DESIGN IMPACTS THEME…TEN TIPS FOR GREAT

DESIGN

1. TELL A STORY WITH PHOTOS AND WORDS.

• Effective design delivers compelling stories to your readers.

• Use a variety of photographs that show different aspects of the story.

• Package different aspects of your coverage to make text more inviting.

Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East: Strong storytelling images, high energy dominant photo serves as a powerful centerpiece, spacing skillfully sets apart content module from photo packages and secondary content

2. USE FRAMING MARGINS

• Use a framing margin like a picture frame around the spread.

• Spreads can be packed with content--a frame of white space adds a pleasing finishing touch.

• Keep content, with the exception of bleed photos and folio tabs, out of the framing margin.

• When building templates, change the default settings by adding a extra room to the framing margins.

True Blue, Hudson High School: Framing margin gives spread a nice clean look without clutter, margin allows graphic elements to stand out.

3. DISPLAY CONTENT IN MODULES & USE A GRID

• Designing in modules results in organized designs that readers can easily understand and follow.

• Using a variety of modular shapes and sizes makes a spread more visually interesting.

• Modular design doesn’t mean that dynamic shapes such as photo cutouts or circles can’t be used; but, for best results these shapes should be anchored with a module.

Indian, Shawnee Mission North: The packaging of the secondary content, photos and copy makes this spread more dynamic and interesting for readers, spread also employs external margin and levels of separation.

• A visual centerpiece grabs the reader. • To be effective, the centerpiece/dominant element

should be the largest content module on the spread (at least twice the size of the other modules).

• In some cases, the centerpiece might be an action-packed and technically flawless dominant photo.

• To maximize coverage, a collection of photographs can be used as the centerpiece.

4. CREATE A VISUAL CENTERPIECE

Wingspan, Enochs High School: A tightly cropped dominant photo forms the centerpiece of this spread.

5. EMPLOY THREE LEVELS OF SEPARATION.

• “Space everything one pica apart” is the cardinal rule that has served yearbook designers for decades. And, it still works well to use traditional, one-pica spacing between content modules on a spread.

• Experiment with space on the page--sometimes tight spacing is perfect. For example, a collection of related photos might “touch”. This would tell the reader that the photos belong together.

• Expanded spacing might be used to set apart a module by leaving a vertical column or horizontal grid empty to create a rail. Since the rail separates the module from the other modules on the spread with expanded spacing, this would signal to the reader that the content might be special in some way.

Shield, Downey High School: Three levels of spacing are thoughtfully incorporated into this design, tight spacing is used between the related photos in the main module, expanded spacing/use of rail is used to emphasize the headline/story module and separate it from the secondary content, external margin creates a nice a frame.

6. CONTRAST CREATES VISUAL INTEREST.

• Opposites do attract. In design, opposing elements add contrast or visual energy, if you will, and this keeps the reader engaged. Some examples of contrast include: Content: verbal/visual Size: big/small Format: horizontal/vertical Shape: modular/circular/cutout Lines: thick/thin Weight: bold/light Width: wide/narrow Fonts: serif/sans serif/decorative display Alignment: justified/unjustified Color: black & white/sepia/process color

7. TYPOGRAPHY IS FOR READING.

• Don’t use artsy, decorative fonts for primary copy or captions.

• Use fonts that are legible.• Your font choices should enhance your design not

detract from it.• You can mix and match type if you follow these rules:

– Pick one serif, one sans serif and one decorative (or leave off the decorative).

– Use the whole family but do not bring in two serifs or two sans serifs. They look similar but there are differences.

– You can change sizes, to italics, use color or percentages of black.

Serif (Times, Baker Signet, Baskerville)

Sans Serif (Arial Black, Avenir, Century Gothic)

Decorative (Chiller, Wild Ketchup, Crazy girlz blond)

You can stay with one font family and use different weights and italics. Vary the size, placement and contrast. Find examples in magazines of headline design treatments you like.

TYPOGRAPHY

nobodyWhere

knowsYOUR name

Newcomers tell what it’s like to come into a school where students have grown up together

TYPOGRAPHY USE

nobody

Where

knowsname

Newcomers tell what it’s like to come into a school where students have grown up together

YO

UR

[That’s the waywe like it]Customized cars a great way to individualize and spend lots of money

Where

knowsname

Newcomers tell what it’s like to come into a school where students have grown up together

TYPOGRAPHY USE

Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East: Fonts used throughout book are consistent but the variance in treatment makes the pages more dynamic and inviting to read.

8. MAKE A VERBAL AND VISUAL CONNECTION.

• Study professional magazines and notice how the headlines coordinate verbally and visually with the photos, especially the dominant photo.

• Brainstorm a list of words, phrases and ideas inspired by the photos before writing a catchy, primary headline.

• When designing headlines, consider emphasizing the key words by using a larger point size, or perhaps bold or color, so they scream for attention and make a visual connection.

Wingspan, Enochs High School: Visual/verbal connection between dominant photo and headline, uses spin-offs for visual/verbal connection between secondary content “real talk” and theme.

9. INCORPORATE A REPEAT STRATEGY.

• The repetition of lines, color, textures, patterns, shapes, space and typography gives a spread continuity and personality and unifies elements used to enhance theme.

• Avoid being predictable…repetition can be subtle.

Icon, Rancho Cotate: Using the repeat pattern of the group of four unifies this spread, the graphic element of the “+” sign from the cover is more subtle, yet effective in unifying theme throughout this book.

10. GRAPHICS UNIFY, SEPARATE AND HIGHLIGHT.

• Graphics include lines, tints and color. And while they are fun to use, graphics shouldn’t be used to decorate. Like everything else on the spread, graphics must serve a content driven function.

• Graphics unify. A box placed around a photo and a quote links the two related elements.

• Graphics separate. A line divides unrelated content.

• Graphics highlight. With this in mind, use the power of graphics to call attention to the content while remembering that the graphics should never steal the show from the content.

Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East: Graphics are used sparingly but effectively, unify theme & design throughout book, highlight s content without detracting from it.

Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East: Graphics include sketch, typography, dominant photo treatment, secondary content, and color.

THINK CONTEMPORARY

• It’s time to CREATE!– THINK about your typography. (Reject a lot!)– Think about your theme logo.– Think about your color scheme.– Think about your graphic story.– Think about how you can layer design on from a simple

cover to a more graphic endsheet and theme pages.• Decide how you can carry your theme gracefully into the

content area of the book– Come up with words or phrases that are the same

concept. – Think of what kind of sidebar they could become.

• Have fun.

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