October 2014 - Video Tutorial -Typography: Part 2 of Page Layout

Teacher? No.
Coach? Most definitely.

I take all your points on board. And one or two, I was already aware of.
I fully understood the part in your video that mentined '7 to 9 words per line'. So, I knew that part on my page would get picked up. I did think about reducing the size of the quote. I've found that personally I don't really see how things look, until I print out the page. Maybe that's just me.

I didn't have to use Gandhi's favourite purple colour, and could have gone with just black. But, I wanted to try it.
I like the suggestion that the use of sepia background might have worked better.
I find that use of any or particular colours can be quite personal, but, I will keep your suggestions in mind.

And I definitely wanted to have a go at this tutorial, particularly because I don't do much page layout like this.
I do plenty of manuals, but, I never have to use columns.
So, that part is definitely a learning curve.
Also, when I do manuals for work, the colours are already pretty much defined.

Thanks, indeed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rik

It was Gandhi's favourite colour.
So, who am I to argue with that?!

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If his favourite font had been Comic Sans MS, would you have written the article in that font??? ;)

Thought I'd try a something slightly different. Font is probaly wrong one to use but I liked it. :D

Stygg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big Frank

If his favourite font had been Comic Sans MS, would you have written the article in that font??? ;)

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I would (consider it) for at least any drop quotes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big Frank

If his favourite font had been Comic Sans MS, would you have written the article in that font??? ;)

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YES.
The customer is always right! ;)

Give the customer what they want, you then get paid.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rik

YES.
The customer is always right! ;)

Give the customer what they want, you then get paid.

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And when their friends and associates laugh at them, you get shot at because you didn't tell them their idea was ill-considered, poorly designed and, frankly, stupid (as is often the case when clients hire a designer and then dictate the design). I've been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and paid the price. What you do is you say "I think your idea of using WingDings and Comic Sans in Purple is simply fantastic, it's personal, it speaks to you, it says everything you want it to say. But I'm worried other people won't see it the same passionate way that you do. Do you still want to go ahead?". And you get that in writing. Because clients who hire a designer and then dictate the design are never wrong. But if you can convince that client he was totally right not in his design but in hiring you, then you may have won a client for life. An existing, loyal client is so much easier to keep than acquiring new clients. Which is why I would only use Comic Sans in an article to ridicule Comic Sans.

Frank, I understand the whole CYA thing when it comes to clients who insist on shredding your work (and then crediting you for the mess), and for that reason I’ve attached a downloadable PDF for you and others who find themselves engaged in a commercial endeavor with an idiot.

Attachment 104512

We’ve all been there, and education is our only salvation. In a polite way, you guide the client through the areas of your profession that they are ignorant of, try to learn as much as you can about the product so you have leverage or are at least on a level playing field when it comes to promoting the product.

I’m currently entering what could be a lucrative long-term business relationship with the head of a business of which I am fairly ignorant. So I spend my time listening, and then it’s the client’s turn to listen to why I chose a font, a color, and other stuff, always proving that I listen to them and have a basic understanding of their business and the tone of the ad or animation or print piece that casts the client’s business in an appropriate tone.

I rarely turn down a gig; I guess I’m blessed to attract the “right client” through my own advertising and portfolio. When I do decline, it’s usually because the money is unrealistically low or the potential client has this idée fixe that ripping off a Michael Jackson video would be a perfect way to promote an SEO startup.

—g

AKKKK!

Out of all the layouts back to this month (I'm writing this almost two months after the fact), I failed to point out the brilliance of Big Frank's page layout.

A Thousand apologies, Big Frank (I'll copy and paste them until I reach 1,000):

Attachment 105054

1. B.F. has made the typically "tombstone" ish two column layout and made it asymmetrical in an innovative way. Several ways, actually: the column divider between columns, the use or an ornamental drop cap, and the sparing use of call-out quotes make the page look inviting, and compelling to actually read.

2. The oversized quote marks are very stylish and the use of color was unexpected, but pleasant to the eye.

3. The use of color was sparing, the the result is a sophisticated and self-confident look.

Frank, the only place I'd fault you, and I didn't cover this so you aren't at fault really, is the "color" of the page. Page color actually means "page coverage"; how dense the overall look of the pager is at arm's length. for example if you typed a while page in Cooper Black it would look ridiculously dense. At the other extreme, if you used Premier Lightline or Kabel light, the page would look dirty, not full of text.

I think you could have gone lighter on the sub head at the top of the page, and don't know, can't tell what the body font is just about right.

Were I to pick a winner in this month's venture, on the first try, Big Frank's arrow came closest to hitting the bull's eye.

My Best,

Gary

Glad you referred back to B.F.'s page layout Gary, I thought it was brilliant and filed it for reference along with the new tips in #28 you pointed out.

Stygg