Desktop Publishing

1
Desktop Publishing

• Design
• for
• Effective Communication

2
Design to enhance communication

• We write to communicate.
• Pretty does not help this if the document is not
  read.
• Are you Communicatingor just making pretty
  shapes?
• You wont recognize a Joshua Tree if you dont
  know what it is.

3
Design Principles

• ontrast
• epetition
• lignment
• roximity

Link to Using CRAP
4
Proximity

• Refers to how close together items appear on a
  page.

roup elated tems ogether

• Keep unrelated items further apart.

5
Consider
Enfield High School
David Roberts
Grand Junction Road
Enfield 5085
(618) 8262 1468
The grouping (Proximity) adds sense to the words.
6
Consider this
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN THEATRE GUILD
THEATRE COOPERATIVE
WHATS HAPPENING IN
WHATS HAPPENING IN
SIR ROBERT HELPMANN MEMORIAL THEATRE
SIR ROBERT HELPMANN MEMORIAL THEATRE
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN THEATRE GUILD
THEATRE COOPERATIVE
DECEMBER 2001
DECEMBER 2001
7
Lists can be difficult
Childrens CDs Educational CDs Entertainment
CDs DVDs
Childrens CDs Educational CDs Entertainment
CDs DVDs Early learning Language
arts Science Maths Books Teacher
tools Videos Cables Input devices Mass
storage Memory Modems Printers and supplies Video
and Sound
Proximity (grouping) adds sense.
Early learning Language arts Science Maths
Books Teacher tools Videos
Cables Input devices Mass storage Memory Modems Pr
inters and supplies Video and Sound
8
Proximity

• Close objects - single visual unit.
• Logical path through a document.

9
The purpose of proximity

• Organisation
• More likely to be read and remembered
• Better use of white space

10
Using proximity

• Avoid too many elements on page
• Avoid the 4 corners and middle
• Avoid equal spacing
• Strengthen relationships that exist
• Dont create relationships between unrelated
  elements

11
Alignment

• Place nothing on the page at random
• All items should have a visual connection to
  other items on the page.

12
Consider
The elements on this card were all aligned with
each other.
(618) 8262 1468
David Roberts
Enfield High School
Enfield High School
David Roberts
David Roberts
Enfield High School
Grand Junction Road
Grand Junction Road
Enfield 5085
Enfield 5085
Enfield 5085
Grand Junction Road
(618) 8262 1468
(618) 8262 1468
Improving Proximity improved the connections.
A stronger invisible line connects all elements.
13
Alignment
Typical report cover all centred
ReportOnHistory of Desktop Publishing
ReportOnHistory of Desktop Publishing
By David Roberts Enfield High School
By David Roberts Enfield High School
Hard left alignment more sophisticated.
Invisible line connects two distant elements.
14
Aligned Centre
Youarewarmly invited to attend!
Centred dull and boring
Youarewarmly invited to attend!
Youarewarmly invited to attend!
You are warmly invited to attend!
Make the centring obvious
Try setting the centred off-centre
Experiment with making centred text more dramatic
15
Alignment

• Every element on a page has a visual connection
  with some other element.
• Provides unity on the page

16
The purpose of Alignment

• Organisation
• Unification the elements look as if they belong
  together
• Can determine the look of the page
  sophisticated, formal, fun, serious.

17
Using Alignment

• Be conscious of where an element is being placed.
• Always look to align each object with another
  object.
• Try to avoid multiple alignments.
• Centre consciously not because it is the easy
  way out.

18
Repetition

• Repeat some aspect of design throughout the whole
  document.

• Bold font
• Thick line (rule)
• A bullet
• A colour
• A particular format
• Spacial relationships

• Repetition leads to Consistency.

19
Remember this list
Originally there were some headings.
Childrens CDs Educational CDs Entertainment
CDs DVDs Early learning Language
arts Science Maths Books Teacher
tools Videos Cables Input devices Mass
storage Memory Modems Printers and supplies Video
and Sound
CD ROMs CD ROMs Childrens CDs Educational
CDs Entertainment CDs DVDs Educational Early
learning Language arts Science Maths Teacher
tools Books Teacher tools Videos Hardware
Accessories Cables Input devices Mass
storage Memory Modems Printers and supplies Video
and Sound
CD ROMs CD ROMs Childrens CDs Educational
CDs Entertainment CDs DVDs Educational Early
learning Language arts Science Maths Teacher
tools Books Teacher tools Videos Hardware
Accessories Cables Input devices Mass
storage Memory Modems Printers and supplies Video
and Sound
CD ROMs CD ROMs Childrens CDs Educational
CDs Entertainment CDs DVDs Educational Early
learning Language arts Science Maths Teacher
tools Books Teacher tools Videos Hardware
Accessories Cables Input devices Mass
storage Memory Modems Printers and supplies Video
and Sound

• CD ROMs .
• CD ROMs
• Childrens CDs
• Educational CDs
• Entertainment CDs
• DVDs
• Educational .
• Early learning
• Language arts
• Science
• Maths
• Teacher tools .
• Books
• Teacher tools
• Videos
• Hardware Accessories .

Better use of Proximity improved readability.
Repetition of bold headings is better.
Repetition of bullets and rules is better still.
20
Repetition
Use existing elements to improve consistency.
Turn them into repetitive graphic symbols.
Strengthen headings and subheadings and format
them using the same font and style.
21
Repetition

• Repetition of visual elements throughout a
  document
• Provides unity on the page
• Essential on multi-page documents
• Also called Consistency

22
Repetition at work
What are repeated on all these?
23
The purpose of Repetition

• Unification the elements look as if they belong
  together
• Adds visual interest to the page

24
Using Repetition

• Extend consistencies by emphasizing them.
• Consider adding elements to create repetition.
• Avoid overdoing repetition.
• Be aware of the value of Contrast.

25
Contrast

• Created when two things are different.
• If two things are not the same .
• Make them.
• Really different.

• Dont be a wimp!

26
Contrast not a new concept

• How did we create the contrast?

27
Contrast
Youarewarmly invited to attend!

• How did we create the contrast?

28
Contrast

• CD ROMs .
• CD ROMs
• Childrens CDs
• Educational CDs
• Entertainment CDs
• DVDs
• Educational .
• Early learning
• Language arts
• Science
• Maths
• Teacher tools .
• Books
• Teacher tools
• Videos
• Hardware Accessories .

• How did we create the contrast?

29
Contrast

• How did we create contrast?

30
Contrast

• How did we create contrast?

31
Something else which helps
WHATS HAPPENING IN
SIR ROBERT HELPMANN MEMORIAL THEATRE
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN THEATRE GUILD
THEATRE COOPERATIVE
DECEMBER 2001
WHATS HAPPENING IN
Sir Robert Helpmann Memorial Theatre
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN THEATRE GUILD
THEATRE COOPERATIVE
DECEMBER 2001
Where is the contrast greatest?
Block capitals are poor for contrast!
32
Contrast

• For contrast to work, things can not be similar.
• Different elements must be very different.

33
The purpose of Contrast

• Adds visual interest to the page.
• Helps with organization of information.

34
Using Contrast

• Most often achieved through choice of typeface.

• Font
• Size
• Style
• Colour

• Weight of line can be useful

35
Improving Design Skills

• Decide on the focus.

• Make it big and bold
• Set in upper/lower case

• Decide on the groups.

• Set the groups together (Proximity)
• Leave space between the groups

• Arrange elements on a strong alignment.
• Remove conflicting elements

36
Improving Design
Comment on the Design Principles
37
Contrast
All the same fontReduces contrast
All block capitalsReduces contrast
Heavy borderReduces contrastBy reducing white
space
Logos in cornersReduces contrastBy reducing
white space
38
Repetition
All the same fontGood repetition (Perhaps 2
fonts would be better, allowing Contrast)
Logos in cornersGood repetitionBut cause
problems by reducing white space
39
Alignment
Text aligned with graphic top and bottom
Everything centredBoring alignment
Logos all aligned with each other
40
Proximity
They are Theatre SuppliesPoor proximity
Little groupingof textPoor proximity
And belongs with Professionals Poor proximity
People mixed up with objectsPoor proximity
Properties hyphenatedPoor proximity
Phone number poorly groupedPoor proximity
Quotes are Obligation FreePoor proximity
41
Improve Me

• Decide on the focus.

• Make it big and bold
• Set in upper/lower case

• Decide on the groups.

• Set the groups together (Proximity)
• Leave space between the groups

• Arrange elements on a strong alignment.
• Remove conflicting elements

42
Bibliography

• Tollett, J and Williams, R. 2001, Design
  Workshop, Peachpit Press, Berkeley
• Williams, R. 1994, The Non-Designers Design
  Book, Peachpit Press, Berkeley
• Weildon, C. 1990, Communicating or Just Making
  Pretty Shapes, Newspaper Advertising Bureau of
  Australia Ltd, North Sydney