Don't Let Your Grandma Design

Some of you may know that one of my biggest pet-peeves is design work that looks like your "Grandma" (sorry Grandma!) unleashed the cut & paste tool on an innocent piece of white paper. In the end, Grandma's "Masterpiece" (aka - Event Flier/Poster/Invitation) is sent out into the world to conquer and destroy the masses. And that is exactly what it does. With great anticipation Grandma awaits the big day only to find out that everyone had become ill from design poisoning and were not able to attend her event.

Wake up people! If you want people to take what your are doing seriously, then act professional. Please, do us all a favor and stop flogging humanity with your clip-art library and your ridiculous, thoughtless and unimaginative layouts. At least hand it over to your 6-year-old, I am sure they know Photoshop, Illustrator, In-Design, etc...

Here is what I am talking about.... My sister-in-law wanted me to spruce up an event poster for the Mapleton City Summer Concerts in the Park. Before you are too harsh on her, I have to say that she is not the one that designed the original poster. I am just glad that we got a hold of it before it hit the public for general consumption, otherwise I am sure the fliers would have been discarded or used to line bird cages and the like.

Here is what I came up with. Which Summer Concert Series would you rather go to?

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