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I have a confession to make. Like quite a few designers, I’ve got a sprinkling of OCD about me.
—Published 07 January, 2009
It’s not like I have to wash my hands every 5 minutes or avoid cracks in the pavement, but I do like things to feel balanced and in proportion. That’s normal right?
I’ve also noticed I favour using certain numbers in design.
It might sound strange, but you probably do it too without even noticing. Some numbers just don’t sit well with me. I tend to favour even numbers, but numbers like 3 and 5 are certainly ok. I adore 12 and have no time for 19.
This probably isn’t that strange, as it has a lot to do with symmetry and divisibility, working with type and grids and the like. But I’ve noticed it spilling into other values, like fill and transparency, x and y positioning, margins, and a whole swag of values that have no need to be even or divisible. It’s as though I’m looking for a sign – something to make me feel more comfortable about my decision.
Number crunching
A mate of mine is in the music business and does a lot of audio mastering. I remember hanging out with him once while he was working on mastering an album. Every time he would change a value, he would make a point of looking away from the console screen.
When I asked him why, he explained, he was drawn to rounding the number up or down or making it even. By looking away, he let his ears make the decisions rather than his OCD tendency.
These days photoshop provides a live preview of whatever element you’re changing. If you’re like me and find yourself drawn to rounding things to your favourite number or birthday or whatever, I have some advice: avert your eyes from the numbers! Look at what’s happening to your design and let that decide.
This photo has numbers in it. Yes it does.