Not changing something

I love this quote…

It’s understandable for designers to want to change things and make their mark, but not to change something is a perfectly legitimate design decision. It can sometimes be better to retain the existing core and make modifications – and perhaps improvements – around the edges.

John Miles of Banks & Miles, 1979

Banks & Miles were given the job of creating a updated version of Edward Johnston’s successful corporate typeface for the London Underground. Here John is describing the result of their work, the now multi-weight ‘New Johnston’.

It’s easy to feel that by not changing everything in a redesign, that you’ve somehow failed in your job, or missed something. Not true!

Tags: quotes