1. Design Principles: Keys to DTP Success

2. So What Is Good Design?  There are certain qualities that every printed document must have, regardless of its purpose or form  Use what we learn over the next two days as a safety checklist, not rules  I’ll also expect you to start explaining items using the terminology and design skills we discuss

3. Design Concepts  Proportion  Balance  Restraint*  Contrast  Rhythm  Unity  Detail* * Not in Lichty

4. Proportion Design Principle #1

5. Proportion  How well does each piece of the puzzle relate to the other pieces  Hold the layout at a distance and concentrate on the Total Picture –is it pleasing to your eye?  Proportion Obtainers –Importance –White Space –Margins –Grids

6. Proportion - Importance  The size of an element should be determined by its relative importance to its environment.  The larger an element, the more important it seems to the reader –Works with graphical or textual elements –Stair-stepping elements Like this –Or even this

7. Proportion – White Space  Areas of a page without text or graphics  Structured Order White Space –gutters, leading, indents, etc.  Less Structured White Space –drops, empty left/right column, bands of white  White Space is very inexpensive to use  Readers welcome it as a place to rest their eyes (or a place to take notes)

8. Proportion – White Space  Too little –Can look hard to read –Overwhelming & confusing  Enough –More inviting –Less intimidating HOW TO REPEL READERSHow to attract readers

9. Proportion – White Space  Plan for it - Treat white space as an element on the page –equal in importance to text and graphics –shouldn’t be seen as “leftover” space –should be organized  Use it along the outside edges of a page  Use it in unequal concentrations –Margins, drops, etc.

10. Proportion – Trapped WS  Space trapped on all 4 sides –Fails to realize its potential  One of the biggest no-no’s in DTP  Distracts the reader’s eye  Seems to push away other elements on the page  Looks like a mistake How to avoid creating trapped white space

11. White space, White space, White space Proportion – Equally Divided WS  When you have an item that doesn’t fill the space, don’t “float” the item by splitting the space evenly  Group WS together White space, White space, White space

12. Proportion - Margins  Defined by the grid, which describes the proportion and placement of the margin  Should occupy about 50 percent of the page  Margins should always be unequal – equal margins breed monotony –Should use progressive margins

13. Proportion – Margins (Simplex)

14. Proportion – Margins (Duplex)

15. Proportion – The Grid  A series of non-printing horizontal and vertical guidelines on the page. –Guarantees consistency throughout the document –Identifies margins –Determines orderly placement of columns and illustrations on the page  Using the golden section

16. Proportion – The Grid Birds of Paradise The Norwegian Blue Polly the Parrott

17. Proportion – Page Structure  Laying out various text columns that account for appropriate white space  You can interchange the page structures, but remember to keep consistent margins throughout a document  Roughly 8 ways to structure a page

18. Proportion – Page Structures

20. Proportion – Columns in Grids

21. Balance Design Element #2

22. Balance  The weight of the objects on the left side of the page equals those on the right  Unbalanced objects make us uneasy  Balanced objects look proper and secure

23. Balance – Optical Center  To obtain balance, you work with the optical center  The spot the eye sees when it first encounters a page  Slightly above the mathematical center of the page  Similar to where we look on the face when we talk to others: the eyes

24. Balance – Formal Balance  Symmetrically formatted  Balance is evident along the optical center  Provide feeling of formality, precision, and reserve  Examples: wedding invitations, title pages, business cards, etc.

25. Balance – Informal Balance  Asymmetrical format  Balance is dynamic instead of static along the optical center  Reader adjusts the balance in own mind  More energy, more vigor, more enthusiasm  Adds interest to the page and sparkle to the presentation

26. Restraint Design Element #3

27. Restraint  Strive for simplicity in design  DTP gives you so many tools  Straight-forwardness is a virtue –Effective design is invisible to reader  Restraint is achieved by sticking to a few carefully chosen typefaces, styles, and sizes  A good carpenter doesn’t use every tool in his kit on a single task; neither should you

28. Restraint  If you draw attention to too many items on the page, the result is nothing will stick out  Excessive use of emphasis weakens your publication to the point of losing all impact  Overuse of graphic gimmickry results in a cluttered look

29. That’s all for today… More to come on Thursday Quiz on Tuesday

30. References  Looking Good in Print, Roger C. Parker  The Non-Designer’s Design Book, Robin Williams  Desktop Publishing Design, Kristine Moore  Design Principles for Desktop Publishers, Tom Lichty