Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 3: Structuring information
Structure is essential when presenting information to an audience. We need
to think about how our audience receive and are guided through information,
what they see and when. This chapter demonstrates practical ways in which
to structure designs and also gives visual examples of poor structure and hier-
archy to use as a comparison. Whether you are designing information for
print, interactive or the environment, well-organized information placed with-
in a well-designed structure with application of a clear hierarchy will aid com-
munication of information and content.
Grids
Imagine a page in a book or newspaper, or a webpage full of information. All of the
information, text and data are the same size; there is no colour, no space, no vary-
ing weight of type, and images are the same size and are placed randomly around the
page with no explanation. Where do you start? Where would you look first? How do
you know what is the most important information? What do the images and data re-
late to? Would you take the time to read through everything and try to work it out, or
would you just switch offand dismiss the page?
Organizing information visually requires a grid. A grid can be as simple or as com-
plicated as the designer needs. A simple grid will consist of a series of horizontal and
vertical lines that form a framework for information to be placed in, such as that il-
lustrated at top right. The design of the grid should be led by the information it is car-
rying. Put simply, you need to have organized your content and have a clear idea of
the different levels, or 'hierarchy', within it in order to design an effective grid. The
image at bottom right shows content where there has been no thought to importance.
Headings, body text, captions, diagrams, charts, images and quotes may be some of
the elements you have to consider within your design. In order to make them stand
out, you may want your quotes to be set to a different column width than your body
text; therefore, your grid should be designed and constructed to allow you to do this.
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