High among my pet peeves are sloppy layouts, which I see all the time. I’m talking about when centered elements aren’t actually centered, when text columns aren’t perfectly aligned across their tops and bottoms, when margins are uneven, when a partial sentence sits alone at the top of a column, or when a hyphenated word breaks across columns—or worse—pages! I could go on and on.

Such design faux pas can really detract from a professional-looking product, especially in lengthy publications. I endeavor to keep my work free of such defects.

And, as much as poor design frustrates me, I’m in absolute awe of a beautiful design that is well executed. When I come across a layout that impresses me I usually find myself wishing it was my handiwork.