The following guides are intended to aid you in creating layouts that
communicate clearly and engage the reader. These guides should be used
in conjunction with the templates
provided.
For more help with your design project, contact the Design Center at:
dbholston@mail.utexas.edu,
or call 471-6502.
The Grid
The use of the layout grid system allows for flexibility and creativity
while maintaining a sense of organization that unites material. By dividing
the page into equal columns you can quickly lay out pages and give structure
to your piece. Grids can be created with two to five columns. The more
columns you add, the greater flexibility is in your layout.
Margins
Margins not only offer people a place to hold the publication, but act
as a frame around a piece and should be used in a consistent way throughout.
Margins also offer a contrast to the activity on the page. Margins should
be ample when possible and never less than .25 inches. Small margins
create cramped, text heavy layouts that deter people from reading.
White Space
White space is an important factor in the layout of a page. Congested
pages become unreadable and confusing, while open and well-spaced pages
allow the reader to better focus on the message. White space is not
an accident that happens after the layout is assembled on the page,
but a deliberate active part of the layout that helps convey your message
to the reader. White space can be as effective as an image, and gives
the reader room to “breath.”
Hierarchy of Messages
Most readers scan pages before reading them. Although their eyes initially
start at the top left of the page, they are then drawn in every direction,
focusing on various prominent visual elements. This is why it is important
that you carefully weight the importance of the graphic elements on
your page. Layouts need to communicate a sense of order in a coherent
way so that readers can easily navigate them. By grouping major elements
together in designated areas your reader can quickly scan the page and
be drawn in to read further. Elements that relate to each other should
be positioned in proximity, implying a relationship between pieces of
the information.
Visual Contrast
Layouts not only need to hold text and images, but must also engage
the reader. Through the use of various design techniques, you can grab
the attention of your reader, while helping to guide them through your
print communication.
Use the typography as signals to the importance of your messages. By
employing different weights, sizes and italics, you can guide the reader
through the different levels of information on a page.
Horizontal elements within the vertical structure of the grid capture
a viewer's attention. By having typographic elements cut across the
vertical columns you can create interesting and dynamic effects.
Avoid creating “centered” layouts. These can become boring
and stolid. Asymmetrical layouts are dynamic and allow for greater freedom
in organizing information. Placing text to one side and balancing the
headline to the other creates space, interest and a rhythm.
Below are some examples of contrasting layouts.
