There's nothing wrong with having a certain design style. But what if your style is formal and you're creating collateral for a folk festival? For the design to work, you've got to use type, colors, images, and layouts that are authentic to each particular project.

The original Web banner (top) for an outdoor concert series set under 150-foot pines is neat, smooth, and completely wrong for the event. The revised Web banner (bottom) projects energy, musicality, and a true sense of place.

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