Chapter 7 Flow…

Objectives (1 of 2) Appreciate what the principle of flow is and why it is important in designs. Learn how to identify visual flow and verbal flow.

Objectives (2 of 2) Comprehend the necessity of planning flow into designs through text and image analysis. Introduce a variety of techniques that designers may use to enhance verbal flow.

What is Flow? Flow is the visual and verbal paths of movement in a page. The reader’s eyes follow these paths of movement through a page or a series of pages.

Why Use Flow? A document with good flow visually leads the reader’s eye through the pages, carefully presenting information to the reader. Planning flow into documents allows better control of the order that the reader scans the message.

Types of Flow There are two types of flow, visual flow and verbal flow. Verbal flow is the order in which the viewer reads the text on the page(s). Visual flow is the order in which the viewer looks at the images and graphics on the page(s). The best designs seamless weave both types of flow together for a strong layout.

Verbal Flow (1 of 4) Designing a document with good verbal flow requires that the designer be familiar with the message. Setting up a typographic hierarchy is essential for the text in the design.

Verbal Flow (2 of 4) The fastest way to achieve good verbal flow is to set up, and use, a typographic master plan. Typographic master plans includes details about the typefaces, sizes, and colors to be used in headlines, subheads, body copy, picture captions, pull quotes; charts and graphs; and column widths and text alignment(s).

Verbal Flow (3 of 4) Good verbal flow is achieved through typographic consistency and by establishing a logical reading path through a document. Establishing a “logical reading path” depends on the target audience’s cultural reading patterns. Researching target audience helps determine how to set up a document’s flow.

Verbal Flow (4 of 4) In Western cultures people tend to read from left to right, top to bottom.

Verbal Flow Techniques (1 of 4) These techniques help establish good verbal flow. - Place headlines near their articles - Choose and use easy-to-read typefaces - Keep text treatment consistent in multi-page articles - Use columns that are neither too wide nor too narrow

Verbal Flow Techniques (2 of 4) - Avoid extra leading (the vertical space between lines of type) or solid leading in body copy

Verbal Flow Techniques (3 of 4) - Keep listed items together.

Verbal Flow Techniques (4 of 4) - Place quotes on the page with the text it reinforces - Keep captions with pictures and statistics with charts - Place linked columns of text next to each other, instead of intermixing the columns of text from two or more articles.

Visual Flow (1 of 2) Visual flow is the order in which the viewer looks at the images on the page(s). Visual flow, like verbal flow, leads the reader’s eye through a page or series of pages in a designed pattern. The designer analyzes the page’s message and helps determine the visual pattern.

Visual Flow (2 of 2) In general, on pages where text and images are intermixed, the viewer’s eye tracks in a backward S pattern.

Visual Flow Examples (1 of 2) Visual elements in front of type direct the reader’s eye towards the type (top image). Visual elements in front and behind type encourage the reader’s eye to turn back into the phrase (bottom image).

Visual Flow Examples (2 of 2) Integration of visual and verbal flow can be encouraged by using images to point at important information.

Visual and Verbal Flow Example (1 of 2) In the example in the next slide, visual and verbal flow work hand in hand to establish a strong visual path of movement. The designer employed the principle of repetition by repeating illustrations to unify the design.

Visual and Verbal Flow Example (2 of 2) The screened column illustration in the background leads the viewer’s eye down the page. Small illustrations echo the illustration style of the column, and lead the eye to the address and headline.

Chapter Summary (1 of 2) All pages have visual and verbal flow paths. Developing a visual flow path means understanding the message. Good verbal flow arises when the designer sets a typographic master plan for the document.

Chapter Summary (2 of 2) A critical designer’s task is to thoughtfully develop those visual and verbal flow paths to enhance communication. Not all cultures read text in the same pattern, achieving a good visual flow path demands an understanding of your audience’s reading patterns.

MINI QUIZ #7 1.A page with good ________ will visually lead the reader from one element to another element in the layout, carefully presenting information to the reader. 2.Verbal flow is the order in which the viewer reads the ________ on the page(s). 3.Visual flow is the order in which the viewer looks at the ________ on the page(s). 4.Readers from Western cultures have a natural tendency to read text in a top to bottom, _______to________ pattern. flow images right text left

EXERCISE #1 NO ASSIGNMENT