Wednesday 20 March 2013

OUGD404: Design principles: Van De Graaf.

Van De Graaf Canon
- A gridded page much like scaffolding for a building, it is a structure in which elements can be organised.

- A grid will help continuity to be maintained.
Has been used in book design too divide a page into pleasing proportions.
In books the cannon is used to layout text so that our thumbs do not go over the text.


Notice in the image above the margins at the bottom of the page and outside edges are the largest of all the margins due to needing room for holding the book. 

- The text and margin proportions are defined by the original paper size. 

Leading

Column width is more than just design or format.
- It is also based on legibility.
- Printed collateral (text) is read by the eye at a distance of 30-35cm. 
- According to empirical rule there should be 7 words per line for text of any length.
- Text areas should be very open and not cluttered.  

-Wrong Column widths lead to time and energy wasted. 
-Sometimes when columns are too wide our eye will switch to the line below as this is where our eye naturally jumps.
- Match width of column with point size - Usually 10 words per line.
The key to creating good layouts is to promote the ease of reading.
- The text must not impair the rhythm.
We were asked a question in which we were asked to give our own opinion. 
Is it just about aesthetics?
In my opinion it is not all about aesthetics, however, they do play a part. I believe that the aesthetic of type come from the beauty in the ease of reading. When text is well proportioned in point size, leading and words per line this informs easy reading. When text can be easily read it is a pleasing aesthetic that evolves, thus backing the idea of form vs function.  However I believe that the way in which the text is positioned, for example, when working with a grid could be more for aesthetic purposes. The text may function properly in 4 different parts of the grid, however we can end up choosing the place which is aesthetically most pleasing. 

Margin Proportions 

Margins can have an influence on the overall feel of a page of print.
If the margins of a page are too small, the page can appear overly full, and if they are too big the layouts appear overly exaggerated.
Well balanced margins on the sides, head and tail can create agreeable impressions, whereas same sized margins can never generate interesting page design. 
A well proportioned page for items such as literature would have a indented inside margin. 


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