Branding Part 4

In our fourth workshop we’re going to look at some of the fundamentals of layout, and discuss manipulating and arranging images in Adobe InDesign to create a single page publication featuring our brand identity.

From Katarzyna Olejarczyk on Behance

Basics of Layout

Layout refers to the organisation of the visual elements of the design, mainly text and images. Successful use of layout helps you to properly communicate information to your audience, as well as direct their attention to the most important parts of your composition.

Before we explore the elements of layout which are especially important for creating published content, take a look at this great video from Art Heroes and Kevin McMahon, which outlines some of the basic principles which underlie all graphic design.

Here are some of the generic elements which you can play around with in order to create a successful layout for your publication.

From j6design.com

Images

Images are an important part of visual communication. Not only do they provide some life and identity to your work, but they also help to break up the text and emphasize your message.

From Vedad Siljak on Dribbble

Take a look at this article from purplecowagency.com for some helpful tips about using images to enhance your written content.

Alignment

Text and typography are often arranged into columns, and the position of the text inside each column is known as its alignment. Alignment can be described on a horizontal axis (Left, Right, Centered), or a vertical axis (Top, Bottom, Centered).

Take a look at this article from thepapermillstore.com for a detailed rundown of alignment.

Deciding which alignment works best for your text depends on what visual effect you're aiming to achieve. Deliberately keeping your elements aligned (or not, as the case may be) influences the overall feel of your composition, and changes the way that your audience perceive everything you're presenting to them.

Hierarchy

Hierarchy refers to the order of importance that you give different elements of your text by using variations in size and style. This creates natural divisions in your work and helps to organise your content so it's easier to understand.

In general, the most important heading on a page - known as the ‘Headline’ or ‘Level One Text’ - will be the largest and most prominent. This is often used for page titles.

The ‘Subhead’ - or ‘Level Two Text’ - is next, and is usually used for dividing up your content with chapter or section headings.

Finally, at the bottom of the hierarchy is ‘Copy Text’ - or ‘Level Three Text’, which should be the least prominent and make up the main body of your publication.

Take a look at this article from Canva for a bit more information about typographic hierarchies.

Entry Points

These are visual aids designed to attract the viewer’s attention as they scan a page, then direct them to the place they should start reading from. If there are several different content sections on one page, entry points are essential to make sure the viewer can see which comes next.

The simplest and most obvious example of an entry point is to create a title or headline, which typically include an obvious change in text size or boldness. Or you might consider using different colours or fonts to catch the viewer’s eye and lead them where you want them to go, such as in the example below. Take a look at this article on the effective use of entry points for more information.

Finally, let’s once again hear from Ben Bowen; this time giving his top 3 professional tips for creating effective layouts.

In our fourth video tutorial Ali Blackwell shows you the basics of Adobe InDesign and shows you how to create a single-page publication introducing your new brand.

Your Assignment

‘Using Adobe InDesign, create a single-page publication introducing your new brand (leaflet, prospectus, etc.)’