1. Layout
&
Design

2. Objectives Preplan Layout Production Plan for Focus and Flow
Incorporate white space

3. Preplanning Know your audience Who will be looking at your document
The obvious is easy
Consider additional possibilities
Ex: Design a brochure to advertise the next meeting of an organization… Who is the audience?

4. Preplanning cont. Purpose To inform? To advertise? To seek input?
To meet a requirement?

5. Layout Thumbnail Sketch Orientation
Pencil sketch used to illustrate ideas and provide direction.
A working document
Use stick figures and simple shapes
Orientation
Landscape vs. Portrait

6. Layout cont. Organization Page Arrangement What should come first?
What needs to be last?
How many pages?
Page Arrangement
Multiple pages require margin decisions
Gutter: slightly wider interior margins (pages facing each other like a book)

7. Production Printing Color Other Cost Considerations Basic printer
Copy center (Kinko’s)
Professional printer
Consider cost
Color
Costly
Around .08 cents for b&w, compared to .39 cents for color
Other Cost Considerations
Paper
Delivery
Size
Folding/cutting

8. Focus & Flow

9. Focal Point
The focus of your design should begin at that point where your reader’s attention is initially drawn.
Focal Point- the place your reader first sees.
A graphic, color, text
p. 76

10. Focal Point Guidelines
Larger text is noticed before smaller text
Brightly colored text is noticed before black text
Images are noticed before text
p. 76

11. Focal Point Example:
Text
p. 78

12. Focal Point Example:
Notice the difference?
p. 79

13. p. 79 figure 5.4a
p. 79

14. p. 79 figure 5.4b
p. 79

15. Where is your eye drawn?
p. 79 & 80

16. Focal Point with Image Position

17. What draws your eye in?
p. 81

18. Flow
After establishing a focal point, the reader must be encouraged to continue reading by following the flow
Flow definition: a visual path created by arrangements of element on a page
Flow Guidelines:
The eye looks for images before text
Larger text before smaller text
Colored text before black text
p. 81

19. Z Pattern Lead the eye from: The top left to right Down to lower left
Over to lower right
If a designer does not use the Z Pattern, he/she must use plan images/text to direct the eye.
p. 81

20. Z Pattern example
p. 81

21. White Space
Purposeful blank areas on a page designed to provide a visual break and to give other elements greater impact is called White Space
White space includes margins, spacing between lines of text, large open areas on a page.
p. 83

22. Purpose of White Space Reduce the “busyness” of a page
Gives the reader a chance to rest while tracking the page
Opens up a page so it appears less intimidating
Draw a reader’s attention
p. 83

23. White Space Examples
p. 83

24. Design elements

25. Design Elements Focus on the placement of all components on the page
Grids
Rule of Thirds
Harmony

26. Grids
Grids help guide the placement of the three basic design elements:
Text
Images
White Space

27. Example of Grids
By moving each piece around the page you can experiment with your options
Elements can be enlarged or duplicated to fill the page.
There are many ways to arrange the page

28. Example
Each component fits into the grid

29. Rule of Thirds
Pages arranged in thirds are more effective than those designed in halves or fourths.

30. Examples

31. Harmony of Design
Arranging elements in an effective way, all pieces work together to create a readable and interesting page.
Rhythm
Balance
Proportion
Symmetry
Organization
Asymmetry
Consistency
Closure
Repetition
Alignment

32. Rhythm
The flow that draws you from one item to another and one page to another
The jellybeans draw your eye from page to page, creating a rhythm

33. Proportion
Makes each element on the page a size that reflects its importance

34. Organization The arrangement of information and graphics on a page.
Ex: keeping related information together
Poor Ex: interrupting text by placing an image in the reader’s path

35. Consistency Attention to detail.
Ex: Type choice, same space between paragraphs, matching elements to show cohesiveness.

36. Repetition One way to build consistency.
Ex: Reuse an image, duplicate a dramatic line or color, same image/difference size,

37. Balance
Type of repetition where elements that are similar in size or shape are placed in such a way that they counter each other
Ex: Text can balance images, white space can balance, text

38. Symmetry When a page or its elements are perfectly balanced
Can be pleasing
Also can look to boring

39. Asymmetry Pages that are not perfectly balanced.
One element is separated from the others to make it stand out
Can be more interesting

40. Closure
The mind tends to want to finish that which is left undone

41. Alignment
The placement of text or images so that one line of text falls exactly below another, or lines up the edge of the text above or below.

42. Design Decisions
So many decisions make design seem overwhelming. So many decisions makes it hard to know where to start.
Best place to learn/becoming familiar is by studying designs created by others
Look at Ads, Web pages, Junk mail,
Look for tension, Rule of Thirds, etc.
EXAMPLE GALLERY