ah teaches graphic design (SD) (Layout Construction lecture)

Layout Construction

Lecture outline

Composition and organizing content across a series of pages. Lecture slides will be made available on the day of the lecture (Sept 24).

In preparation for lecture...

Please close up any laptops, cellphones, Apollo Neuros, Game Boys and other 'beep-boop' devices.

Today's critique

Our approach

We will be discussing the content of the sketch.

Today's critique context
A sketch of a stylized fonts
Composing Fidelity sketch

P1 Grading

Grading of P1 is in progress. I will have your grades back to you by next class.

Should you have any questions or concerns with your grades once released, email Andrew.

Swiss Design

Audience = everyone

"Objective-rational design means legible design, objective information that is communicated without superlatives or emotional subjectivity."
Josef Müller-Brockmann
Different universal icons developed by members of the Swiss school of design

Swiss symbols

Swiss Design

Swiss style 'Olma' poster

Josef Müller-Brockmann

Composing Type

Considerations for composing type:

  1. Point-size
  2. Alignment
  3. Kerning, tracking and leading
  4. Paragraph breaks, widows and orphans
  5. Line-length

Point Size

You want to set point size to clearly distinguish hierarchy between elements and achieve good readability in your body text.

Headings should clearly stand-out

Subtitles should still stand apart from body copy

Body-copy should be a nice and readable point-size. Not too big as to feel uncomfortable, but not too small as to be unreadable. In print, this is typically between 8-11 points (depending on the font).

Left Alignment

A natural or expected alignment, though concerns can arise with the ragged right edge and ensuring a nice rag.

A set of left-aligned text

Right Alignment

Unfamiliar (in English), so be particularly careful about the punctuation along the right edge.

A set of right-aligned text

Center Alignment

Easy balance, though problematic for body-text as there are two ragged edges.

A set of centered text

Justified Alignment

A clean shape, but watch out for rivers.

A set of justified text

Kerning

Only kern type when balance within a word is concerning. You should not be kerning body type.

A word repeated in larger and larger point sizes making the issues in kerning become more evident

Leading

aka. line-spacing

Tight line-spacing means type can be hard for us to visually track, loose line-spacing separates paragraphs into lists.

Too tight

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Too loose

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Better

Pea horseradish azuki bean lettuce avocado asparagus okra. Kohlrabi radish okra azuki bean corn fava bean mustard tigernut jícama green bean celtuce collard greens avocado quandong fennel gumbo black-eyed pea. Grape silver beet watercress potato tigernut corn groundnut. Chickweed okra pea winter purslane coriander yarrow sweet pepper radish garlic brussels sprout groundnut summer purslane earthnut pea tomato spring onion azuki bean gourd. Gumbo kakadu plum komatsuna black-eyed pea green bean zucchini gourd winter purslane silver beet rock melon radish asparagus spinach.

Widows and Orphans

Widows have a past, but no future. Orphans have a future, but no past.

A paragraph exemplifying widows and orphans

Line Length

Good line-length makes it easier for our eyes to track from one line to the next. Aim for 5-7 words per line.

Too short ('the Shatner')

A very-short line-length in a paragraph

Too long ('Monologuing')

A long line-length in a paragraph

Better

A well-suited line-length

Whitespace

The final frontier...

An illustration of two layouts, one more visually 'uncomfortable' than the other

Care of Creativity is Not Design

Whitespace

In which of these examples is the logo larger?

An illustration of an LA Times spread where the logo appear smaller due to a lack of whitespace
An illustration of an LA Times spread where the logo appears larger due to use of whitespace

Whitespace is Not Evil

'Let's stay at the table'

Minister George said he's not surprised by the results.

"We have had and felt the pressure to get a settlement since last September, I feel no more pressure tonight after this than I did yesterday," George told the news.

The minister also issued a statement reacting to news of the vote.

"While the leadership received the mandate they sought, no one should interpret this as any kind of enthusiasm on the part of them to shut down," said the statement.

Passive Whitespace

Important for helping balance and hierarchy.

'Let's stay at the table'

Minister George said he's not surprised by the results.

"We have had and felt the pressure to get a settlement since last September, I feel no more pressure tonight after this than I did yesterday," George told the news.

The minister also issued a statement reacting to news of the vote.

"While the leadership received the mandate they sought, no one should interpret this as any kind of enthusiasm on the part of them to shut down," said the statement.

Active Whitespace

Useful for focusing attention or clarifying hierarchy.

'Let's stay at the table'

Minister George said he's not surprised by the results.

"We have had and felt the pressure to get a settlement since last September, I feel no more pressure tonight after this than I did yesterday," George told the news.

The minister also issued a statement reacting to news of the vote.

"While the leadership received the mandate they sought, no one should interpret this as any kind of enthusiasm on the part of them to shut down," said the statement.

What is a Grid?

A grid is the underlying structure of a document which helps organization of content in a coherent pattern.

Purposes of a Grid

Grids assist in:

  1. Organization of text and imagery
  2. Providing consistency
  3. Clearer communication
  4. Expediting layout exploration
An example of using, and not using, a grid

Setting a Grid

First we would establish page edges.

Next we establish margins.

Margins can be even or uneven.

Next we set columns.

When flowing type, it should clearly begin and end at the edges of columns.

This text will flow across a couple of columns and should clearly begin and end at the edges of the defined columns.

Type should not end in a gutter or the middle of a column.

This text will flow across a couple of columns and should clearly begin and end at the edges of the defined columns.

Type should not float freely in columns.

This text will flow across a couple of columns and should clearly begin and end at the edges of the defined columns.

Type should clearly snap-to and work with the grid.

This text will flow across a couple of columns and should clearly begin and end at the edges of the defined columns.

Any alignment can work within the grid.

Another type of alignment that can work within the grid nice and easily.

Even center alignment can work within a grid structure.

We can make a grid modular by adding vertical divisions.

P2: Layout

Open work time

Time for you to work on:

1/1