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What makes a good design?
Most businesses use desktop publishing and graphic design on regular basis to get their business message across in a visual pleasing way. However, most business people DON'T have graphic design or desktop publshing training and don't have a basic sense of graphic design and layout. A good design doesn't just look good, it also has to convey your message properly.
Our Designers have spent years honing their craft and can provide you with the perfect design for you no matter what the application.
Here are some important design layout elements that we use and so should you on your next project.
So use the following tips to make your message clear and easy for your readers to grasp.
1. Use plenty of white space for easy reading.
Your readers dont want to wade through dense text to find the important information. However do print enough content to be credible, leaving too much white space, particularly in combination with a large font, can make your document look childish and amateur.
2. Remember the Z-pattern.
Readers of languages that are read left to right read in a z-pattern. Their eyes first focus on the upper left hand corner of a page, so capture their attention there (think about where headlines are placed in newspapers and advertisements).
Next, their eyes travel toward the right, then move down the page diagonally to the lower left hand corner. Good document design will help the readers' eyes travel the page easily and naturally. Finally, they read the last line of the page and end in the lower right corner, and the z- pattern is complete.
3. Use graphics to enhance the message, not detract from it.
Regarding the above z-pattern, don't place your graphic elements in the upper right or lower left corners of the page. Use them to direct readers into your document instead. Too many graphics and poorly placed graphics will both scatter your readers' attention, taking it away from the text. You'll simply lose them if your graphics detract from your document. When it's so easy to place them properly, why risk it?
4. Create visual partitions with typography.
Your choice of font can also help readers scan your document and focus their attention. White space begins to create distinction; you can create even more distinction by adjusting the size and weight of your font. You can also vary the actual font or text style you choose for headings.
But stick to one serif font (like Times or Courier) and one sans serif font (like Arial or Helvetica). Mixing too many font faces and styles looks garish and amateur.
Just because you're not a designer doesn't mean you have an excuse for poorly designed documents.
Contact us today to create eye-catching designs that make it easier for your reader to understand your message.
Thanks to Linda Alexander for the above tips and tricks to graphic design layout.
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