Design: A Tool for MakingDesign: A Tool for Making Things Clear Things Clear

Visuals, PhotographyVisuals, Photography

Warren WatsonWarren WatsonArizona State UniversityArizona State University

20122012

Why Design?Why Design?

• ““Design is a tool to make things clear. It is Design is a tool to make things clear. It is a lubricant for ideas. Poor design is like a lubricant for ideas. Poor design is like crackling static on the radiocrackling static on the radio.”.”

-- Jan White, author, teacher (1988)-- Jan White, author, teacher (1988)

• ““Why design? It’s simple. We’re in a Why design? It’s simple. We’re in a vicious fistfight for people’s eyeballsvicious fistfight for people’s eyeballs

-- David Fowler, art director (1994)-- David Fowler, art director (1994)

The Role of the DesignerThe Role of the Designer

““Role of the designer Role of the designer is to get the reader to is to get the reader to the first paragraphthe first paragraph.” .”

-- Edwin Taylor-- Edwin Taylor

Poor Design: ‘Crackling static’ Poor Design: ‘Crackling static’

Color: More Than DraperyColor: More Than Drapery

Wright StuffWright Stuff

““100 years ago today, near 100 years ago today, near Kitty Hawk, NC, Wilbur and Kitty Hawk, NC, Wilbur and Orville Wright changed the Orville Wright changed the course of history with the course of history with the first power-driven, heavier-first power-driven, heavier-than-air machine in which than-air machine in which humans achieved free, humans achieved free, controlled and sustained controlled and sustained flight. One witness, a young flight. One witness, a young boy, ran into town, yelling, boy, ran into town, yelling, “They done it, they done it … “They done it, they done it … Damned if they ain’t flew.”Damned if they ain’t flew.”

Practicing Journalism WholePracticing Journalism Whole ““Competing for the news will require us to Competing for the news will require us to

practice journalism whole. It means that practice journalism whole. It means that editors will widen the view of their work, so editors will widen the view of their work, so that words, illustrations and page design that words, illustrations and page design are thought of us as one, not apart, and are thought of us as one, not apart, and handled wholehandled whole.”.”

--Gene Patterson, former editor and publisher, --Gene Patterson, former editor and publisher, St. Petersburg Times (1988)St. Petersburg Times (1988)

Whole Whole JournalismJournalism

Heads,Heads, photos,photos, graphicsgraphics workingworking in in unisonunison

Photos to connote reality; Photos to connote reality; graphics, stories, cutlines graphics, stories, cutlines to explain informationto explain information

Using all the ToolsUsing all the Tools

• Subject overlineSubject overline• Photo and captionPhoto and caption• HeadlineHeadline• Explainer headlineExplainer headline• Editor’s noteEditor’s note• Nugget or glance Nugget or glance

boxbox

Anatomy of a Good News PageAnatomy of a Good News Page

> Strong center of Strong center of visual impactvisual impact

> Dramatic layout Dramatic layout befits the newsbefits the news

> Strong Strong secondary artsecondary art

> Highlights box Highlights box layers the newslayers the news

< Subhead helps Subhead helps tell the storytell the story

< Refers tell Refers tell what’s insidewhat’s inside

< And of course: And of course: A great photo!A great photo!

Getting the Reader to the 1st GraphGetting the Reader to the 1st Graph

* Strong * Strong head with head with active verbactive verb

* Map * Map showing showing epicenterepicenter

* Brief facts * Brief facts about quake about quake over headover head

* Infographic* Infographic * Subhead * Subhead

tells more of tells more of storystory

Anatomy of a Good Feature PageAnatomy of a Good Feature Page

> Strong centerStrong center> of impactof impact> Clever headClever head> Strong Strong

secondary artsecondary art> Good proportion Good proportion

of heads to textof heads to text

< Appropriate Appropriate white spacewhite space

< Accessory Accessory color usecolor use

< Contrast in Contrast in sizes of sizes of heads, photosheads, photos

1890: Evolving Toward Today1890: Evolving Toward Today

1912-37: Getting Visual1912-37: Getting Visual

1945: Experimenting with 1945: Experimenting with DesignDesign

The Modern Look The Modern Look

Calling AttentionCalling Attention to Itself to Itself

In the In the ‘70s and ‘70s and ‘80s, ‘80s, design design over-over-

shadowedshadowedcontentcontent

USAT PullsUSAT PullsIt TogetherIt Together

Not the first in color, Not the first in color, not the first in not the first in graphics, not the first graphics, not the first to package.to package.

‘‘McPaper’ parlaysMcPaper’ parlays it all for first time.it all for first time.

Today: Design Goes Today: Design Goes InternationalInternational

Risk-Taking in Asbury ParkRisk-Taking in Asbury Park

Some More Some More Dumb StuffDumb Stuff

Let’s go retro: Let’s go retro: show the show the fireworks in black fireworks in black and white!and white!

Design Factors: Forms of VisualsDesign Factors: Forms of Visuals

PhotographyPhotography

Visuals: Visuals: Info-Info-

GraphicsGraphics

Modest Color Modest Color UseUse

‘‘Information Anxiety’Information Anxiety’

““Good instruction is built on good Good instruction is built on good description. Words, pictures and numbers description. Words, pictures and numbers -- use the right means to describe your -- use the right means to describe your ends. Learning is remembering what you’re ends. Learning is remembering what you’re interested ininterested in.”.” -- Richard Wurman (1990) in book of the same name-- Richard Wurman (1990) in book of the same name

Put It in Understandable TermsPut It in Understandable Terms

• An acre is 45,568 square feet in area. Easy An acre is 45,568 square feet in area. Easy to forget? Yes.to forget? Yes.

• An acre is also roughly the size of a football An acre is also roughly the size of a football field without the end zonesfield without the end zones

• This is a cure for information anxiety!This is a cure for information anxiety!

Visuals: Visuals: IllustrationIllustration

Best Practices:Best Practices:Jackson Hole NewsJackson Hole News

• WeeklyWeekly• Circ: 8,000Circ: 8,000• Editor: A. ThuermerEditor: A. Thuermer• Designer: Dorothy Designer: Dorothy

JankowskyJankowsky

Design PitfallsDesign Pitfalls• Beware of Beware of

overdecoratingoverdecorating• Designer who Designer who

had too much had too much time on her time on her handshands

Simplicity, Simplicity, SimplicitySimplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity

Design PitfallsDesign Pitfalls 3) Type is the 3) Type is the

most important most important design tool; treat design tool; treat it with respect at it with respect at all times.all times.

And never, as I And never, as I once did, screenonce did, screen

the nameplatethe nameplate

Design PitfallsDesign Pitfalls 1) Never do what 1) Never do what

you’re not you’re not capable of doingcapable of doing

2) Devote your 2) Devote your time to the time to the important thingsimportant things

Treat Typography with RespectTreat Typography with Respect

Pitfalls:Pitfalls:Fractured Fractured

TypeType• Type’s too Type’s too

narrownarrow• Optimum Optimum

range: 12-17 range: 12-17 picaspicas

More pitfalls: Type Too WideMore pitfalls: Type Too Wide

CroppingCropping

Packaging ProblemsPackaging Problems Misleading association; Misleading association;

no, she wasn’t indictedno, she wasn’t indicted

Beware ofBeware ofthe Power ofthe Power ofPhotoshopPhotoshop

Design Tips for Non-DesignersDesign Tips for Non-Designers

• Communicate expectations often, precisely.Communicate expectations often, precisely.• Learn to speak the language of the graphics

and design staff. They are specialists too.• Insist on excellence.• Don’t judge what you’re not trained to

judge.• Focus on the big stuff! (more)

More Design TipsMore Design Tips

• Pay attention to packaging issues.• Learn about photography. It’s the most

important design tool. Learn the language of excellence.

• Practice journalism whole. Graphics, photos, captions and headlines are information forms too.

7 Simple Learnings from SND7 Simple Learnings from SND

• Keep it simpleKeep it simple• Let content drive the designLet content drive the design• Take care with the detailsTake care with the details• Pay attention to the words as wellPay attention to the words as well• Think like, not for, the readerThink like, not for, the reader• Treat typography with respectTreat typography with respect• Reflect your communityReflect your community

Reflecting Your CommunityReflecting Your Community

• Maine: A nameplate Maine: A nameplate that evokes a citythat evokes a city

• San Diego: A deep San Diego: A deep history of a regionhistory of a region

Reflecting Community (more)Reflecting Community (more)

Walla Walla: ‘Whassup!!!!’Walla Walla: ‘Whassup!!!!’

““The community The community newspaper with newspaper with absolutely no desire to absolutely no desire to look like USA Today.”look like USA Today.”

Visuals: Visuals: InfographicsInfographics A photo or A photo or

illustration illustration combined with combined with artwork to tell artwork to tell a story, explain a story, explain com-com-

plicated matter plicated matter or graph or graph trends, trends, numbersnumbers