Design Principles:Keys to DTP Success

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

Design Concepts

Proportion Balance Restraint*

Contrast Rhythm Unity Detail*

* Not in Lichty

Proportion

Design Principle #1

Proportion

How well does each piece ofthe 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

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

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)

Proportion – White Space

Too little– Can look hard to read– Overwhelming & confusing

Enough– More inviting– Less intimidating

HOW TO REPEL READERS

How to attract readers

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.

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 creatingtrapped white space

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

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

Proportion – Margins (Simplex)

Proportion – Margins (Duplex)

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

Proportion – The Grid

Birds of Paradise

The Norwegian Blue

Polly the Parrott

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

Proportion – Page Structures

Proportion – Page Structures

Proportion – Columns in Grids

Balance

Design Element #2

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

Balance – Optical Center

To obtain balance, youwork 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

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.

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

Restraint

Design Element #3

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

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

That’s all for today…

More to come on Thursday

Quiz on Tuesday

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