tools to use in your school graphicdesign. symptoms your design doesn’t look or feel right
TRANSCRIPT
Tools to Use in Your School
GRAPHIC
DESIGN
SYMPTOMS
Your design doesn’t look or feel right
DIAGNOSIS
Identify common design mistakes
PRESCRIPTION
Find a solution to make the design better
People are reading for a reason:
necessity, curiosity, business, pleasure
Do they want to read or do they
have to?
Are they going to be reading
every single word or jumping
from topic to topic?
WH
Y ?
Parents, Students, Staff, Community
Different designs for different groups
Simple & easy-to-read for adults;
fun & engaging for children
Knowing who your reader is
will immediately help focus
your approach.WH
O ?
You know the “why” and “who”…
now you can determine what type of
document you will create
Goal: inform students of an assembly
Document: poster
Goal: inform parents of yearly events
Document: tri-fold brochure
Also consider the budget:
mailing and printing costs
WH
AT ?
Consider the location of your message
and proximity of reader
Poster – hanging on wall – large text
Brochure – reading in hands –
smaller text
Online – save in correct format
If displayed next to others, make
yours STAND OUT!WH
ER
E ?
Last minute projects
Create a timeline
Print in office or send to Print
Shop
Number of copies
Mailed or posted
immediatelyWH
EN
& H
OW
?
space
Give the eye a visual rest.
Create ties between elements.
Highlight an element.
Use white space.
Make a layout easy to follow.
Make type as legible as possible.
WHITE SPACE Don’t fill up every inch of the page.
Space provides a greater emphasis on the
message.
White space around key elements can make
them stronger and easier to read.
USE A GRID The size, spacing & placement of objects on the
page should look intentional, not random.
Line things up. Your page will look polished.
Create guidelines on the page & use margins.
Thin columns of text are easier to read.
PRIORITY What do you want the reader to see first?
The headline or main image should be the largest
element on the page.
Sub-headers can show the reader where to look next.
Group similar items together and leave space
between things that don’t go together.
FONTS
Choose the appropriate font.
Never use more than 4 fonts
in one document.
Don’t overuse display fonts
Consider size, weight & legibility
of the font
FONT FAMILIES
more formaleasier to read in
paragraph formmore legible in
book format
more casualeasier to read in
titles & headingsmore legible on
computer screen
serif sans serif
serif sans serif
Bookman Old Style Century Schoolbook Courier New Garamond Goudy Old Style Palatino Linotype Times New Roman
Arial Century Gothic Franklin Gothic Gill Sans Lucida Sans Tahoma Verdana
COMMONLY USED FONTS
DISPLAY FONTS
BroadwayBrush ScriptChillerComic SansCurlzEdwardian ScriptJokerman
MistralPapyrusPlaybillRavieScriptSnapTempus Sans
CHOOSING FONTS No more than 4 fonts per document.
Best option: ONE serif font & ONE sans serif font.
Use only ONE display font per document &
only use it as a title or accent font.
TitleThis is the body text. Only use a serif or sans serif font here. Do not use a display font.
TitleThis is the body text. Only use a serif or sans serif font here. Do not use a display font.
YES
NO
FORMAT
Use bold, italics &
underline separately
Consider font size
Don’t overuse ALL CAPS
Align text properly
FONT SIZE All fonts are NOT created equally.
Check legibility of specific font to determine size.
Remember the amount of text that needs to fit on
the page. Decrease or increase font size accordingly.
In general, titles range from 20-36 point size,
and main text ranges from 9-12 points.
FONT FORMAT There is no need to bold, italicize AND underline
text. Only choose ONE.
Consider using a different font instead of making
an item bold or underlined.
AVOID TYPING IN ALL CAPS – it’s hard to read.
ALIGNMENT Align text LEFT is the most common & easy to
read format.
For a clean look, consider Justify. It aligns text to
both left & right margins, adding space between
words when necessary.
Avoid centering an entire page of text.
COLOR
Highlight important elements
Signal the reader where to look first
using blocks of color.
Create an image or a mood.
Tie a layout together.
Group elements together or isolate them.
COLOR PALETTE Select two or three complimentary colors that work
together – or use your school colors!
Consider using shades of the same color
Dark & muted colors = sophisticated & classy
Bright & light colors = young & fresh
IMAGES
Cut the “clip art clutter”
Consider style & theme
Avoid using images to fill empty space
Remember the grid when placing
images on a page
Use images to draw attention to headings
THEME & STYLE Avoid using different styles of clip art
Consider the feeling/mood of the document
YES
NO
IMAGE OVERLOAD Instead of many small images, use one or two
large images.
Avoid scattered clip art, decorative bullets, boxes or
borders, and lines all over the same page
Choose one or two key images that complement the text
and use them to focus attention or provide visual interest.
STEP-By-STEP
Analyze the audience. Determine the purpose of your message. Decide where and how your message will appear. Establish goals & timeline. Organize text and graphics.
Choose an appropriate format and layout. Select appropriate typefaces, type sizes, type styles, and spacing. Add and manipulate graphics. Organize text and graphics. Proofread & refine.
NEED HELP?
Print it out – it will be easier to spot mistakes & get a different perspective Get input from someone else Walk away, and come back with fresh eyes