• Sometimes most effective.
• But must understand rules you are breaking and why.

• Should be interesting to the eye.
• Parts should be related in shape, but not monotonous in size.

• Long thin types and art in long, thin layouts.
• Short, wide type and art in short, wide layouts.
• Very general--each considered individually.

• Elements of similar weight, not precisely same.
  • Placed in informal relationship, top to bottom, left to right.
• Balance is dynamic rather than static.
• Balance is achieved through control of size, tone, and position of elements.
• Start with optical center as fulcrum.
  • Let elements fall into balanced positions.
• Color affects balance.

Harmony All the elements must work together. 1. Harmony of shapes; 2. Harmony of type; 3. Harmony of tones. 1. Shape General structure of the elements is the same. Shape of type same as shape of page or printed area; Shape of art and copy blocks follow this pattern.

2. Type

• Letter designs cooperate and blend together.
  • Types of one family and similar series of that family.
  • But must also have contrast.
    • If different typefaces used to provide contrast, they should be apparently different.
    • Two families from different races can provide harmony and contrast, but one should clearly dominate.

3. Tone

• Weights and designs of elements.
  • Bold illustrations with bold types.

Contrast For variety, interest & emphasis: Attracts attention & aids memory. Examples: 1. Typographic devices--italic or boldface types. 2. Vary widths of copy blocks. 3. Break up copy with subheads. 4. Vary shapes of elements, balancing a strong display against a lighter- toned text mass. 5. Surprinting. 6. Large attention-getting art 7. Enlarge one illustration in a group of photos so one dominates.

Rhythm

• Measuring, balancing movement of vision.
• Dynamic layout: Visual syntax
  • Visual syntax, or optical movement, refers to readers' visual progression through the page.
  • Graphic elements can optimize visual syntax..
    

1. Natural flow: As eye scans page: From optical center, Z through page. Provides natural placement of elements.

• 2. Beat: Repetition
  • Initial letters, boldface lead-ins, numbers, small illustrations, indented paragraphs, subheads.
    
• 3. Arranging material in logical progression
• Graphical elements provide contrast, but placing key elements in logical order:
  • can help direct reader through the material and
  • give it rhythm and motion.

Unity

• Holds a design together
  • Prevents looseness and disorder.
  • Adds professional look.
  • Simplicity is key.
    
    
• Alignment is basic to order and simplicity.
  • Provides framework
  • Edges of two or more elements on same horizontal or vertical plane.
  • Alignment is essential across folds or gutters.
  • Pictures are aligned with their cutlines
  • Cutlines are best under the picture.
    • Widths of picture and cutline are the same, even if cutline must be broken into columns.
  • When cutline is beside picture, optimum position is next to left edge of pix
    • with first line of type at top edge of picture, or
    • with last line of type with bottom edge of picture.
      
      
• Mondrian layout
• Internal consistency of separation.
  • Distances between interrelated elements are equal.
• Emphasis on rectangular grid, balance & harmony.
  • Edge is a distinctive feature.
  • Halftones are grouped into geometric patterns, with phi relationships
    • Copy incorporated into pattern as single or two blocks.
    • Color for emphasis and focal attention.
    • A bleed is used to balance opposite forces.
      
      
• White, or negative, space
• None should be inert, isolated, or trapped.
• Combine excessive white space into single area
  • Use it to reinforce primary focal point of the layout.
  • Move to outer edges.
  • Here's a little video on utilizing white space (but slow-loading)
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBDobtjGyDs&feature=related
      
      
• To achieve unity, use unifying force:
• Enclose everything in a border of white space (not lines, frames)
  • Isolate the layout within white space.
• Keep elements consistent
  • The same basic shape, tone, color or mood throughout.
  • Keep the distance between related elements equal.
    
• Three-point layout method
• People tend to unify elements when they appear in groups of three.
  • Basic units are headline, art and copy to create a whole.
    

Tips

• Use few type styles, one or two families.
• Keep the number of shapes and sizes of art and type to a minimum.
• Place art and heads where they won't interfere with the natural flow of reading matter.
• One element in an illustration or one illustration in a group should dominate.
  • Create a center of interest.
• May use one basic design style for whole family of publications.

Back to top

See Design: Fliers

Design services: lindaperryproductions.com

Back to Lectures Index