Layouts in Context

1. Magazine Article

Below is an image from a GP article. If the image showed two pages of an article, this would be called a spread.

When you look at the article, you'll notice that hierarchy plays a huge role. Elements of the page have been selectively placed to create a particular eye flow. Aside from the giant GP logo, there is a pretty clear headline: "PCTs restrict access to diagnostic scans." Nothing else in the page comes close to the size and weight of that line of type.

Then, there are columns of body copy below that. There's even an image of a man in the MRI machine with a caption below it. Also notice the clear margins around the page, separating the text and the edges of the page. The type here is justified within the columns to make it easier to read.

There's a lot going on in this article, which could easily be overwhelming. Therefore, when you're creating a design, it's important to take all the things that you've learned and apply them in a way that will provide the reader with a nice aesthetic, an easy flow, and readability.

terms to know

Spread

The term for two facing pages.

Hierarchy

The organization of elements according to importance. In typography, hierarchy is achieved by placement, size, color, or style.

Eye Flow

The path of a viewer's eye.

Headline

In a layout, a main heading above a block of text.

Column

In a layout, a defined block of space that contains type or image; columns are bordered by margins.

Caption

In page layout, lines of descriptive text positioned under a graphic or photograph.

Margins

White space which frames the elements in a page layout.

Justified Alignment

Lines of type which are spaced to align along both a left and a right margin, creating a block.

Readability

How easily words and blocks of words can be read.

2. Graphic Design Piece

Next is a graphic design piece that reads "When triangles make friends, you get a hexagon."

The first thing to notice here, aside from the graphic, is the centered alignment chosen instead left or right alignment. There is also a nice sense of mirroring, as both the top and bottom portion of the text have two different typefaces being used.

The words "when triangles" and "you get a" are printed in the same typeface; likewise, "make friends" and "hexagon" are printed in the same typeface. The position and size of these two particular words establishes a certain flow. Your eye is drawn to the type with larger size and weight, so your eye tends to scan "make friends" and "hexagon" quickly before the rest of you catches up and goes through the design as a whole.

terms to know

Centered Alignment

Lines of type which are aligned along a central axis.

Left Alignment

Lines of type which are aligned to a left margin and ragged on the right.

Right Alignment

Lines of type which align to a right margin and are ragged on the left.

Typeface

The complete name of a type family member; typically contains the name of the publisher, family, weight, posture, and width.

3. Book Cover

Below is a design cover for a book entitled Martian Time-Slip, written by Philip K. Dick.

The image may be simple, but hierarchy is again evident. The name of the book is the most important bit of information on this cover; you need and want to know it first.

Of course, the large text with thick strokes is going to help achieve that. Even though you have the bright ribbon above the title, your eyes are still drawn to "Martian Time-Slip" and "Philip K. Dick."

4. Magazine Cover

There's a lot going on in the Vanity Fair cover below.

With the exception of a few elements of type in this particular example, such as the bottom lines that read "the Hollywood Issue," the rest of the type appears to be identical—just in different weights and sizes. This helps tie everything together and provide unity.

As you can tell, the text alignment is all over the place, making it very free-form. This is definitely not something you'd want to see in a book, but it does provide some dynamic qualities to this cover.

Also notice how the levels of hierarchy are established on this cover. Vanity Fair is bold, large, and in all capitals. It nearly takes up the entire space edge to edge. Then, each body copy has its own subhead.

These say "10th Anniversary Portfolio," "400," "pages of moms," etc., and then "Michael Jackson faces the music," following by more information and "2004 Hollywood Issue." Despite how busy this cover is, the presentation still manages to be quite neat.

terms to know

Free Form

Lines of type which do not appear to follow a strict justified, right, left, or centered alignment.

Subhead

In a page layout, a heading smaller and of lesser importance than a headline.

5. Movie Poster

This movie poster for Looper is quite simple but very effective.

There are great graphical elements here, and everything fits together well. All the type is positioned in areas that your eyes can easily and quickly catch, read, and absorb it. The type also provides a sense of unity through the use of the same or similar typeface and the capital letters across the board. The poster has a balanced layout, or an equal distribution of visual weight, with the large type reading "Looper" at the bottom half of the page.

The smaller-size type above is a bit more spread out. There is a more dynamic distribution of this type, almost creating a triangle. You can also see the use of centered alignment with the body copy and the text reading "written and directed by Ryan Johnson" and "Looper." Most importantly, this poster is very easy to read.