Transcript Design Elements of DTP - Day Two

Design Principles:
Keys to DTP Success
Design Concepts
 Proportion
 Contrast
 Balance
 Rhythm
 Restraint*
 Unity
 Detail*
* Not in Lichty
ANOTHER NEWSLETTER!
Exciting Headline
Another Newsletter!
Thrilling Subhead
Exciting Headline
Boring Subhead
Another Exciting
Headline
Thrilling Subhead
Boring Subhead
Another Exciting
Headline
Jon Bon Jovi
Related Skills
Jon Bon Jovi
Education
Related Skills
Experience
Education
Experience
Contrast
Design Element #4
Contrast
 A striking interest that makes you want to
look at the page
 Generally a device used to identify one
dominant element
 Provides dynamic interest
and brings color to B&W pubs
 Balances the space devoted
to text, artwork and white space
 Must be strong, not a wimpy attempt
Contrast
 If two items are not exactly the same,
then make them different. Really different.
 If two elements are sort of different, but not really,
then you don’t have contrast…
– You have conflict
 Text-rich documents tend to be low
in contrast – a uniform shade of gray
– Formal reports, policy statements, press releases, etc.
 Designs must be dynamic enough to keep the
reader interested, yet consistent enough to ensure a
strong identity
Contrast – Obtaining It
 Large Type vs. Small Type
 Graceful Old style font vs. bold san serif font
 Thin line vs. thick line
 Cool color vs. warm color
 Smooth texture vs. rough texture
 Horizontal element vs. vertical element
 Widely spaced lines vs. closely packed lines
 Small graphic vs. a large graphic
David S. Dockery
Union University
1050 Union University Drive
Jackson, TN 38305
(901) 661-5100
David S. Dockery
Union University
1050 Union University Drive
Jackson, TN 38305
(901) 661-5100
Rhythm
Design Element #5
Rhythm
 The reader’s eye is in constant motion
 You can capitalize on this if you understand
how to grab their attention with different
elements
 Types of Rhythm
– Repetition
– Progression
– Patterns
Rhythm - Repetition
 Simply put, repeating elements on a page or
throughout a publication
 Unifies and strengthens a piece by tying
together otherwise separate parts
 Consistency pushed a little further
 Very useful in simplex, critical in duplex
 Bullets – very common, yet effective
– Serve as signposts and organize the page
– Use instead of comma delimiting
The Joy of Frogs
Rhythm - Progression
 Controlling a reader’s eye by giving him
visual cues to follow
– Numbering or Lettering
– Diminishing Visual Impact
• Large to small items
• Black to white
• Unusually shaped items to conventional
Where do you look first on a page?
Fallow
corners
The Gutenberg
Diagram
Fallow
corners
Rhythm - Patterns
 Research Contradicts
– S-Pattern
– Z-Pattern
– clockwise
Z
S
Decide for yourself
Moving the Eye Around the Page
Chamber Concert Series
Union University
Friday, February 8, 1999
klajf;laksjdfl;aksjdf;lkjasad;lk
;alkdjf;alk;akjsdflkajsdlkdjlk
das;fj;akjfdl;aksd;fk;lakjdf;lak
a;ldkfja;lkdfs;ldkfjaslkdjf;lsj
;ajdfkajsdlfkjakls;dfjlakal;kdfj;l
akdsdfjalkjdf;alksjdfk
asdlfjas;ldkalksdfjl;aksjfj
adlkfja;ldfakdfj;laksjdfl;kasdj”
aldkfja;ldf;akjsdfkasdfas
kajdfl;kjas;ldkjf;laksjfd;lakf
al;kjdfak;ldfj
;alkjdflfka
a;ldkjf;lakjdf;lkajd;lakjf
a;lkjdfl;akjsdlkfjalk;d
a;lkdjfl;a;lkjzasldk
;laksjdf;lakjsfd;lk
a;lksfjd;laskjsdf;lakakjfdlkaj
alksjdfl;akjdflkajl;kfjalkjd
alkjfa;oidjfea;ijfeaaj
Chamber Concert Series
Jazz Band
Friday, February 8, 1999
klajf;laksjdfl;aksjdf;lkjasad;lk
;alkdjf;alk;akjsdflkajsdlkdjlk
das;fj;akjfdl;aksd;fk;lakjdf;lak
Symphonic Band
a;ldkfja;lkdfs;ldkfjaslkdjf;lsj
;ajdfkajsdlfkjakls;dfjlakal;kdfj;l
akdsdfjalkjdf;alksjdfk
University Singers
kajdfl;kjas;ldkjf;laksjfd;lakf
al;kjdfak;ldfj
Union University
a;lksfjd;laskjsdf;lakakjfdlkaj
alksjdfl;akjdflkajl;kfjalkjd
alkjfa;oidjfea;ijfeaaj
Union University
(901) 661-5100
David S. Dockery
1050 UU Drive
Jackson, TNDavid
38305
S. Dockery
Union University
David S.
1050 Union University Drive
Jackson, TN 38305
Dockery(901) 661-5100
Union University
1050 Union University Drive
Jackson, TN 38305
(901) 661-5100
Unity
Design Element #6
Unity
 When each element of the design
complements the others
 When design elements of a similar purpose
are grouped together
 When typography is confined to a single
family and white space is concentrated on
the page
Unity - Types
 Consistency (my favorite)
 Relevance
 Proximity
 Alignment
Unity - Consistency
 Leads to an integrated style
– The way you handle elements that come up repeatedly
 Gives the reader a familiar element that acts as a
cue for understanding the context
 A matter of detail that involves using restraint
 Grids and style sheets encourage it
 Often carried out over multiple publications
– Microsoft Dining Services photo
Unity – How to get Consistency
 Consistent top, bottom and side margins
 Consistent typeface, size and spacing for text,
headlines, subheads, and captions
 Uniform paragraph indents and spaces between
columns and around photos
 Repeating graphical elements, like vertical lines,
columns or borders on each page
 However, you’ll struggle with the conflict between
consistency and variety
– Create documents that remain consistent without
becoming boring
Unity - Relevance
 Each element should fulfill a specific
function and should work together
 Design choices convey a message, and it’s
your job to communicate that message
– Design for your audience
 Don’t let your system control your message
 Don’t let a an unnecessary attractive-
looking graphic or font ruin your piece
Unity - Proximity
 Group related items together so they seem
cohesive and meaningful
 They become one visual unit, rather than
several separate units
 One of our main jobs as DTPs is to organize
information into an easily-readable format
 Also increases the possibility for more
organized white space
Unity - Alignment
 Every item should have a visual connection
with something else on the page
 Even if aligned items are physically
separated, there is an invisible line that
connects them
David S. Dockery
in the reader’s
Union University
mind
1050 Union University Drive
Jackson, TN 38305
(901) 661-5100
Unity - Alignment
 It is often a strong alignment that creates a
sophisticated look, or a formal look, a fun
look, or a serious look
 Avoid using more than one text alignment
on the page
– Don’t center some text and right-align other
text
– Avoid centered text unless you’re shooting for
formal or sedate
Allison Transmission Solution
The purpose of this
document is to illustrate the
requirements and the design
of the Allison Transmission
Tech Data Manual CD-ROM
and
related
procedures.
Please keep in mind as you
are reading this document and
viewing
the
associated
prototype that this is a work
in progress. The contents are
a
reflection
of
communications between Bill
Fiock, Application Engineer
from Allison Transmissions
and Digital Razor, a graduate
student group from Florida
State University's Interactive
Development Lab.
This
document
will
present a solution for Allison
Transmission's Application
Engineering Division to
deliver their Tech Data
Manuals in a digital format to
its customer base. Included
in this explanation will be
examples of user scenarios,
navigational elements, and a
cost analysis based on current
manual distribution.
The organization of the
remainder of this document is
as follows:

Mission and Objectives
- a statement of the project's
mission and objectives
Plan of Attack
The purpose of this document is to illustrate the
requirements and the design of the Allison Transmission
Tech Data Manual CD-ROM and related procedures.
Please keep in mind as you are reading this document and
viewing the associated prototype that this is a work in
progress. The contents are a reflection of communications
between Bill Fiock, Application Engineer from Allison
Transmissions and Digital Razor, a graduate student group
from Florida State University's Interactive Development
Lab.
This document will present a solution for Allison
Transmission's Application Engineering Division to
deliver their Tech Data Manuals in a digital format to its
customer base. Included in this explanation will be
examples of user scenarios, navigational elements, and a
cost analysis based on current manual distribution.
We feel that the best plan of attack for this project is to
deliver the digitally-formatted manuals in a browser-based
environment on CD-ROM with a possible backup copy
available on the WWW. This will allow easy access to the
information through an application that is becoming a
constant on computer users' desktops: the browser.
Browser installation programs from the major vendors
(Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer) can be included on
the CD-ROM; however, we are suggesting that the
Netscape Navigator browser be the only one included.
Because the project will be browser-based, both versions
will be updated in the same manner and will have the same
look and feel. We will essentially be building a web site
that will be delivered over two different channels - CDROM and the WWW.
Using Acrobat
The purpose of this document is to illustrate the
requirements and the design of the Allison Transmission.
Attention to Detail
Design Element #7
Attention to Detail
 Successful design is based
The inns
and outs
of hotel
management.
on attention to detail
 The smallest offending detail can sabotage
the appearance of an otherwise attractive
project
 Proofread, Proofread, Proofread
– especially for misused words that slip past a
spell-checker
Detail – Examining Proofs
 Analyze reduced-sized copies of your pages
– thumbnail proofs
 You’ll see where good design has been
sacrificed for expediency.
Summing Up Design
 Don’t Panic, you don’t have to memorize all
of these and try to work them into every
project
 Keep these items in the back of your mind
as you design your publications and they’ll
take care of themselves
 As long as you’re fulfilling the purpose of
the publication, you’re golden
What to study for test
 Mainly all Class Notes found on website and in
Read folder – 1, 2, 3, & 4
 Historical Items (don’t worry about dates)
– Be able to describe what it was like before…
 What to identify when you’re communicating in
print (three elements and attitudes from Lichty)
 Terminology
 Media Types
 Design Principles
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