Design Elements or Pink Flamingos?

Have you ever really thought about pink flamingos? I mean REALLY? Now, I'm not talking about the ones at the zoo. I'm sure they serve a great purpose on Earth. I'm referring to the plastic ones that were very popular as yard ornaments and may still be in some parts of the South. But what do they do? Do they really ad to the aesthetics of a home or do they simply distract from the bricks and siding? I'm gonna let you answer that one yourself. But the same principle can be asked of your designs. Are the elements in your design actually ADDING to the look or are they distracting your audience from your message? Be aware of these pink flamingos. They may LOOK pretty, but if they aren't adding to your pieces then you're probably just adding useless pink flamingos. Be sure you think before you add. Remember that a simple design can be much more powerful than a yard full of ornaments. You can download your own Flamingo reminder, here. Smashing Magazine issued a challenge to designers for the new year, and I’m on board! I tried to decide what type of design I’d want to do and could stretch my boundaries as a designer. So in answer to this Challenge, I will be designing and posting a new Bookmark design each day on this blog. The Designs will link to a downloadable file that you can feel free to download, print out and share as desired.