Effective Graphic Design

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EffectiveGraphic Design
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The Four Design Principles

• Contrast
• If not the same, make them very different
• Alignment
• All elements should have a visual connection
• Repetition
• Repeat color, shape, texture, space
• Proximity
• Group related items

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Contrast

• The principle of contrast states that if two
  items are not exactly the same, then make them
  really different.
• Be BOLD!

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How To Create Contrast

• Large type and small type (size)
• Thin line and thick line (weight)
• Combinations of fonts
• Color

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Examples of Contrast
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Contrast What To Avoid

• Dont be a wimp do it with strength.

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Alignment

• The principle of alignment states that nothing
  should be placed on the page arbitrarily.
• Every item should have a visual connection with
  something else.

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Alignment Styles
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No Alignment
Acme Construction
[phone]
Frank Garcia
100 Rio Grande Road
Red River, NM
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Right Alignment
Frank Garcia
Acme Construction
100 Rio Grande Road
Red River, NM
[phone]
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Center Alignment
Frank Garcia
Acme Construction
100 Rio Grande Road
Red River, NM
[phone]
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Alignment What To Avoid

• Avoid using more than one text alignment on a
  page.
• Dont center some text and right align other
  text.
• Break the center alignment habit.
• Formal / sedate / dull.

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Repetition

• The principle of repetition states that you
  repeat some aspect of the design throughout the
  entire piece.
• The repeated item could be a font, line,
  particular bullet, color, image, or format.

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Repetition
Frank Garcia
Acme Construction
100 Rio Grande Road
Red River, NM
[phone]
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Repetition What To Avoid

• Avoid repeating an element so much that it
  becomes annoying or distracting

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Proximity

• The principle of proximity states that you should
  group related items together
• Why?
• To organize information
• To lend visual appeal
• To lead your eyes

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No Proximity
Acme Construction
[phone]
Frank Garcia
100 Rio Grande Road
Red River, NM
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Proximity
Frank Garcia
Acme Construction
100 Rio Grande Road
Red River, NM
[phone]
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Proximity What To Avoid

• Avoid too many separate elements on a page.
• Avoid leaving equal amounts of white space
  between elements.
• Dont create relationships between elements that
  dont belong.

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What Goes Around Comes Around Lessons from
Hitchhiking Across the country Robin
Williams January 1, 2001
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What Goes Around Comes Around Lessons from
Hitchhiking Across the country Robin
Williams January 1, 2001
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What Goes Around Comes Around Lessons from
Hitchhiking Across the country Robin
Williams January 1, 2001
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What Goes Around Comes Around Lessons from
Hitchhiking Across the country Robin
Williams
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What Goes Around Comes Around Robin
Williams
Around Around Lessons from hitch- hiking across th
e country
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Typography

• Two categories of typeface
• Serif
• Sans serif

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Serif

• Serifs are the little feet
• Most textbooks use serif fonts
• Originally thought to be easier to read
• Good for body text
• Palatino, Times, Garamond, Courier New

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Sans Serif

• Without serifs
• Monoweight
• Good for headings
• Ariel, Verdana, Comic Sans

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Typography What To Avoid

• More than two fonts on a page
• All caps (except for emphasis)

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What type of font?

• UNM Science Teacher Academy
• UNM Science Teacher Academy

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What design techniques?
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Rule 166

• When using presentation software
• One main idea or concept
• 6 points
• 6 words

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References

• The Non-Designers Design Book
• By Robin Williams
• CARP Website