Design Principles
(Adapted in part from Donis A. Dondis. Primer of Visual Literacy. MIT Press, 1985.)
Balance in Design
While I obviously would not ask you to slavishly follow a set of layout guidelines that would "fit" one of the categories, I do think you need to be aware of the rhetorical impact of the considerations.
For instance, you are likely to view "balanced" pages as more formal. What I do think you can strive for is some sense that you can help your reader understand the content simply by your layout decisions.
Once again, for example, you might be preparing a user guide that supports some process that includes some element of danger. If you want readers to see, without ambiguity, specialized notices: warnings, cautions, and notes; then you want to select a layout or typographic technique that insures they succeed: outdenting, boxing, screening, type variations, color, etc. Those are clearly examples of weight.
- Equal weights at equal points
- Weight=size and intensity
- Optical Center as reference
- Formal and informal balance
Proportion in Design
While we rarely think about it, pages tend to be printed on pretty much the same size papers. That's no accident; given a few centuries of reading behaviors, we do tend to like our information predictable. The basis for all of these measurements is still what designers and printers call an A0 page.
The truly unique characteristic of that page is that it forms a fibonacci progression as you halve each size; thus, you always produce the same ratio of height to width no matter how many times the page gets folded. Pretty slick! So, it isn't surprising that we feel comfortable with the visual field in which we typically try to deal with information; it's been around a long time.
- Division of page space
- Ratio of elements
- 2:3 good; 3:5 most appealing
Contrast in Design
Placing different size, shape, color, or direction elements on the same visual field requires a considerable amount of thought.
Go back to my example of the specialized notices earlier. If we overemphasize these elements (use a combination of techniques: color, size, placement, etc.) it is likely the reader will react negatively to them. They may find them intimidating and reject the product or they may simply filter them out as typographic noise and ignore them.
What we are really trying to accomplish with contrast is to add emphasis where it is needed, guidance where it will help the reader, and organization where it serves a similar purpose.
Movement in Design
At first glance you may wonder how the idea of movement gets into an essentially static medium. But, texts can employ lots of techniques to direct the reader.
Color, for example, has considerable value as an attention elicitor. Mechanical directing can be accomplished with a device as simple as an arrow that points to an object. Sequencing occurs when we employ some method for ordering items: numeric for precedence, bulleted for non-precedence.
- Moving the viewer's eye
- Mechanical directing
- Sequence directing
- Suggestive directing
Design Unity
When you decide that you are going to consciously use design elements, you need to determine how you expect them to operate and what you expect them to accomplish. If you incorporate design elements simply because you can, you haven't thought adequately about the impact they will have on the information transfer process.
For example, if you select a specific typeface for text and a glaringly different one for page numbering (or folio lines), you may not help the reader as much as selecting a more subtle variation in the two typefaces.
- Balance and consistency
- Type, motif, borders, elements
Mechanical Elements and Good Design
I encourage you to read Chapter 10-12 of the Rubens text if you have not thought about the concept of page design.
- Text
- Cover
- Displays
- Specialized Notices
Cueing Areas and Devices
I encourage you to read Chapters 10-12 of the Rubens text if you have not thought about the concept of page design.
- Folio Lines
- Headers
- Specialized Notices
Locators and Navigation Aids
I encourage you to read Chapter 10-12 of the Rubens text if you have not thought about the concept of page design.
- Table(s) of Content
- Index
- Tabs and/or Lifters
Displays
I encourage you to read Chapters 10-12 of the Rubens text if you have not thought about the concept of page design.
- Information Displays
- Illustrative Displays
- Symbolic Displays
Displays
I encourage you to review the lecture for information on typography, as well as the Rubens text.
- Text (Body Copy)
- Headers
- Supporting Text
- Specialized Notices
- Math/ Science Symbols