Police On My Back

Snap to guides.

This feature is common to most designers using computers (that would be all of you). This feature helps you to keep everything lined up to the exact pixel. I was wondering if the 'snap to' feature forces us to line everything up, keep all balanced and to stay within the lines? Is this good?

Most great design is a perfect balance between positive and negative, object and space, born of symmetry.... but isn't there a lot of design that is also great that is unbalanced, lopsided or hanging one way more that the other? The visual cacophony of Art Chantry vs. the exquisite balance of say, Paul Rand.

Does that line that is a few pixels too far on one side or the other throw it all off? Being a clean, classic designer myself, I have toyed with the punk rock ethic of Chantry and "grunge" design (as my old mentor Steve James used to call it). But when I venture that direction, it is on purpose. And even then I am forced to balance it all out in some way. It never looks right unless there is some sort of aesthetic balance to the whole piece...

Sure some great designs have been born of accidents, but they are thoughtful, 'snap to grid' accidents.