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Art Deco’s Influence on Modern Design

By Nathaniel Richman

I just returned from a restful vacation in somewhat-sunny Florida. The highlight for me was a day spent wandering around Miami’s Art Deco District. I told my wife that I felt like a kid in a candy store, looking at all the wonderful Art Deco buildings. It’s quite unreal, especially if you’re not exposed to such architecture on a regular basis.

The Art Deco style began in France in the early 1900s and picked up steam internationally in the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s. It was a time of heavy industrialization and that can be seen as an influence in the style – sort of a blend of the old tradition with the modern (at the time). Hard to think of a better word to describe it than “eclectic.”

What strikes me about the style is its boldness. It feels, on the one hand, very clean and solid, but on the other hand like it really makes a statement, without being garish. It’s “kitsch” and somehow never out of style.

Many of the buildings I saw in my brief jaunt through Miami were mostly white, with a dash of colour. They had noticeable geometric shapes, nicely rounded edges, and often one feature that really caught your eye.

Miami Art Deco

What can we apply from the Art Deco style to the design of websites and other material?

1. Keep things clean.

You can never go wrong with white (or off-white) as a background colour. And, as a rule, too much white space is better than not enough. It’s easy on the eyes and helps people focus on the important things.

2. Don’t be afraid to be bold.

Splashes of colour, patterns, texture, shapes/elements that stand out are what grab your audience’s attention.

3. Don’t overdo the boldness.

If you’ve got too many vivid colours or too many brash elements, they all end up competing with each other and nothing stands out. You end up with an eyesore that will confuse your customers and quickly lose their attention. Strive to create harmony in the design and a sense of flow, so they are easily drawn to the most important items (and you’ll need to figure out which few – at most – those items are).

4. Show some personality.

Obviously, the nature of your business will determine how “fun” your website or other marketing material should be, but do something to differentiate yourself and let your customers feel that they know you somewhat. A sense of familiarity goes a long way in creating trust and forming relationships.

San Juan art deco building, Miami

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Filed Under: Design

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About Nathaniel Richman

Nathaniel founded nrichmedia in 2000. Nathaniel graduated from the Vancouver Film School with a Certificate of Recommendation in Multimedia Studies in 1997 and has been working in the web design and new media industry ever since. In a previous life, he received a Bachelor of Mathematics degree (Honours Actuarial Science) from the University of Waterloo and worked in the pension consulting field. Aside from honing his problem-solving and programming skills, working in the consulting industry provided Nathaniel with valuable experience in how to build strong and lasting client relationships — an area in which he excelled. Nathaniel lives in Victoria, BC and is the lead designer, sometimes programmer, and overseer of all things good at nrichmedia.

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