design notebook - emilie writes and edits things · book, the non-designer’s design book. all...
TRANSCRIPT
Design Notebook
Emilie Zink-Wright
ENG-W321
Dr. Margaret Evans
30 January 2018
2
Contents Alignment ....................................................................3
Weak Example
Proximity .....................................................................4
Weak Example
Contrast .......................................................................5
Good Example
Repetition ....................................................................6
Good Example
Typography .................................................................7
Good Example
Weak Example
Corporate Identity ......................................................9
❖ Please note, this design notebook is based on the design elements described by Robin Williams in her
book, The Non-Designer’s Design Book. All definitions and descriptions of the design elements are to
be attributed to Robin Williams.
3
Alignment ❖ “Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every element should have some visual connection
with another element on the page. This creates a clean and sophisticated look” (p. 13).
The Problem
This business card
displays weak alignment,
which makes it difficult
for the reader to know
which information to pay
attention to. The card
contains three different
alignments: 1) the logo
and address are center-
aligned, 2) the phone
number and email
address are left-aligned,
and 3) the fax number
and website are right-
aligned. There is no focal
point to the card.
The Solution In order to create a well-aligned business card that retains the readability of the logo,
the contact information could all be moved to the back, with the logo and tag line
becoming completely centered on the front of the card. This would make the logo
stand out as the sole focal point of the card, so anyone looking at it would know
exactly which company the card belongs to and what their business is. The reader
would not have to try to differentiate between the logo/company information and the
contact information. On the back of the card, the contact information should be either
left- or right-aligned, and then grouped so that it meets Williams’ recommendations for
proximity as well as alignment. The phone number, fax number, and email address
should all be grouped together, since those are the possible ways a reader can contact
the physician’s office. The website should be in its own space, as should the address,
since those pieces of information are not connected with each other.
Figure 1: Business card from Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians –
portrays weak alignment
4
Proximity
The Problem This document could
be a useful tool for
many people in the
Kansas City area who
are looking to find
events that match their
interests.
Unfortunately, the
proximity of the related
items in the document
make it difficult for a
reader to even want to
decipher the text,
much less easily see
which events are taking
place throughout the
year. The calendar
currently looks like it
contains four separate
columns, none of which
seem related to the
others.
The Solution As with any design
edit, there are many
possible ways to fix the
proximity issues in this
document. The easiest
would be to get rid of
the separate columns
that are keeping the dates and event descriptions from becoming related entities. The
months should head each section, with the dates of each event and the event
description in close proximity to each other underneath the month’s heading.
Figure 2: Calendar of Events from brochure of Kansas City Map 2017,
produced by ettractions.com – portrays weak proximity
❖ Items relating to each other should be grouped close together. When several items are in close proximity to each
other, they become one visual unit rather than several separate units. This helps organize information, reduces
clutter, and gives the reader a clear structure” (p. 13)
5
Contrast
Why it Works This On the Border coupon is a good example of contrast. The light green on the dark
green background makes the letters pop out, and immediately draws in the reader’s
eyes. The white lettering on the dark green background is clearly defined, and even the
smaller font is easily legible. The various sizes of the font contrast sharply so it’s easy
to see which information should be grouped together. The script font in the center of
the coupon also draws in the reader’s eyes and is a good contrast with the sans-serif
font used for the rest of the lettering.
Possible Improvements The website in the center of the coupon is the only disappointing contrast on the
coupon. It blends into the background and looks like a piece of decorative border,
partially due to the font being in all caps, and partially due to the black outline that
obscures the individual lettering. The font should be changed to lowercase, and the
size should be decreased so it doesn’t stretch from one picture to the other. Having it
a little smaller will bring more attention to it and will serve its purpose of drawing in
the reader, especially if a warm color is used for the font that both complements the
green already on the coupon and contrasts with the existing lettering.
❖ “The idea behind contrast is to avoid elements on the page that are merely similar. If the elements…are
not the same, then make the very difference. Contrast is often the most important visual attraction on
a page—it’s what makes a reader look at the page in the first place. It also clarifies the communication.
Figure 3: On the Border coupon from ValPak – portrays good contrast
6
Repetition
Why it Works
The BioLife Plasma Company has several repetitive elements running through their
donation guide. The top of each page consists of a colorful banner that gives the topic
of the page and contains the BioLife logo. Yellow text boxes with white lettering is
used to notify the reader of important information. A watermark with the company’s
logo is print on the lower half of each page. Each level of heading is designated by its
own particular style, which allows the reader to easily understand the organization of
the booklet. These elements give the booklet and the company an aura of
sophistication that would not be present in a more poorly designed document.
❖ “Repeat visual elements of the design throughout the piece. You can repeat colors, shapes, textures,
spatial relationships, line thicknesses, fonts, sizes, graphic concepts, etc. This develops the
organization and strengthens the unity” (p.13).
Figures 4-8: Pages from the BioLife Plasma donation guide – portrays good repetitio
7
Typography: Good Why it Works As Williams discusses
in her book, readers
are often averse to
reading a document
that is saturated with
words, leaving behind
little-to-no white
space. The designers
at Time Magazine did
a good job of using
the types direction to
leave plenty of white
space on this page to
try to entice the
reader. The direction
of the type is very
creative, with the
vertical quote
standing out from the
otherwise horizontal
type of the first
column, and with the
shape of both
columns fluctuating
to create space for the
photo of Paul Ryan.
Adding a picture
draws the reader in as
well. The title of the article is printed in a slab
serif font and has a higher weight than the
typeface on the rest of the page. This allows it to
stand out, and helps the reader easily see that
it’s the title of the piece. The authors’ names
and a quote designed to attract readers are in
red ink so that they immediately stand out from
the black on the page.
Figure 10: Elliott, Phillip & Jenkins, Nash.
“House Speaker Paul Ryan has the worst job
in Washington—for now.” Time. 29 January
2018: 10. Print.
Portrays a good example of typography
8
Typography: Weak The Problem In the last six
chapters of her book,
Williams drives home
the issues that arise
from writing in all
capital letters. This
document shows just
how correct she is.
The only thing about
this document that
stands out is the
bright orange color
of the paper. The
typeface is most
likely in all caps as
an attempt to draw
more attention to the
message, and it was
then printed on the
orange paper for the
same purpose.
Having so much
writing in all caps
makes it difficult to
pay attention to the
page long enough to
read the words.
The Solution Rather than using all caps and an orange sheet of paper, the person who wrote or
designed this document would have been more effective using plain white paper and
drawing attention to the words by using any of the type contrasts: size, weight,
structure, form, direction, and color would each have been more effective at catching
the attention of the targeted reader than this document is in its current state.
Figure 11: Notice from the packaging of an appliance—portrays weak typography
9
Corporate Identity
Why it Works The company logo is prominent in all three of the examples. It is easy to look at either
of the documents or the website and clearly see the company that is being
represented. The color scheme is the same in the documents and the website, which
keeps the design flowing.
Figures 12, 13, & 14: Business card, letterhead, and
website for S & C Claims Services, Inc.