it. I guess this is the 'squared flag' to which you referred in the video.
Where do we draw the line for trends on the web?
You also said that we need another breakthrough. What specifically do you mean? We need another ubiquitous trend for every designer to implement on their sites, and then in a year, we'll all huddle together and fire our disdain over those designs? Should we reject all trends?
I agree with you that inspiration can be found anywhere, and that truly creative work comes out of left field and many times it's something you haven't seen before. I believe this video will lead me to be thinking about two specific things this next week - how reliant am I on any trend, and from where can I draw inspiration.
Kay 05 Nov, 2009 10:15:57 AM
Funny how you 'hate' the letterpress effect but others see your site as an inspiration for the trend, line25.com/articles/web-design-trend-showcase-letterpress-text-effect
Congrats on getting on the list, though!
Personally, I love letterpress too much. It hasn't gotten boring for me.
In fact, I don't think any artistic effects will go flat on me.
I know where you're coming from, though. For me, it's usually typography/fonts and stock textures that bore my eyes. The old worn out texture has GOT to go.
Not letterpress, though, :). It looks good, it's effective.
I'm not scolding you for ranting about this but I don't completely agree with your argument. Drop/inner shadows are essential (doesn't necessarily need to be applied to ALL designs) but you talking like this mainly serves to persuade people from using this effect -- that's crazy. Imagine some designs to not have at least a bit of letterpress.
Sure, it's a trend but is it overdone? No.
When you open up the newspaper, do you see letterpress? No.
Are the designs that use the letterpress effect look ugly? No.
Is the letterpress effect bouncing off customers/clients? No.
My bottom line is that designers who use the letterpress effect KNOW what they're doing.
Nothing to complain about here.
Adam 17 Nov, 2009 18:54:37 PM
I disagree. Just because you don't like the letterpress style doesn't mean that it isn't still useful or even stylish. I understand your feelings, though. The gloss trend is un-stylish if overdone. That doesn't mean that the gloss trend is completely un-stylish and should never be used again. The same goes for letterpress. Fortunately, this trend has not yet been overdone. I hope it never is either.
Everything should be created or used in moderation (balance). That is basically what art and design are: a balance of colors and shapes. Design with balance.
Thank you for the video blog!
John Alden | Web Tasar1m1 13 Jul, 2010 10:11:42 AM
Lovely video. I actually liked the Letterpress style. Well though even it has to go, it was good while it lasted. :)
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divinefusion 16 Jun, 2009 17:12:41 PM
lol first, David, man your hair is getting LOOOOOONG :P second, are you dissing my new buttons? www.newheartworship.org/Events/Elevation09/index.html ... so does this mean you will be re-designing the FTC logo..done in letterpress style? ....tsk tsk...or are you just 'hatin on the type versions of the letter press look?
What about the over-use of the flourish or other design trends. I think we need to find a good balance, as designers, to use trends in our work, especially when working on our own sites (i'm in the middle of a re-design).