24 Common Design Pitfalls

Graphic Arts

Stockdale High School

1. Rivers of White SpaceVertical or Horizontal, usually in justified text

Cause: Caused by gaps between words

Large type justified in narrow columns Two spaces instead of one after

periods. Remedy:

Decrease the type size and /or increase the column width.

2. Inappropriate Column Spacing

Gutter width should be appropriate to type size.

As type size increases, a wider gutter is needed prevent the readers eye from moving horizontally, instead of progressing down to the next line. ****( Don’t always use the defaults, adjust for your type size)****

Overly generous column spacing causes distracting bands of white space.

3. Trapped White Space

Avoid holes in publicationsConfuses and interrupts the flow or

rhythmRemedy:

(1) Increase type size, (2) enlarge illustrations or (3) recompose the copy.

4. Claustrophobic Pages Always provide sufficient

breathing room around columns of text.

Text, graphics and other elements crowd each other and the edges of the page.

Don’t squeeze text into boxes or wrap it too tightly around illustrations. Looks like a newspaper classified section.

5. Whispering HeadlinesMake heading and sub-heading significantly

bolder than the body text they introduce.

Cause: Gray pages result when there is not enough contrast between headlines and text. Whispering headlines fail to attract attention.

6. Jumping HorizonsStart text columns the same distance from the top of each page throughout multi-page documents.

The up and down effect is very disconcerting to the reader and destroys the integrity of the publication.

7. Overly Detailed Charts

Combine and simplify information presented in charts.

Present only the required information

8. Copy-filled Slides and Overheads

Avoid cluttering presentation visualize with unnecessary copy.

Slides and overheads should support your oral presentation, not replace it.

9. Floating Heads and Subheads

The impact and purpose of a heading is weakened if readers can’t immediately identify which text it refers to.

Remedy:

Position headlines and subheads close to the text that they introduce, leaving plenty of room between them and the preceding text.

10. Buried Heads and SubheadsAvoid headlines and subheads

isolated near column bottoms of columns.

When only one or two lines of text follow a headline at the bottom of the page, that headline becomes visually buried. Buried heads are unsightly and distracting to the reader.

Remedy: Edit text or change the size of the graphics on the page.

Slide 15, 16

11. Box-itis and Rule-itis

Avoid over using boxes and rules.Cause:

Too many borders and lines make pages look compartmentalized and partitioned. Newsletters, in particular, often have this problem because of their highly modular designs.

12. Similar TypefacesStrive for clear and obvious contrast between

different typefaces used in a single publication.

When using different typefaces for headlines and text, go for contrast. Avoid typefaces that are similar.

13. Too Many Typefaces

Avoid a potpourri of typefaces, sizes and weights.

Including too many typefaces on a single page makes your pages look amateurish and confusing.

Use only as many typefaces, sizes and weights necessary to organize your information and create a hierarchy of importance.

14. Irregularly Shaped Blocks of Copy

Set type in “Novelty shapes” only when doing so serves a purpose and the text retains its legibility.

It might be fun to set text in the shape of a diamond, cloud or reindeer; however

Special effects diminish the overall effectiveness of your communication.

15. Rotated TypeRotated type works best in short

banners or “Teasers.” Readers shouldn’t have to strain to read it.

Rotated, tilted or angled type is difficult to read

Readers are forced to tilt their heads, tilt the page or move on without reading.

16. UnderliningUnderlining undermines readabilityUse bold or italic type instead

More than a few underlined words

cause visual clutter and confusion. Portions of the descenders often

become lost in the underlining, making letters harder to read.

How to Emphasize Text

1. Change the font2. Make it Bold or italic or both

3. Change the color

4. Make it Larger

5. Make it CAPITAL

6. Change the position

17. Widows and Orphans

Watch for widows and orphans that cause unsightly gaps in the text columns.

An orphan is a word or short phrase isolated at the top of a column or page.

A widow is a syllable, word or less than one-third of a line isolated at the bottom of a column, paragraph or page.

Subheads and TextHeadlines, Borders and Text

Captions and Artwork

Column endings and bottom margins

Artwork and text

18. Unequal SpacingStrive for consistent spacing between the elements that

make up an advertisement or publication.

Readers notice even the smallest variations in spacing.

Inconsistent spacing can brand your work as careless and unworthy of serious notice, giving the impression that your message is not important.

Pay special attention to the relative space between headlines, borders and text.

19. Misaligned ElementsStrive to keep all elements on

pages aligned with each other.Consistency in aligning design elements, such as

sub-heads, illustrations, etc., can make the difference between a professional-looking document and a rag-tag, disorderly one.

Columns and graphics should be aligned vertically; and subheads, rules, boxes, bullets and other items should rest along the same baseline as the text they accompany.

20. Exaggerated Tabs and Indents

Make your tabs and indents proportionate with the type size and column width of your paper.

Don’t rely on your defaults, they are often set too wide.

The wider your columns and larger your type the deeper tabs and indents need to be.

21. Cramped Logos and Addresses

Treat your logo and address as the primary design

A firm’s logo, address, phone number and other buying information are often difficult to read because they are treated as an after-thought.

To avoid that, build your document around the logo or other vital information.

22. Lack of contrast between text and other elements

Strive for as much contrast between type and background as possible.

This is especially important when working with overhead transparencies.

Without sufficient contrast, it’s hard to distinguish text from background or other elements the text overlaps.

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23. Using Several Similar Visuals Establish a visual hierarchy by altering the size and

shape of photos and illustrations.

In an effort to use as many images as possible, designers sometimes run illustrations at the same size and shape.

This can confuse readers who won’t know where to look first.

Run graphics in a variety of sizes and shapes, determined by their importance.

24. Unnecessary Special EffectsSpecial type and graphic effects that look

gimmicky serve no effective purpose.There’s no substitute for clean, concise design;

using special effects for their own sake makes pages look frivolous and over-designed.

Many computer-generated effects make information much more difficult to process and understand.

Other TopicsType styles- fonts

Serif - RomanSans-serifSquare-serifScriptNovelty

Other topics

Choosing a Typeface

Legibility

Readability

Reproducibility

Practicality

Other topics

Points AND Picas

1inch= 72 points

12 points = 1 pica

6 picas = 1 inch

Elements of Design

BalanceContrastUnityRhythm

Color Principles

Primary

Red, Blue and Yellow

Secondary

Orange, Green, VioletAnalogous, Complimentary, Cool, Warm

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http://www.colormatters.com/colortheory.html

Color PrinciplesAnalogous, Complimentary, Cool, Warm

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http://www.colormatters.com/colortheory.html

Two Color- analogous, complementary http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/~mcfallser/two_d/color.htm