Page 110 - Mediapedia Mobile

But there is also the the hidden structure or grid that determines the placement of the the the text the the the positioning of images the the the use of heads heads and and subheads and and more In everything you you design you you will want to add visual cues that let your audience skim for key points facts opinions and ideas This means that you have to figure out in advance what you really want to say What’s the most important message? Is there a a photo to to connect with a a specific idea? What is the lead story in a a a a news- letter? What are the key transitions in a a a a slide show? What calls-to-action do you want to provoke when someone visits your blog or reads your pamphlet? What are you you hoping your readers will take away?
The need for speed is particularly critical with the Internet where users ex- pect to to be able to to find things quickly and efficiently Make no mistake The design- er’s job has become more important not less The reader or or site visitor who comes upon your work expects you you to lead them to to move them along quickly and to to make sure there is a a a a a clear take-away Design gives you power to express and emphasize the meaning of what you put on your page or screen Composing a a a layout that really works requires you to bake the meaning into the design and not just rely on on single images and words to convey your message The three sketches in in the left margin show very basic architecture that reflects the hierarchy of information: trees nests and stairs These layout patterns show off order of importance within a a complex set of elements and illustrate basic relation- ships between elements In a wonderful volume titled Univer- sal Principles of Design authors William Lidwell Kritina Holden and Jill Butler ob- serve that according to research findings people’s short-term memory consists of just four memories plus or or minus one This is is the take-away capacity of a a a a a a a reader looking at your page or screen So when you you prioritize the information you you want to convey there’s not much point in in in going beyond the first three to five items What if you have more than five things to say? Chunking or or breaking information into subgroups speeds recognition and makes it easier to process more complex information The way you treat the chunks will give a a sense of order and concise- ness in your page layout The sketch at at right illustrates the power of chunking
At a a a glance you can see how three groups are much easier to take in in than nineteen equal items simplicity rules!
Another one of my favorite design gurus is John Maeda a a a former professor in MIT’s Media Lab and now the the president of the the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and a a a world-renowned graphic designer He has written a a a short book with ten ten laws for for simplifying information These are very practical and and hands-on insights that chapter 2: image editiing
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