1 Type and image similarity both arewrinkled, torn, and bent on this 1966 poster. This is the result of « design pro- “Itcan be said that all design ‘activity is an ordering pro- cess, an attempt at reduc- ing chaos... Designing is replacing the chaos found byatleast a measure of or- der, (which) depends on the amount of simplification and unification achieved in given circumstances.” FHK Henrion Advertsing Typoarehy 1 “Itis easy to make an aston: ishing piece offurniture: allo has to dois extract from the \woodalltheSaccaro itcontains.” Elegant photography and a head. | deceptively simple message. cess and wos achieved before the advent of easy Photoshop. effects, 2 Design unity is where all the parts work as one: 1 (image) + 1 (type) +1 (space) = 1 (unified design). The S-shape at the bottom of the photo, a carved turn in skiing, isthe element that joins the ports. 3 Simple form and flat color ‘make a simple message clear. Peeren ant) " Stock illustration has replaced illustrators. Stock photography has re- placed photographers. Stock ad design templates are replacing design: ers. Ifa Web site displays a design template for an ad that can be down: loaded and costs, say, fifty dollars, what on earth would compel a client to pay thousands for your time? Remember, clients are business people: they buy low and sell high, so saving on labor costs is very attractive. Indeed, it is clmost a mission for many of them. I have two words for you: value added. Designers have to add value to a message by transcending the competency of stock design and offer- ing customized, distinctive design that is better than stock. That doesn't sound very hard, until you come face to face with the next design prob- lem. It is a fair question to ask, “What exactly makes your design better line with atwist combine into@ | 3 Typeface choice matched to the style of the illustration cre ‘tes unity 4 Letter shope unity, the similar ity of form between the Nand Hand theirextremely large serifs, defines this classic 1954 mark for the New Haven Rail road. Note the precise manage ‘ment of negative space. 2 Don't Drink and Drive.” The ‘oct of reading causes mild nau- sein this modern op art poster.aaaiabbbbe ddefeghij kl mnooepp qgrrfstuv WRX yz I ith ep mee 1 Total integration of type and image were largely invented by the Stenberg brothers inthe period between the World Wars. As a consequence of so- cial change, the cultural status quo was questioned, leading to remarkable changes in art and design between 1915 and 1940. 2 Design equilibrium is real ized in Land Rover's 50-50 page division between packing list and ear ad. The risk they tookisin purposefully making than decent stock, which costs hundreds of times less?” This book is filled with outstanding advertising design. But don't be lulled into thinking the ed world is chockablock with such quality. The huge majority of ad work is invisible - and worse. Many of these ads would probably be better had they used a template. At least they'd be clearly organized. As an art director, the greatest value you can add is a killer ideo, bril- liantly realized. As a designer, the greatest value you can add is to bestow Unity on the elements in your work. Rather than having, say, six elements all doing independent duty on one page, get them working together to make a single impact. Do this by making them agree with one another: by form, color, position, or style. Design is a process, not a result. Choose the right process and the re- sult will follow. The artistry of design and art direction comes with the un- derstanding that unity is the most valuable commodity designers offer. anENE 1 Cubistillustration of adanc- | 2.Acombination of rough let ing figure with modernist let- | tering ondimage plus limited tering of similar formunifies | color palette unifies Anton this ci9go poster byMarcF. | Clave's 1953 French poster. Severin, Belgian ad designer. | | 3 Form - or shape ~is repeat: ‘ed to convey the point in this 1992 spread ad for a feshion company. While the images the two page halves look com: pletely unrelated. 3 Poul Renner's early sketches for Futura reveal his search for Unity among letterforms. FLYING Though a subtle feature, the extension of the diagonal ine ‘through the S of SCOTSMAN ives both imoge and type ‘a shared attribute, unifying them, Iti exactly such details that separate the extraordi nary from the plain, Unityond Clority | are unified, the type in this ‘example is not as successfully handled asin the other two ‘examples to the left590 Design ypearephy Thefigure/ground relationship 1 These are hand drawn figure/ direction, organic/geometric 2 The second exercise is to ab- isfundamental to design. To ground studies from myfirst-_contrast,chythm, texture/mass _stract word groups using pro- mosterit, youmustseethe _yearstudents. They abstract contrast, and balanced asym- vided materials. These studies empty spaceaseasilyosyou —_partsofasingleletterformand — metry. also require abstraction (legibi see the figures within it use the parts in expressions of ityis specifically prohibited) 4.4 All design uses just three ele ments: space, imagery, and type. Visual drame happens where these elements meet ‘anda form that is one element can be mistaken for another The three design elements: space, image, and type All of design uses exactly three ingredients: space, image, and type. The difference between mediocre, average, ordinary design and superior, eye-catching, career-making design is your use of space. Itis the forgotten sibling of the three. Why is this when space (or time in a TV commercial) is the very first thing we start with in a design? My theory is that we are more inter- ested in what is than in what isn’t, And space and time are simply back- ground absences. We misperceive our jobs ds visual communicators when we think we are supposed to filin the space; we aren't: we are supposed to utilize the space for a message. Space is the unavoidable opposite of fullness, of busyness. It is the back epee ground of everything we see. Itis ignored by all but a few who under- stand its power and usefulness to create contrast, drama, or rest. In order - 1Asingle dominantimage at | ikea coption:ithasa natural | 2Apogesplitverticollyis not | dictated by the image. thetophalf(ortwo thirds) ofa | secondary role. Thislayoutis | os eosyto arrange intutively. | 4 Random arrangement fim pogeisthemostviewedorrange- | known asthe “Ayers 1," after | 3Fullbleedcan be arresting, | agesisconfusing Its better to ment.Theheadline beneath | the NW. Ayers agencythot | though ype placement be- | arrange them tobe perceived the picture in this layoutis made it popular. comes more dificult when itis | as. single visual element.ndillustrate design ideas ike 3 The third exercise expresses tion, rhythm, texture and value, internal{organic) and external areal message in set type. In ond spatial depth. (grid) design relationships, hierarchy, order, and spacing _ long with the expression of to use space, you first have to be able to see space. Itis a learned ability that takes time and practice. Emptiness in two-dimensional design is called white space and lies be hind the type and imagery. Other names for white space are “negative space,” “trapped space,” “counterform,” and “leftover space.” More than mere background, white space works for - or against - clarity and use- fulness, depending on the expertise of its manipulation. When used to its fullest, white space becomes foreground: background becomes a positive shape and both positive and negative become intricately linked. One of the earliest and best lessons | learned about design was the phorism, “Ifthe white space is well designed, the occupied space will be well designed.” It does not follow, though, that well-designed figure leads to well-designed ground. This may seem odd, but itis true. The lack of managed white space results in a noisy, busy design. Pur- annoUoes nallemative tobusinessas usual this project legibiltyisrequired, 4 The fourth exercise is adapted toads, translating relation- cottributes, Unification vs solotion, direc- ships inthe second exercise to the new copy. Students must use their own photographs ‘and be prepared to defend ‘each decision they mode inthe translation Osesperes onens acaba egunhur mana dene SP eae = [een sports have ust gained ‘more space in Sao Poul.” Mag azines sell space to advertis rs. This diagram announces FT magazine's larger format ‘and bigger space. so ‘The Macintosh fice 5 DS oes 1Aclose up of a human face has natural power to stop be- cause we ite looking at each other. And we are hardwired in our DNAto look at each other 2 Background and foreground ‘re one in this 1958 ad for an Italian sewing machine. Itis such visual trickery thet causes the human eye tolinger a little longer. The groyshave been | three-page newspaper ad from removed on the right to make 1986, the eorly days ofthe Mac- the continuous colorevident. | intosh. This ad introduced the 3 Emptiness ond fullness ore | first desktop network, which contrasted on purpose ina | required lengthy explanation,592 ay Design ond yoosrophy piree’S hao Typical pre-Bauhausdesign, tionsinfrontofit. This posteris magazine cover, withitspre- 3 Alifesize piece ofa shirt c.eorly1go0s, in which space by anunknown Russian ortist. cise type alignments, maylook hanger and child’s writing in exists onlyinthe background. 2Spece became plasticentity tame by today’s standards, but _an empty gray field removes. Its shape is completely deter- _withtheBauhaus'effortsto _itandotherworksimilartoit distractions from the state. mined bythe typeand illustra- _revisuolize it. Herbert Bayer’s were revolutionaryintheirtime. _ment that kids need bandages. poseful noisiness is a good treatment for ads about, for example, anxiety, video interference, or the extraordinary muchness of a flea market. For most other messages, a degree of dynamic clarity serves both the reader and the message. Space is defined by its perimeter. This may be the physical edge of a poster or magazine page or the shape of a TV screen, orit may be a drawn box, what is called a framal reference. But it takes on size and meaning only when an element is placed in it. Suddenly, the space becomes large or small, high or low, tall or nar- row. This primary relationship is called the figure/ground relationship, of which there are three kinds: Tight headline and small im ages interplay to show “filled @ Stable figure/ground The figure is definitely in front of the ground up-ness. and dominates it. Symmetrical design is stable: white space is behind ‘and around the figures. Stable figure/ground is the easiest to design. pea ‘Negativespace used inthe | 2Space inthe center ofthe | 3“Keepchopping” Whitespace | 4 “Don't wait too long toget title The use of old-fashioned | poster creais used by Smirnoff | signifies absence, asin the rich." Space is divided horizon: wood types is consistent Muleto promotethe “stubborn” | lumber necessary to millthe | tally, giving the text a broad throughout the client's materi- | identity ofthe product. oxhandles ironicolly used for | area in which to agree with the als for branding tree felling, angle of the magazine's spine.1 The bonus plan of fidelity.” _usedinthisblackand white __-makes these two ads sophist Negative space, in this case campaign foraSwissbank’s cated versions ofthe studies the white ofthe paper, iswell credit card awards program. _ shown at the top of page go. The ambiguous use of space @ Reversible figure/ground The figure and ground are seen equally nd interpenetrate. There is a tension between the balanced foreground and background. Reversible figure/ground produces a dynamic design and is much harder to develop. @ Ambiguous figure/ground Similar to reversible figure/ground, but elements may be in the foreground and background simultaneously. A designer must be able to see shapes abstractly for this. Stores that sell expensive goods are almost invariably spacious. They understand that « bazaar-like atmosphere is good for bargain hunters, but not for luxury goods. Similarly, white space communicates quality and class, so long as it isn’t wasteful. Managing space is the greatest single benefit to readers and to your advertising and design samples. Most art directors don't understand it and avoid it. Ifyou doubt that, just look at most advertising, 1 Nearly life-size product shot | 2White space dominatesin | eas where ods were supposed with fish hook but without dis- | this unusual spreadadina | torun but didn't. Butt makes tractions inthe background | Japanese fashion magazine. _| you look, and catching eyes is simply alludes to an alternative | The result looks almost like edi- | Step 1 in advertising. meaning to the sport of fishing. | torial columnswithemptyar- | 3White space denotes status, 2 How do you show that these beef bouillon cubes are “pack ed with flavor"? Exaggerate the scale of cow in space The page can be turned for second, entirely different point ‘of view, asin this od for Old National Bonk 593 Design lary | quality, prestige, and, above | all, luxury. Porsche has had many years to perfectits “shiny mirror” in which its audience con see themselves.594 Advertising Design = =: Re SE cn ae Cea 1 Tet rays cot gray. 2 Photos, ordinarily usedfor 3 Theillustrated poster by of Z00 asthe train ond the scale, or bitmapped. Each accuracy, can be abstracted Abram Games, 0 British design- London Underground symbol mode evokes adifferentfeel. _and>e both starting ondcom- _eractive in the mid-1900s, pro-_(4@p inthe tiger's body, a ing, ready foran artdirector'smunicative, asin thehightech motes the use ofthe subway to clever woy of ereoting design intentional exploitation lookoF this hotel ad the London Zoo. Note his use unity. Image Advertising is often created as one visual with an explanatory headline. The visual is the primary element overall and the headline is the primary typographic element - but it is meant to be seen after the visual. An image will look quite different in full color, grayscale, and bitmap (above, far left), especially when each version has been carefully adjust. ed with brightness and contrast sliders to optimize detail Image is defined as any visual, whether photographed, drawn, or ~let’s Tp ec cxcne and not overlook this one ~ set in type. Ads typically have one image to ensure type and image and space that only one point is being made. But more than one image may be used, ee teeee nse Ad just as more than one size of type may be used, to create hierarchy, or order of importance. Imagery has characteristics other than the content, of course, that can be used in specific circumstances to help craft a message. The unity of an. image with type is enormously important. Their characteristics should be ae 1 Our virtual support makes | bonkiook friendly notjust soy | 4Theimageis purposefully | SAclose-upphotoof the texture the difference.” Manipulation | itin te headline, supported by | obscured by columns normally | of a poper towel adds to this, ofpartofanimagecreates | spaceand very short copy. reserved for text. Itisnocoin-_ | advertiser's meaning, Texture contrast and emphasis. 3LL.3eanissellinga state of | cidence that about a thousand | isn overlooked resource that | illustration styledto make a | mind,not ust clothing, | words would fiton the page. | carries near-subliminol value.‘Bleeding on image makes it behind every other element. _relatively “quiet” oreas, so that fookaslargeasit possibly can. Ittakes careful planning with type can be overlaid and still Italsomokestheimagethe the photogrophertogetsuf- be legible. Keep in mind that Ground, thatis,ontheplane _ficient empty space, oratleast _ text on any backgroundis con. made to agree in some way. For example, a predominant color or texture in on area of an image may be applied to the headline. Or part of the im- ‘age may be made to interact with the headline, though with great care so the type remains legible. Image and space have a relationship that stands ready to be exploited, too. Other than a rectangular picture placed in front of space, how can space appear to be in front of the picture? Obliterating the image/space relationship requires the removal of space altogether. Extending imagery to trim is called bleeding. An image that extends to trim on all four sides is said to be “full bleed.” This is on image that can't be made bigger. It presents the image as ifit were a little closer to reality, not a cropped photo of reality. Ifyou think ofa spread 8 « window, a full bleed photo seems to look right through the reality of the page surface. siderably more difficult to reed, 0 the reason for its overlap: ping had better be worth the reader's effort “Contentis the most impor- tant part of an ad, with ex- ecution a close second. The layout is the third most important aspect of a mes- sage that will stop readers.” ‘Stephen Baker 595 & 14 1 i j eg ae between imege and type com- | asmaller one. This creates hier- | by having been placed in a qui- pletelyfilsthe spacein.a1965 | archysimilar toa headline with | eted, monochromatic corner. poster foran evening of cham- | text:onetokesprecedence,one | 3 Simplicity and elegance make ber music, createsthecontrast. Notice | thisfilleted fish and product. |_ shot stand out. Space, as blank | je (rece een sciously shaped. Type is simple ‘and acts as the supporting ployer.596 09 Typography 1 Asingleletterform can be interpreted an infinite number of ways. These areillustrations representing the majors at 0 professional art school on 4 ; 1 Dispoytype can bemanipu- 2 “Learning Greek (and Arabic school in Germany. latedtoresemble itherspace and Japanese) the easy way.” 3 Dull, bad design gets send: PALE PAPEL TEE OE eT forimogetocttract readers _—_Letterforms that evoke their up inthis adfor an insurance with aastraction and wel: country oferigin, but spelled company that means to make crafted design, in German, fora language investments clear to its clients, ‘Type is more than choosing a typeface and itis much more than type: setting, “Typography” means “drawing with type.” That is the activity of Using type differences and similarities to show off meaning and to create the impression of “frozen sound.” We are most familiar with reading left to right, top to bottom. Such an obvious point is one of many type conventions that we don’t think about. Yet art directors are paid in large measure to think about precisely these conventions so fresh interpretations can attract attention to their clients’ messages. For example, can you imagine that there are circumstances in which organizingtypebackwards or right to left makes perfect IE sense? Learning typographic con- ventions is necessary so they can be broken at will to bring life to and solve a specific problem. 2Part ofa broad identity pro- | theirnewlogois run overthe | First get the reader involved, ‘gram this stockimage agency | top of images. then deliver the goodies. wanted tobe perceivedasbe- | 3Contrastofshort ond simple | 4 Type can be an illustrative ing less conservative. Similar | versus ong and complete: this | element, asis this ribbon in a toawatermarkore branding, | isomodelofdisplay and text. | pre-communist Cuban poster.1 The message on this poster fora type museum has been printed in reverse on the back of translucent poper. The fact that there are far too many chorecters perlinend that the texts setin all capitals iso conscious decision, given the intended audience of typog: rophers and designers. There is simply no way to read this, poster without becoming awore of the act of reading. Under tony other circumstances, this Type can be separated into two groups: display and text. Display type is any type meont to be read before the text. Text is the (usually) small type where the persuasive message is. The purpose of display type is to entice and cause the reader to move progressively toward the text. Any- thing that interferes with that goal - getting the reader into the text — is very bad typography. Text is less pliable: having won readers with display type and imagery, itis unwise to moke reading difficult at the granular level (where the message is). Type’s default position is in front of mage and space. Integrate type with image and space by putting it behind one or both of these other ele- ments. Moke type visible by making it subordinate to them. When type's width is equal to the height or width of an image, they are unified. A treatment, for example a texture or a shape, given to both im- ‘age and type will unify them. ‘ogery into the letterforms (as in this c1962 Fiat ad) or. 2 Putletterforms into imagery, ‘making the meaning of the 1 Letterforms ore shopes that ean be merged into an image (5 well as characters that con bbe merged into words. Put im- word inseparable from its ex: pression. 3 Type and space can be joined byletting space dominate type oa would be an example of pretty much@Verything not to doto readers. Breaking the rules, though, works here, "You ean doa good ad with poor typography, butyou can’tdo.a great ad with poor typography.” Herb Lubalin 397 Design: Unity ane Clority forms. Notice the similarity of this ad with the type and space somples at the top of pages 90, cand gs1 Hierarchy in image ond type is well used in this compaign There is o primary visual whose attributes are photography, full color full bleed, and the Hierarchy is ordering kinds of information. 1 Primary image; 2 secondary image; 3 primary type; 4 secondary type; 5 ter tiary type. 598 We just broughe our gs mileage uptospecd. Advertising E a Design ond 1 There are two images in this spread ad: the road sign and the vehicle. Of the two image ‘elements, the more important is the speed limit sign becouse ‘own label above. There is secon: dary type: the centered caption placed above the ort. And there is tertiary type: centered text, black, open line spacing, the text column width. There is primary type: serif, cll cops, letterspaced, one word larger foremphasis, reversedout, cen- tered, near top of poge, with its cars are about the same size (thisis not coincidence). There is. secondary visual: a dit grammatic drawing explaining the claim, sized smaller than Other design components The three design elements are space, image, and type (which is discussed at length in Section 3). These are ingredients. Then there are ways of cooking the ingredients: hierarchy, contrast and similarity, dominance and equilibrium, balance, alignment, repetition, scale, depth, juxtaposition, and color. This is a finite group of ideas to master, but remember as you go through them that design is a tool for expression, not a surface decoration. Hierarchy Really good design moves the reader effortlessly around the page, whether paper or electronic, in order of the type and images’ sig nificance. Thought of from the readers’ point of of importance is ideal: most important (to catch attention), least impor- tant (to ignore if the reader doesn’t want to commit), and everything else made similar as middle importance (to explain the primary material and sw, exactly three levels Working vane sit it explains the headline: that this car gets 55 MPG, 2Space is divided into two strongly horizontal areas. The reward is above and a nearly lifesize guitaris below in these ‘magazine spreads. There is something about these ads thot presents the product as tan abject more than a utilitar fan music-making instrument. Ist the glosy surface? leit the extreme close up only a lover could have? Ifyou play, you will lust after one of these toys.When motionisaddedtoa os much excitement os anyone's, invisible os possible ( design, asonaWeb page, be _buttheyhavemuted the basic | dark gray) so all attention is on coreful thatthemessagedoes typecontraststocolor, size, _the products being shown, notget lost amidst the visual and position. Even the back. 2 Image-dominance and a vis: excitement. TheAdidassitehas groundshvebeen madeas _ible grid structure make subtle peak interest in the third-level material). There is no reason to divide this. middle category into subgroups. It only confuses the reader with compli- cation. Is it better for the reader to understand this thing is slightly more important than that thing, or is it better to make the ad’s overall impact athing of effortless clarity and ease? Three-level hierarchy is applicable to imagery and type and can be expressed through any contrast: size, weight, color or value, style, or position. Size is the contrast most frequently used. A big picture is more important than a small photo. A piece of big type is supposed to be read before smaller type. To be creative and fresh, turn that normal approach on its head: make the smaller picture or the smaller type the focal point. But don't challenge your audience to read or decipher your message, because they won't. Would you? If design gets in the way of the idea, you aren't doing your job as art director. 1Threedlevel hierarchy seen | ad. Theprimarytypeattop _| right, ensuring every square ina 1768 announcementina | left(the natural starting point | pica of remoteness is seen. 2Asmall part of clarge photo | diagonally down to the brief isthe focal point ofthis spread | sales pitch and logo in lower New York City newspaper. for readers) forces the reader | 3 Hierarchy can be revealed by ‘even one lone contrast, in this cate type weight. Using fewer type contrasts suf show hierarchy. A“snowman' isan 8-stroke hole, and readers ofthe golf magazine that this ‘ad appeared in would know it 599 contrasts produces more so: phisticated design 4 Hierarchy is clear when dif ferences are distinct, yet simi: lorities still retain design unity.1 Image dominance tells the storyin this 2005 Jeep ad - by hanging the vehicle upside down from the garage rafters, the advertiser implies its vehicle is Kinds of contrasts lerge/small heavy/thin simple/complex refined/crude comforting/unsetting formal/informal stable/unstable ‘man-made /natural new/old light/dark shiny/dull shorp/soft steaight/eurved smooth/rough geometric/free-form horizontal/vertical high/low 11 Image dominance while using type and space intelligently Ziimage dominonee is cleor by the nearly complete lack of type inthis 2005 Polaroid ad thot eons fam ta . = p ’ ] atic UNE AT just another outdoor toy. tive space within the numeral they are - equolly thick. Even 2Typedominanceinaseries 10 make each poster different. the eyes differ. These slight ad. fof posters. Theimagesarethe 3TheFatChance Bird Food _justments give the symbol de only elements that change, but markuses black and white sign unity, a sense of whimsy, theirsizing anddefinitionofneg- lines that aren‘t -butlook like and quality and craft. Contrast and similarity are flip sides of the same coin. They cannot, be separated. Designis the act of equalizing these two attributes so a message is at once eye catching and unified. Too much contrast and you have a mess. Too much similarity and you have gray oatmeal, Similarity is not the same thing as unity. Similarity is simply the condi- tion of having shared characteristics. Unity is the condition of elements relating to one another for artistic or editorial purposes. Maintain unity by keeping the design simple; having on internal grid for alignments, creating a group of type styles and sticking to them, and working on ways to make type and image agree. Dominance and equilibrium Dominance is making one element more important than another. Itis related to contrast since there must be con: trast for one element to dominate another. Dominance is created by suggests the effect of shutter | 4This is more thon image 5 Overlapping geometric release overuse, dominant:itisimagecentric. | circles provide stark contrast 3 The headline isintegrotedas | Thedisplay type labels parts | of form with ines of type. fan LPlabel withthe primary | of theimage andthe baxrule | placed in a horizontal rectilin image inthis ex95g beerad. | highlightsa partof the image. ear shape,roe 1Iread The Crocodile’ maga- This 1930 poster by an unknown Zine." Equilibrium isabalance Russian artist achieves the between image and typeand former because type impacts between figureand ground. on art and vice verse. 2 Type and image are in equi librium in this series of ads for ‘nightclub. Each is drawn and lettered by adifferent illustra cltering size (also called scale when comparing two elements), position ing, color, style, or shape. If insufficient contrast exists, the design wil fil because the elements compete with each other for attention. Readers re challenged to find their own entry point, which most will subcon: sciously decline to do. Creating a focal point is an act of determining dominance through contrast. Designs are most effective when there is a single focal point because readers have an obvious starting point from which they can be guided to adjacent levels of information. Equilibrium is a state of balance, stability, tranquility and calmness. These attributes can sometimes be useful in advertising, but because ‘advertising has to be in some measure intrusive and attention-getting, equilibrium often works better in editorial design. Equilibrium is, however, valid tool for careful use. but itis far more intricate than the image, the indication that we are supposedto linger there. 3 “Alas for the Neocid Alas forthe bugs!”(A reference to Cicero's (106-43 ac) “Alas for the times! Alas for the man. ners!") Type dominance is used with life-size lies oppearing to crawl on the type, ‘The cubes symbolize compart mentalized urban living in this ad thot promotes vacations, 2The type takes up only alittle more space than the image, ae aaa a) Ty tor, making this campaign identifiable for its consistent inconsistency. This is a very creative approach, Equilibrium con also be ade. fault result of lack of contrast or hierarchy. This ad suffers from having had the type spread out equally over the page in bits and pieces, 5101 Clery i) 4 Type dominates the back ground image of sky and tee- Vision - though itis integrated into o single element - in EH.K. Henrion’s dramatic design.NY4wMX COCOK MB HE GINO 1 HET Se ee ‘ME IPOQANTCA BE302 ERM obese 1 "No better nipplesin the world, Iwantto suck them ‘til ’m old. Rubbery.” Symmetry is ordinar: ilynot dynamic, butit can be “The majority of today’s ad- vertisements are boring and ineffective because they have not discarded the in- flexible and unsuitable meth- ods of out-of-date centered typography.” an Tschichold, Die Neue Typographie, 1928 design s that design doesn't interfere with the message. ‘Typical advertising design, The benefit ofa symmetrical | goo. when, for example, complemen- tory colors are used abundantly. Symmetrical design doesn't haveto be aperfectleftto-right 2Anadforthe brand new city ‘ofLas Vegas, featuringa nuclear explosion, which had been tested within viewing distance inthe surrounding detert, 1952. ican felch the morning paper, only youll, ue fo wart All afternoon to gelit. iGDOM REPTILE Ki mirror image: the off-center turtle does not make this an asymmetrical ad. The centered getit and secondary type with logo ore stronger elements. 3 The minor “infractions” don’t invalidate the symmetry of this cod, either, Balance is the state of equalized tension. Itis necessary to create design unity. Ifa design is balanced, the overall impression is one of organiza tion and clarity. If « design lacks balance, the individual parts become more visible than the whole. There are three kinds of balance. @ Symmetrical balance is centered on a vertical axis, like a mirror image. Itis bolonce through similarity. Symmetry is a static arrangement based ‘on form that confers stability, formality, and classicism. White space is. forced to the perimeter and appears in the background. Background is. passive space. Symmetrical design is all about the figure and barely at all ‘about the space. Symmetrical balance does not require a precise mirror image: any close similarity of left and right sides will produce the appear- ance of symmetry. In other words, ifit looks symmetrical, itis. @ Asymmetrical balance doesn't look the same on both sides, but when done properly, the two halves are in a state of equilibrium and are said to 3 An original Slinky ad with the edded Christmas gift message. 4 sweor...IFonly this elegant 41960 ad hod a visual reference +0 ‘natural dark ranch” mink, 5 An cluminum car park seen from above matches the width of the headline, 6 Display and text switch ex pected sides for a change.1Asymmetry is the condition in which the left and right sides ‘ore definitely nat mirrorimages ‘ofeach other. Tis spread is di vided into wide primary photo ‘and narrow product shot, with the difference in size denoting relative importance. The sepa: ration of logo and small head: line forces the reader to tra verse the entire visual story. 2Allinformation is made to fit intoacolumn -exceptthe head line, which bumps out to the Ft. The roundness of the pro: bein a condition of “balanced asymmetry.” Itis balance through contrast. Asymmetry is informal balance with dissimilar sides, which helps create amore active, dynamic design. Asymmetry uses white space and, be- cause there is more than a simple vertical alignment of elements as in symmetry, requires sensitivity to each relationship and element on the page. Asymmetrical design confers modernism, forcefulness, and vitality. Asymmetrical design developed in the 1920s, and Jan Tschichold codified the principles in his 1928 book, Die neue Typographie: Ein handbuch fiir Zeitgeméiss Schaffende (“The New Typography: A Handbook for Modern Designers”) © Overall, or mosaic, balance looks like wallpaper: everything is more or less equally distributed, without much regard for hierarchy or con: trast. Overall balance results in noisy design that disguises rather than clarifies design relationships for the reader. oe TONISATIESPANNING The benefit of on asymmetrical design isthat space becomes active and enlivens the message. 1The lettering quality and pre cisealignmentsinthis1913 auto 1d distinguishes it. Oswald Cooper, its art director, was, ‘acclaimed fer combating uli: ness in American advertising, 2Piet Zwart’s ad leaves most of the space empty and relies on ‘exocting alignments for a new 1al organization, 1927. 3 Empty black space and extra tight cropping dominate this ad. ducts shown to great effect by contrasting it with the rectangularity of the type and secondary images in this pre rmium-brand speaker ad. ane ypoarane Tschichold designed this poster for alecture on die neve typo grophie in 1927. The asymmet Fical empty shopes ond careful alignments were revolution ary, 0s was the all lowercase setting The image of a smoking brain is for more interesting than the off-center type treatment inthis ‘ad for an online business de: veloper.Advertsing Design Typography i) Alignment isthe simplest physical relationship: ele ments look like they belong together because they are in spatial agreement. Snap-to-guides alignment can look ike misalignment because shapes vary along the aligned edge. Triangular and circulor shapes are especially notice able. Typeforms need the same ‘attention, particularly at dis- play sizes. Some programshave ‘an Optical Margin Alignment feature that can do this auto- matically whenit is selected. 1 The type is oligned flush let sothe clean edge relates the type to the bicycle spoke 2 There oretwo kinds ofinforma tion here: that which aligned 1 The flush leftalignment of the two areas of text makes the placement of the 2g¢ in coins ‘ond the centrol part ofthe text (doing duty as a very subtle horizontally (the sales pitch, which is big and bold, and the logo}, and that whichis aligned vertically (the identity of the heel’s owner heedline) look random. 2 There are no accidental align: ‘ments here, Herbert Matter and Florence Knal collaborated on this ad for Knoll’s Bertoia chair. 3 These baselines agree: they re both horizontal, but they put half the headline upside down - on purpose. Rotate the cd to see the second message. Alignment organizes elements and makes a layout look clean, neat, and simple to read. The surest way to have proper alignment is to con- sider whether the space is aligned, not just the figures being placed into the space. There are two kinds of alignment: measurable alignment and optical alignment. Because shapes vary, compensation is necessary to make things look aligned rather than merely be aligned. Of the two, optical align ment is of a far higher quality because itis apparent alignment. Meas- urable alignment is also called digital or snap-to alignment and is easier but produces poor results with anything besides rectangular shapes. This is because it organizes elements by their perimeter box. If an ele ment isn't rectangular, it gets treated as if it were, which presumes space is inconsequential. By now, it should be clear that the handling of space is one of the vital characteristics of outstanding design and art direction. writer ofthe text, and the shoe image and information) 3 The ball aligns with the logo the player. tem that can be broken for the focal point, as in this softsell poster that makes the Under. ground more than transporte tion in rainy chilly London, to triangulate wit 4 Centered alignment isa sys who is also thedeseo gpa ey erlelegatetecopeem erm See am eegy ate AIEEE hamereataarg hn See ae yea SSR cee ay tere a Leese rartey See aa eeeetey ere eee peey ene Ruksis integers fy Pe tered Atte dace pare rey Sorat ae tans ee eB Ser Eee SSR ee toate meee Soe ia Epes ree ‘Soe aller ee AAS aM ary ee faith dna tela fee) SABIE stede diene me See ances mte CONOMISCH ‘Asateacher| ll ot le thas oppor pas me YGIENISCH | BESdstiiawimae SNELHEID ECONOMIEl Sens ‘Alignment long cvertical Repetition builds cohesion _offerforteachers inthis 1985 ad. This one uses repetition in Centeraxis,threesizes of type, because it cannot be doneac- Canadian newspaper ad. position, clothing, and hand andstrict color use unify this" _cidentally. ‘3 There are many ways to placement. This is purposeful 1927 Dutch poster by Paul Repetition is used humor- __showfivemen holding drinks, design decision-making that Schuitema. ouslytoillustratea software even in avertical partial-page bestows order and simplicity Repetition Any idea thatis repeated - position, size, color, shape, type, or use of graphic elements like rules, background tints, and boxes ~ pro- vides unity. Repetition, which is related to similarity, produces rhythm, a & & time-based design attribute. . Design is the process of stripping away unnecessary complexity to SESE Oinity, Repeating similar elements, or making diverse ‘elements appear to be similar by repeating them, is an effective way of s " 4 , removing distracting differences. ‘Advertising uses design repetition in the series of ads that make up a campaign. The ads share multiple attributes that, with repeated view- Rapettin of shope wll igporote objects, Ths principle ings, reinforces the core message. When developing campaign repeti- oan olso be applied Hi atnI tion, balance must be achieved between sameness (so every ad looks similarity of position size, color, type, and other attributes. ‘almost the same as the others) and too much difference (so that every ad looks like a one-shot rather than part of a campaign). 5105 Design: Unityond rity ‘Repetition ofthe mouthin | 2 “Notalllhomemade things | ground detail, ogo.and tagline | stant. The shape and position motion is used asa central ele- | tasteas good as Pfanni. Love | position, and headlinetreat- | change, but the four similar ment in acollage ofimages.t | youcantoste."This campaign | ment.Thislastisinteresting: | ties are ar greater than the Contrasts with the simplicity of | ‘uses repetition of artistic the words, typeface, typesize, | twodifferences, sothe treat ‘pair offine shoes, medium, scale, lackofback- | and type'scolor remain con- | mentis campaignable.DELS CERISE Fs SeeROM OY TS Scale ploys with our expects- Weiss. Asymmetryand unusu- happiness inthis business-to- abstract a visual element. A tions of size relationships. alhondlettering with extreme businessad promotingacolor close-up of a three-part layered 1Scaleis used to excellent weight contrast contribute sub- copier, whose output canbe cocktails so large that it be. effect in this 1936 posterfor _ stantially toits impact. significantly marked up. comes. colorful eye-catcher Prague shoestore byEmil _ 2Scoleshowsexaggerated 3 Extremescalechange will _as it dwarfs the product shot. Image-te-image scale: Toy cars held in realistic position shows incongruous scale, Design typaraphy s S| Scale A perceived relationship between two or more elements: compari- son against known size, “Small” and “big” are relative terms in compari- son to nearby elements. A startling change in scale makes people stop because of our natural affinity for abstraction and because scale shows something familiar in a new way. Scale can be used to make an element come forward: make the foreground large and cover parts of elements meant to look “behind.” Scale is closely related to hierarchy, because a change in scale means a change in the order of seeing. Depth is space. We live in a three-dimensional world that has width, —— height, and depth. Because of | reproduction limitations of print XM | and television, most advertising ——_*-] takes place in two dimensions: Ea 1Astylized abstraction of abe | scale ofthe product shot and | 3 How doyou say realy, really | showing the cookie itself? isscoledtomakethe headline | thetypeNotethemanagement | tiny? Adjust the scale ofthe | Sure, ifyou use an iconographic and product appecrverysmall. | of whitespace, making the | glass of mlkwith the size ofthe | symbol(aglass ofdunking milk) 2Thishead is about lifesize, | copyand productasingle ele- | splash. Andis thereawayto | for that particular brand of butitlooks hugebecauseofthe | ment inthis 1g67 magazine ad. | havea cookie ad work without | cookie- Depth isimplied on a flat sa over another image creates plane by overlapping elements. r theillusion ofits being infront 1 Printing type on o wrinkled of the bottle. Here isa version lbel, photographing it, ond with the overlap reversed. placing that photo partially _ Juxtaposition places objects in unanticipated situations. width and height. Adding the third dimension, depth - whether implied or actual - gets much closer to reality. Implied depth is a visual trick (see cartoon strip). Layering, drop shadows, transparency, and other digital manipulations suggest depth. Transparency causes ambiguity: what is infront and whats in back? Die cuts, embossing, folding, and multiple pages are ways of using actual depth. Adding the fourth dimension, time, isanecessity in videos, butit is an overlooked possibility in print: multi- page ads on a sequence of right hand pages are seen over time. Blurring {an element adds depth, since only a “real” thing can be in motion. Juxtaposition is the result of placing an element in an unexpected envi- ronment. This presents a puzzle to the reader, and makes him look. Care must be token not to abuse this power: the juxtaposed element cannot be a random act of creativity. It has to make a reasonably obvious point. A Contrast of size between the | Compareittothesame view | another, in this case hundreds wing inthe foreground andthe | withnoplanesandoneinwhich | of antsin the shope of a slice planes apparentlybelow cre- | the planesare considerably | of cake, encourages a double ‘ates the illusion of depth in this | larger and look “closer.” take in a Brazilian ad for sugar. 1941 posterby Joseph Binder. | 2Replacing one element with | 3 ‘It was born in American 2 Nike's sories of posters fora month-long soccer eventiin Paris quite consciously recall the mid-1g20s Russian Con: structivist style tt “Inan ideal world, humanity will no longer exist.” Replacing ‘rifle with a trombone makes this a startling juxtaposed image for a French magazine. The type’ flush left arrange ‘ment relates it to the vertical post on which the victim has been tied 5107 Unityand Ctoity —= football It lives today in our futbol.” What appears to be «a football goalpost becomes «a futbol 18-yord box when rotated,Color creates personality 1 Color used sparingly and in flat shapes in this 1960 ad for 0 sofa whichis still being made and is a modernist icon, Colorused to highlight a por tion ofa grayscale image for emphasis “Coloris a creative element, not a trimming.” Piet Zwart Design ‘Long black texts used to interrupt short red headline inthis type-dominont od. 2Red advances and cool green recedes, The juxtaposition of ofthis publication, viewer to no 2Alarge grayscale image con- _copyincludesa promise, “Crisp, 3 “Friendship is something you trasts with “the excitement of clear, black and white pictures, enjoy more in life.” Color used color” in this 1965 RCAtelevi- too." Notethe pairing of the | to bring foreground in with sionad. Shows broadcastin __rusticcabinet with the subject: warm color and push back colorwereanovelty,sothe _the cast of Bonanza, ground away with cool color. Color Like good writing and good design, color is a raw material to be used strategically for a clear purpose. Color contrast has the same po- tential for communicating hierarchy as typeface, type weight and size, or placement contrasts, and its random application works against clar: ity and understanding just as do any other random changes in design. Define what's useful and indicate its potential value with color. @ Color aids organization Develop a color strategy. Limit color use as you limit font use to communicate real differences. Plan color use from the start: ifit is added on at the end, its use is likely to be only cosmetic. Use color consistently. Along with typography and spacing attributes, a unique color scheme can be an identifying characteristic. ® Color gives emphasis and ranks elements in order of importance. Regardless of ink color used, every element has a color - or perceptual emphasis - that must be considered. Type itself is said to have “color” or SHHTEPD the magazine's coverinthe | 3Blackisecolorandhosits | 4 Bright red and green ona background makes a state. own connatative meaning, too, | background of neutral ton ‘ment (perhaps) aboutliving | asthis sexy 2005 spread fora | makes this early-1g00s poster vicariously through the pages | Mideast skyscraper forcesthe for Singer Sewing Machines VisibleLey 7x0 wf ole The color wheel describes theinterrelationship of colors, which are properly called hues. Value's the lightness or dark ness of ahve, Saturation (or chroma ox intensity)isthe bright x0 O Tints are colors with white ‘added, This reduces saturation, shown on the outermost ring, O Shades are colors with black ‘added. This reduces saturation. 0n08 ness ordullness of a hue, Pri ‘mary colors are.ed, yellow, and blue. Secondary colors are orange, violet, and green. Ter tiary colors are yellow-orange, yellow-green, et. ‘gray value, that can be used to create hierarchy. Darker type is seen first, 50 display type is usually bolder and bigger. Color codes information, simplifying complex data, but color's highlighting benefit is quickly ex- hausted and devolves into a colorful mess. Color highlights elements of importance if itis used sp aringly: @ Color provides direction, relating parts to each other. Warm colors make things appear close warm tone should be app! + while cool colors move elements back, soa lied, for example, to display type that is in front. of an image to further the illusion of depth. Experiment with graduated tints; itis said there are no flat colors in nature. Black type on white paper has the most contrast possible. Color ap- plied to type will make the type look weaker. Counteract this effect by in- creasing type weight from, for example, book to regular or bold to black, ‘ond increase the type's siz yellow isa basic building block ofthis corporation's cam: paign. tis used as consistently ‘os typeface choice, subhead ‘ond text sizes, column structure, 2.0 little for optical equivalency. i detergent. “Longlastingness” isilustrated by the use of rec cognizable few-hundred-year- ‘ond the text's wraparound of the primary visual, 2 “For colors that stay.” Strate: {ic coloris a significant element inthis campaign for elaundry cold master paintings. e Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel ( Analogous colors are next to ‘each other on the color whee! ‘and alwoys look good together Oe Triadic harmonies are equally spaced on the color wheel Monochromatic color isa single hue with its tints and shades. ‘Achromatic colors ore shades ofblack,orthey canbemadeby mixing complementary colors, which neutralize each other when mixed or overlappedvor HORRIBLE .__ pexsonnury) R RE Sie PLATINUM 1Spaceisthe fundamental row when thereismore than one size, lignment, or style. Head- at the bottom. Itcon be o prod: ingredient. thas height and image, hierarchy. lines get the readerintothe uct shat with alabel or other width. tean be organized sym- Type includes headline, sub- text, but text makesthe pitch. _ interpretation. metrically orasymmetricaly. head, caption, text,and tag: Logo Normally putin the Time to read, or toturn the Image uses cole, color, and, _line.Itis organized hierarchi- _lowerright cornerorcentered page, orto be captured ond callyand relatestoanimage by wowed by aTVC, “Tale eet tele rv, Putting it all together There are five parts of an ad: space, image, type, orelse my dear, to hell wit ° Perea yeoic on ouvert logo, and time. Each has a specific role to play and has conventions for ing’s brevity its use, These conventions are waiting to be bent by conscious design de- See chatce the lost cisions, but always in service to the message. twenty-five years is the tran- Itis easy to simply have elements in a design. Copywriters can do that. sition from word thinking to visual thinking. There has been a definite change in That takes an art director's sensitivity and understanding. Itis artistic the relationship between il lustration and text. The trend Itis considerably harder to use every element toward a singular purpose. added value. Without it, art directors are considered mere overhead by today isto illustrate the mes- the bean counters. Be sure you are adding value to the ads you make. Eetuicceee Study design and typographic history: it’ all been done before. Study text to expand the message art and design and people and how they communicate. If design doesn't ee titan, get you excited - if the concept is the only thing that fascinates you - quit AD, 1955 this design thing and be a copywriter. You will thank the art director who is passionate about visual presentation as well as the concept. S10 “Ichosethese corporatecolors Stable Unstable Extroverted Introverted Other ‘Advrtiing because they say'responsive Calm Touchy Sociable Quiet Prosperous Design yet reserved.” Adjectivesare Even-tempered Restless Outgoing Unsociable Supernatural ‘ond applied to colors that make art Reliable Aggressive Talkative Reserved Permissive Twowrephy directors! decisions appear Controlled Excitable Responsive Pessimistic Free less subjective.Isitrealorisit Peaceful Changeable Easygoing Sober Velorous wishful thinking? Which of the Thoughtful Impulsive Lively Rigid Graceful fourcombinationsbelowbest Careful Optimistic Carefree Anxious Innocent ‘opplies to each of these terms? Passive Active Leadership Moody Presumptuous besADVERTISING DESIGN Campaign type and space PURPOSE ‘To develop a three-ad campaign and one -10 (ten second) TV spot that uses type and ‘space (no images) to make its point. PROCESS, PART 1 Shown at right are five examples of type's malleabilty. The frst two use imagery, which for this exercise is of limits. Find three {ypoeraphic executions, one each from a cade since the 1950s, in which type is Used to illustrate its own point. The samples may be either advertising or graphic design. Sean and print scaled to maximum size on Separate 81°x1" sheets of paper. Write a description of what makes the design's type work, year of publication, and your name on the back. PROCESS, PART 2 Choose one product: | 1 Airine route between Burlington VT and Westchester NY Airports; 2 Aanti-static Wipes; 49 Solar backpack; or 4 the local Literacy Volunteers. Research your product and document your findings, then develop responses to each of these topics on a single sheet: Client Airline; Anti-statio; Backpack; or Literacy, Job description Develop a campaign to run in (efine) media Marketing objective What your client wants toachieve with your as. Target audience Be very specific, Problem How does this product solve a buyer's problem? Unique Selling Proposition What does your Malcolm Mansel 1962 > WV a Bob Gill 1956 product have that no one else has (oris talking about)? Copy points What additional information will be included in the text? ‘Action to be taken Stop by; call; visit Web site; other (that you specify). PROCESS, PART 3 Type has inherent plasticity. Use it in an ad campaign of three 84"x10%" vertical pag- es orthree 11°x16%" horizontal spreads, plus one :10 TV spot. I There are four ways ‘to make type a focal point: Position it to stand out, using space prominently; con trast ts color; contrast its siz; or bend, chop, distort, tear, or otherwise “damage” itto become the focal point Other things to think about as you develop your designs: Use one of the following de- sign principles, which, when expressed in the extreme, wil cause a dynamic design: contrast of direction, break in rhythm, text- ‘ue/mass contrast; ofganie/geometric con- trast; balanced asymmetry; the relationship of elements tothe framal reference; ab- | stration of elements to make them at once readable and noticeable; and positive/neg- ative space interaction. | Experiment with Bradbury Thompson 1959, Dietmar Winkler 1969 John Massey 1978 | form, but information must be legible. | You ‘may use any typefaces you like, but your campaign must be a coherent set. Simpler letterforms work better than complex ones when abstracting them, | You may use non- representational elements, but they may nat compete with type and space for attention [ Execute all preliminary layouts fll sie. 1 Explore radical spacing ideas and use of the page's trim size, | Flirt with illegibilty, par ticularly in the primary typographic element [ Display type must be created in Ilustrator 1 Photoshop so you think of and treat type as shape. | Compose finished ads in ustra- tor and convert all type to outlines. I Print final compositions on bright white paper. No tiling, Flush mount on ledger and letter your name lightly in pencil inthe back, bottom right corner. PROCESS, PART 4 Develop a ten-second TV spot that uses only letterforms and space. Choose one of your print ads and animate it. Be sure your TVC has exactly ten seconds duration. | Make the spot in a motion graphics program of your choosing. Add sound and voiceover, Export or convert asa QuickTime fie. | Burn the fle on 2 descriptively-labelled USB or CD.