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Principles of Document Design

Principles of Document Design. Adapted from http://condor.depaul.edu/~hgraves/eng206/docdesign/frame.htm Original Source: Robin Williams’ Non-Designers’ Design Book. Four Basic Principles. Contrast Repetition Alignment Proximity. Proximity . Group related items together

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Principles of Document Design

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  1. Principles of Document Design Adapted from http://condor.depaul.edu/~hgraves/eng206/docdesign/frame.htm Original Source: Robin Williams’ Non-Designers’ Design Book

  2. Four Basic Principles • Contrast • Repetition • Alignment • Proximity

  3. Proximity • Group related items together • Closeness implies a relation • Lack of closeness also implies a relation

  4. Dull Design: Equal Spacing • A dull but typical report cover: centered, evenly spaced to fill the page • If you didn’t read English, you might think there are six difference topics on the page • Each line seems to be a separate element

  5. What Goes Around Comes Around Lessons from Hitchhiking Across the Country Robin Williams January 1, 2001 Put the title and subtitle close to each other to create one well-defined unit. Move the name and date further away to signal that they are not part of the title. Better Design for Proximity

  6. Creating Proximity • Count the number of visual elements on a page by counting where your eye stops • Aim for 3 to 5 items on a page • See which items can be grouped together to become one visual unit

  7. Proximity: What to Avoid • Too many separate elements on a page • Sticking things in the corners and middle • Equal white space between elements (unless they form a subset) • Creating visual relationships among unrelated elements (move them apart)

  8. Awkward Proximity Little Bo Peep (773) 325-7000 Lincoln Park Sheep Farm 715 W. Lincoln St. Chicago, IL

  9. Better Proximity (& Alignment)

  10. Alignment • Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily • Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page

  11. Choices for Alignment • Center alignment • Left alignment • Right alignment • Full justification (goes from left to right and reaches the margins on both sides)

  12. Centering • Most commonly used by beginners • It’s safe, comfortable, formal, sedate, ordinary, often dull • Be aware of these impressions you make with centering and use them consciously

  13. Alignment: What to Avoid • More than one text alignment on the page (generally keep everything centered, everything left aligned [but not necessarily at the same left point of alignment], or everything right aligned)

  14. Aligning Well What Goes Around Comes Around Lessons from Hitchhiking Across the Country Robin Williams January 1, 2001 • Alignment creates a visual link between the title and author’s name, even though they are far apart • A flush left or flush right alignment imparts a more sophisticated look than a centered alignment

  15. Repetition • Repeat some aspect of the design throughout the entire piece, e.g. • Choice of fonts • Lines • Bullets • Colors • Graphics

  16. In multi-page publications • Repetition is crucial for achieving unity among pages • Using subheadings in the same font, with the same boldness or italics is one type of repetition you can use in long documents

  17. How to Create Repetition • Push existing consistencies a little further • Turn some consistent elements into part of the conscious graphic design • Add elements expressly to create repetition

  18. Contrast • If two items are not exactly the same, make them different • Really different

  19. Purpose of Contrast • To highlight items of importance • To make clear the purpose and organization of the document • To create interest on the page

  20. The yellow box on a blue background adds contrast to the title page. • The italicized type contrasts with the bold sans serif font.

  21. Ways to Create Contrast • Pair large type with small type (size) • A serif font with a sans serif font • A thin line with a thick line • A cool color with a warm one • A smooth texture with a rough one • A horizontal element with a vertical one

  22. Contrast: What to Avoid • Being overly subtle with the contrast • E.g., contrasting a 3/4 point line with a 1 1/2 point line

  23. If you want your writing to be read • Accommodate your page/document design to the physiology of reading • Consider the physical burden that reading places on your reader (e.g., readers need white space for their eyes!)

  24. Layout that hinders reading

  25. Layout that helps the reader:

  26. Reading Gravity • The Gutenberg Diagram charts basic reading eye movement from the primary optical area (POA) to the terminal anchor (TA). Purple crosses indicate fallow areas; dotted lines show “backwards” movement the eye resists.

  27. A layout that ignores reading gravity

  28. A layout that acknowledges reading gravity

  29. Why You Should Use Graphics • Even when simple, design helps to convey the message of the text

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