mario garcia
To box or not to box When the first newly redesigned edition of The Wall Street Journal appeared, one unexpected reaction became a constant in interviews, presentations, and seminars: Are boxes back? Well, did they ever disappear? That seems to be a more appropriate question. True, boxes, which have traditionally been used to separate articles on a page, or to highlight an item to which editors wish to call attention were not used as frequently today as they were in the 1940s and 50s. However, boxes are tools that magazine and newspaper editors and designers can use functionally. They are not trendy or whimsical decorations. Boxes should be part of every publication’s design strategy. Here are tips for using boxes:
Determine from the start what type of articles will carry a box. (I recommend boxes for shorter, not longer, pieces; to set off sidebars or related articles that appear within a text package; and to isolate a photo story treatment, when the photo is not accompanied by a story. Use very thin borders around boxes. Do not call attention to the box itself with thick borders. Instead, create a box that delineates territory on the page, without overtaking it. Allow white space between the border of the box and the contents of it. Do not run photos or text right into the box. 108
pure design
Sometimes use a thicker rule at the top or bottom of box, but never on the sides. The designer’s task is to make sure that the box blends well with other elements of the page. Boxes are intended to offer boundaries, not to isolate themselves from other items on the page. Boxing an entire page should be reserved for one-topic items, long reportages or photo essays. In most cases, it is best to go with an open page, without borders; but discretion and attention to the special content of the page are key.
Boxes are not back. They never left. They are, and always will be, a fantastically useful tool to make the reader’s journey through a page faster and more orderly.
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