APPENDIX A – Design Tips

This is not meant to be a crash course in design, but a few basics that may help you structure a successful piece.

Keep your audience in mind.
Design is about what works, not your personal taste. If you think about your reader and your objective, you may more easily determine what information to include, how to present it, and what typefaces are appropriate.

Make it clear and understandable.
Arrange the copy and images on the page so the main point can be seen at a glance. There are a number of elements that can be used to draw the eye to the key message, and lead it to the other bits of information. Effective use of these elements is fundamental to good, effective design.

Look at your copy and identify items of primary importance — label them “1.” Select the second most important items and label them “2.” See if there is a third level and, if so, label them as “3.” If you make all the type within a level the same and make the 1’s stronger than the 2’s (larger, bolder, etc.) and the 2’s stronger then the 3’s. Your layout will be easier to arrange and your message should be clearer.

LAYOUT PRINCIPLES

Alignment

• Symmetrical (centered) is generally more formal or conservative.
• Asymmetrical (off-centered) can be more dramatic or exciting. [flush left, flush right, diagonal]
• Allocate space according to the importance of the elements. (If everything is equal, it's harder to see the key message.)
• Every element should have a visual connection with another element. This helps keep the layout clean and organized. Even items separated for proximity or importance can be connected through the invisible line of alignment.
• Use a grid for multiple page documents and newsletters. This makes the page easy to look at, and easy to read. You can take one element, like a headline or image, and pull it out of the grid to emphasize something or create some visual energy. One to three column grids are the least complex, but still allow for elements (boxed quote, photo) to be pulled off the grid for interest. [See samples in Appendix I]

Proximity

• Group elements that relate to each other. They become a visual unit and make it easier to find information. Items that are not related should not be near each other because they will visually be connected.

Repetition

• Repeat a visual element to unify and create organization on the page. [font, shape, color, line thickness, bullet or dingbat, wingding, etc.]

Contrast

• Use contrast to create visual interest. This helps create an organizational hierarchy and avoids a sense of conflict that can happen with elements that are merely similar. [Make them really different.]
• Emphasize the elements according to the message, not the graphic potential of the element. Communication is your priority. [Think: key, important, and subordinate.]

White space

• White space is an element and can be a very effective tool. It can lead or allow the eye to find the elements you want the reader to see. Think of creating a geometric shape, such as a triangle, or framing other elements.