Rule of Thumb

The Rules of Thumb, a website created by Rules
of Thumb author Tom Parker, is off and running, with thousand of
user-submitted rules of thumb. Some are more useful than others, but they are
almost always interesting.

DIRECTION CONVEYS TIME AND EMOTION
In advertising, art and photography, the direction the subject is looking or the flow of the composition
can affect the tone of the image. Left is the past, right is the future, up is
positive, down is negative. For example: a subject looking up and to the right
is looking positively into the future. Submitted by: Jeremy Reid, Graphic
Designer, Belleville, Ontario, Canada

MAXIMUM VALUE OF A SERVICE

The value of any service is highest *before* the
service has been rendered.

FINDING SMALL THINGS ON THE FLOOR
To find something very small that you have
dropped on the floor, lay a flashlight on the floor and rotate it. A small
object looks a lot bigger when it has a shadow too.

WALKING WITH SMALL CHILDREN
When walking with small children who are falling
behind, the slower you walk, the slower they will walk, until they stop. If you
maintain your pace, they will keep up with you, albeit somewhat behind.