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CPD: Dual Coding (by Oliver Caviglioli), topic 1.5.1

Documents

Learn how newspapers and magazines produce ordered, easy-to-read pages. And use these principles to create professional-looking documents.

Hierarchy

Hierarchy

  • Information must be ordered in terms of its hierarchy.
  • Not everything is of equal importance, or can be presented in any sort of sequence.
  • Establishing a hierarchy gives the reader a quicker sense of the meaning you are communicating.
  • Headings punctuate the text, signalling the essential message of what is to follow.
  • Help the reader traverse the page easily.
Typeface

Typeface

  • Typefaces have individual character.

  • Some typefaces are a good fit for a party invitation but, obviously, inappropriate for a funeral.

  • Don’t be tempted to introduce multiple typefaces into your document.

  • Two will do, at most.

  • One a serif and one a sans serif.

  • Discover which pairing works well together.

Images

Images

  • Don’t take screen shots from Google.
  • They will be both low resolution and, probably, illegal.
  • Consider taking your own photographs.
  • If you do, remember the old visual journalism adage: you can’t get too close.
  • But, as you can see in the image, the deliberate zoomed out (of Stravinsky) can as impressive as the close up (of Dali).
Colour

Colour

  • There is definitely a danger in being seduced into using far too many colours, perhaps in an attempt to appear more interesting.
  • Restrain your colour palette and use it with care.
  • The more you try to make everything stand out (headings, images, colour, typefaces), the less anything will stand out.
  • Be selective and your message will be more apparent.
The grid

The grid

  • All professional graphic designers, photographers and typographers work from a grid.
  • Adopt its use and your work will immediately improve.
  • Start with hand-drawn thumbnail sketches, then transfer them to whatever desktop app you use.

Test yourself on Documents

  • What does Oliver Caviglioli say about colours in documents?

  • What do all professional graphic designers, photographers and typographers work with?

  • What should dictate how you order things on a page?

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