Dtp and layout

Art & Design: Desktop Publishing & Layout Design and Layout

Design & Layout

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Brainstorming Research Thumbnails Roughs Grids Elements of design

Brainstorming

Designers must formulate ideas quickly. One technique for doing this is Brainstorming, or mindmapping.

It can be used at many levels of work from large corporations to small design teams as a way of helping everyone understand the subject and to share each other’s ideas and responses to those ideas. Brainstorming can then be used to quickly turn thoughts into visual imagery.

The example here for a fictional company called “Luma Lighting Co.”shows how visual images spring to mind in response to sub-conscious associations, which can then be used to develop ideas for a company logo.

Research

What is it?

Who is is for?

Why is it needed?

Where will it be seen?

When is it needed?

How will it be done?

Good research is important at all levels in design and can take many different forms and directions.

At a simple level it may mean looking for imagery in magazines, books,or the internet which can help bring vague ideas to life or inspire the designer to explore various techniques.

In depth research might include Market Research, to establish the need for a publication, it’s target audience, competition, cost... Whatever the level it should be expected that far more research may be gathered than will actually be used.

Not only that but any research gathered can often be used in other projects. Many designers keep idea books, sketchbooks or folios of visual imagery which they refer to regularly to give ideas direction.

Thumbnails

These miniature sketches are useful for getting ideas down quickly on paper. Many designers find thumbnails invaluable as a way of keeping an idea fresh and interesting while also helping to “weighup� one idea over another.

Roughs

From the thumbnails an idea (or ideas) is selected for development into what is called a “rough�. The rough is a more developed version of the initial idea, which is used to resolve graphic and text layout problems and to help develop a specific design solution.

Several roughs may be made and are often shown to the client for approval of initial ideas. Roughs may be simple informed sketches, or detailed, showing dimensions, typefaces, headings, columns, graphic elements, images and colours.

Roughs may be revisited and reviewed many times depending on the stage in the design process.

The advantage of roughs is that they are quick to create and easy to mark with ammendments that both client and designer can visualise instantly.

Grids

Planned layout is essential. Careful thought should given to margins, columns, spacing, page size, orientation, floating elements, running headlines etc.

Grids

A layout grid is the scaffolding of a page design.

Grids are used as a way of bringing consistency, flow and order to documents, especially multipage documents. The aim of a grid is to make page layout easier, not to constrict your ideas. All professionally designed documents, from leaflets and letterheads to glossy magazines and catalogues use underlying grids to help organise and arrange text, images and graphics. Pre-Apple Mac layout design was done using pre-drawn grids on which the designer would “paste-up� the document. Grids used in DTP packages are often referred to as Templates or Master Pages and considerably speed up the whole design process.

Grids

Grids consist of a horizontal and vertical lines which appear on your computer monitor. These non-printing lines create rows and columns which guide the placement of text and visuals. DTP packages have the ability to save grids for use again and again as well as to use several grids throughout a publication.

Grids

Double-page spread: Novum Magazine - 12 column grid, with options for 4 and 3 column arrangements.

Grids

Double-page spread: Novum Magazine - 12 column grid, with options for 4 and 3 column arrangements.

Elements of Design

Balance How the various elements relate to each other on the page can say a lot about a subject and how it is perceived by the reader. Balance can easily be achieved by using symmetry.

Elements of Design

Symmetry A symmetrical or “mirror-image� layout give a sedate, or even boring, appearance to a layout, which may be a requirement of the brief. However more interesting layouts can be achieved through asymmetrical balance. The text, image and graphical elements can be arranged around a fixed point, or axis to create an composition which is balanced, but dynamic.

Elements of Design

Asymmetry A symmetrical or “mirror-image� layout give a sedate, or even boring, appearance to a layout, which may be a requirement of the brief. However more interesting layouts can be achieved through asymmetrical balance. The text, image and graphical elements can be arranged around a fixed point, or axis to create an composition which is balanced, but dynamic.

Elements of Design

Asymmetry A symmetrical or “mirror-image� layout give a sedate, or even boring, appearance to a layout, which may be a requirement of the brief. However more interesting layouts can be achieved through asymmetrical balance. The text, image and graphical elements can be arranged around a fixed point, or axis to create an composition which is balanced, but dynamic.

Elements of Design

Asymmetry A symmetrical or “mirror-image� layout give a sedate, or even boring, appearance to a layout, which may be a requirement of the brief. However more interesting layouts can be achieved through asymmetrical balance. The text, image and graphical elements can be arranged around a fixed point, or axis to create an composition which is balanced, but dynamic.

Elements of Design

White Space The space around the elements on a page is just as important as the elements themselves. White space accentuates type and image areas as well as giving a feeling of ease and of luxury to a page.

Elements of Design

White Space - Margins The space around the elements on a page is just as important as the elements themselves. White space accentuates type and image areas as well as giving a feeling of ease and of luxury to a page.

Not all documents can afford wide margins.

Technical documents and newspapers tend to contain a lot of information, so space is limited.

Elements of Design

White Space - Margins The space around the elements on a page is just as important as the elements themselves. White space accentuates type and image areas as well as giving a feeling of ease and of luxury to a page.

Glossy magazines, annual reports and catalogues etc use wide margins to accentuate their content / style.

Elements of Design

Spread from: ‘Maximalism: The Graphic Design of Decadence & Excess�, by Charlotte Rivers

Elements of Design

Double-page spread: Creative Review magazine

Elements of Design

Consistency Consistent elements bring order to complex page layouts.

Page elements from Empire magazine

Elements of Design

Consistency Consistent elements bring order to complex page layouts. In this case consistent graphic devices help the reader understand the section easily, but still retain interest in the content.

page from Empire magazine

Elements of Design

Consistency Consistent elements bring order to complex page layouts. Even relatively sedate layouts can employ simple consistent page elements.

page from FX magazine

Elements of Design

Consistency Consistent elements bring order to complex page layouts. Even relatively sedate layouts can employ simple consistent page elements.

page from FX magazine

Elements of Design

Colour Colour, used carefully, can bring harmony, order or vibrancy to a page. Colour acts relatively to other colours or to the context in which it is seen.

Colour can’t rescue poor layout!

Elements of Design

Colour Colour, used carefully, can bring harmony, order or vibrancy to a page. Colour acts relatively to other colours or to the context in which it is seen.

Contrasting, or complementary colours can be used to add emphasis to type, or to focus on particular areas. Too strong an emphasis can make type difficult to read.

Elements of Design

Colour Colour, used carefully, can bring harmony, order or vibrancy to a page. Colour acts relatively to other colours or to the context in which it is seen.

Contrasting, or complementary colours can be used to add emphasis. Analogous colours, when used for type, aid reading, especially on screen.

Elements of Design

Colour Colour, used carefully, can bring harmony, order or vibrancy to a page. Colour acts relatively to other colours or to the context in which it is seen.

Analogous colour schemes create harmony and assuredness.

Elements of Design

Type & Colour

Elements of Design

Type & Colour - Effects of reducing contrast

Elements of Design

Type & Colour The relationship between type colour and background colour is important. Too much contrast affects readability

Elements of Design

Type & Colour The relationship between type colour and background colour is important. Too much contrast affects readability, especially on screen.

Serif and sans serif fonts have different characteristics, and therefore need to treated differently in layouts.

Elements of Design

Type & Colour The relationship between type colour and background colour is important. Variation of tones affects hierarchy of information, i.e. how it is read and understood.

Elements of Design

Type & Colour The relationship between type colour and background colour is important. Variation of tones affects hierarchy of information, i.e. how it is read and understood.

Elements of Design

Type & Colour The relationship between type colour and background colour is important. Variation of tones affects hierarchy of information, i.e. how it is read and understood. Sans serif fonts tend to read better under strong contrast.

Elements of Design

Type Hierarchy Type Hierarchy refers to the order in which we are supposed to read and understand information.

Increasing type size does not necessarily improve readability or understanding. In this case, the body type becomes tiring to read. The large x-height of the typeface (Futura) does not help.

Elements of Design

Type Hierarchy Varied weights of a font can be used to create a hierarchy of information. the eye does not have to adapt much to take it in.

Elements of Design

Suitability It is important to know the function of a font. Some fonts are designed for display and headings, others have multiple uses. Very few display fonts read well as body type. Even when they do, the hierarchy of information gets confused.

Elements of Design

Leading Space around and within blocks of type greatly improves understanding and readability.

Elements of Design

Leading Space around and within blocks of type greatly improves understanding and readability. It provides “breathing space� between headings, sub-headings and body type.

Elements of Design

Leading Serif fonts require less leading than sans serif, except on screen when serif detail gets lost and more leading is required to interpret the text.

Elements of Design

Leading Serif fonts require less leading than sans serif, except on screen when serif detail gets lost and more leading is required to interpret the text.

Elements of Design

Kerning At Heading and sometimes sub-heading sizes, certain pairs of letters require to have the space between them reduced. These are known as “Kerning Pairs”. “ow”, “ka”, “ke”,“ov”, “te” are examples.

Elements of Design

Kerning Kerning can be accurately controlled within most DTP applications.

Elements of Design

Kerning Ultimately, kerning affects the readability of type because the eye does not have to jump between letters and the overall form of the words is smoother.

Elements of Design

Type / Graphic Elements Bullets, rules, boxes, borders, reverses, drop capitals... used in moderation can add emphasis to important information in a publication.

Elements of Design

Type / Graphic Elements Bullets, rules, boxes, borders, reverses, drop capitals... used in moderation can add emphasis to important information in a publication.

Elements of Design

Type / Graphic Elements Bullets, rules, boxes, borders, reverses, drop capitals... used in moderation can add emphasis to important information in a publication.

Elements of Design

Type / Graphic Elements Bullets, rules, boxes, borders, reverses, drop capitals... used in moderation can add emphasis to important information in a publication.

Elements of Design

Type / Graphic Elements Bullets, rules, boxes, borders, reverses, drop capitals... used in moderation can add emphasis to important information in a publication.

Elements of Design

Break The Rules All of the information given here is intended as a guide. Once you understand the theory of layout design you can start to bend the rules!