Seven Basic Rules of Good Design

Think about it: Many documents are offputting. What makes them that way, and how do you build a layout that is inviting ? Figure 39-3 shows two pages that contain the same information but use different layouts. The page on the left has body text set close to the headline. The leading is tight, and except for a spot around the illustration, the white space is in short supply. Notice how the page on the right has a lighter, more vibrant look. Also note the variety of sizes, the use of generous margins, and a few strategic elements that don't quite align with the others (providing something for the eye to follow). Which page are you more inclined to read?

Figure 39-3: The page on the left is clean but dull ‚ even the image adds little visual interest. The page on the right uses different typefaces , alignment, color , and text wraps to create interest and reinforce the subject matter without getting too busy.

If you're a trained graphic designer, you already know the basics. You can immediately put InDesign to use, creating effective layouts. But if you're new to the field of graphic design, try keeping the following seven basic rules in mind as you begin learning about layout.

Rule #1: Keep an idea file

As you read magazines, books, newspapers, annual reports , ads, and brochures , save page layouts you like and dislike. Keep these layouts ‚ good and bad ‚ in a file, along with notes to yourself about which aspects of the layout work well and which work poorly. As you build your layout file, you educate yourself about layout basics.

Rule #2: Plan your document

It sounds corny, but it's true: Laying out a document is a lot like taking a journey. If you know where you're headed, it's much easier to find your way. Because InDesign makes it easy to experiment as you design a document, it's also easy to end up with a messy conglomeration of text and images. You can avoid this pitfall by knowing ahead of time what you're trying to accomplish with the document's layout. Don't be afraid of those old low-tech tools ‚ pencil and paper.

Rule #3: Keep it simple

When it comes to page layout, simple is better. Even the most experienced , trained graphic designers can tell you that this rule applies at least 99 percent of the time. If you're just beginning to learn how to lay out pages, you'll make far fewer design mistakes if you follow this rule. Regardless of the application, simple layouts are appealing in their crispness, their readability, and their straightforward, no-gimmicks approach.

Rule #4: Leave some white space

Pages that are crammed full of text and pictures tend to be unappealing ‚ meaning that the average, busy reader is likely to skip them. Keep some space between text columns and headlines and between page edges and layout elements. This white space is refreshing and encourages the reader to spend some time on the page. Regardless of the particular document type, readers always appreciate having a place on every page to rest their eyes, a place that offers an oasis in a sea of ink.

Rule #5: Don't use every bell and whistle

InDesign is powerful, yes, but that doesn't mean that it's necessarily a good idea to push the program to its limits at all times. You can, for example, lay out a page with 30 columns of text, but would you want to try reading such a page? With InDesign, you can achieve an amazing number of special effects:

• Stretch, condense, and scale type

• Create boxes of almost any shape, and then fill and frame them

• Add graphics and lines (with custom dash or stripe patterns)

• Bleed photos and artwork off the edge of the page

• Flow text along a path , wrap text around all sides of any shape

• Add colors and create a variety of vignettes (called blends and gradients )

• Rotate and skew text and graphics

Using all these effects at once, however, can overwhelm readers and cause them to miss any message you're trying to convey Conveying a message with words and images is usually the most important task of the design and typography. A good rule: Use no more than three special typographic or design effects per two-page spread.

Rule #6: Make it look like what it is

Lay out the document so that someone looking at it can get an idea of what it is. This sounds like a common-sense rule, but you'd be surprised at how often this rule is broken. If you're laying out an ad for a product, make sure the layout looks like an ad, not like a technical brochure. See Figure 39-4 for a sidebar that ended up looking like an ad.

Figure 39-4: There's nothing wrong with this design ‚ except that it's supposed to be a sidebar, not an ad. Placed on a crowded page, its intent was lost on readers.

Rule #7: Don't break Rule #6

Creativity is okay ‚ and InDesign helps you express your layout ideas creatively ‚ but unless you know what you're doing, don't get carried away. If you are laying out a technical brochure, for example, don't make it look like a display ad unless you understand that this may confuse readers, and you're doing it for a compelling reason.