November 2013 Xara Xone Tute: Page Design Part One

[mwenz]

Here's a couple contributions to Gary's tut. Bleed and Safe area rectangles (which I wouldn't otherwise illustrate but for this tut) are on non-printing layers. And because it is hard for me to stick to an actual tutorial, the layout has been changed to a 5" x 7" card for the first one.

The second was a full page as if it were a magazine article. Pay no attention to the ruler lines...they were just there so I could ensure the text baselines align across the columns. The stock photo I used for the background has elements that roughly hit the three main columnar grid.

Mike

[Gare]

Cool, Mike.

And you've just opened another topic for next year, and that's typeface selection and fitting text. I know there are "quickies" because we all have stuff to do this year, but ifI sat down and thought a lot about how font choices, stacking, and justification would help get the text message across and support the grpahic a little better, well, then we'd be in episode 7 or something .

That's not the point of my posting, though. You're one of the few members who is seizing this understanding of a virtual grid and doing something with it. Others will follow for sure, but thanks for truning in an education effort as early as you did!

My Best,

Gary

[mwenz]

Thanks, Gary.

It's going to be a fun series when they crop up. Looking forward to them all!

[angelize]

I too am looking forward to more of these. I haven't had time to do the actual tutorial yet, I hope it was ok to post some of my commercial work.

[Gare]

Frances, first forgive me for swiping your advertisement without your consent, but you are SO close to having an outstanding advert if you play a little with typefaces and shuffle the design around just a tiny amount!

This is where I believe the reader impressions hit, in order from 1 as the first impression and 5 as the last:



In short, I see the name of the store first, because of the color contrast between the red drop-shadow and the blue background, then the woman because people's mind's eyes go to photos of people, we're subconsciously attracted to people images. Now, it's good she's smiling at camera and posing and pointing, because she then directs me to the sales headline. Unfortunately, I get sidetracked to the 20% off because it's so bold, but it's not a show-stopper, and finally down to the address information.


Immediately, this ad could be improved if I know who this woman is. Is she the owner, a paid model? Stock clipart? What is her being for this ad? If it's just a design element, that's cool, but you could do a lot more with the woman if you gave her a name and let her say something about the sale in this ad. Not a speech balloon (!), but perhaps make the sale into a sentence and use " marks. This would tie the elements together a little more.

Other thing is you're using bl;ue, which does not draw the audience into the ad, sorry! Warm colors do. I'd suggest you play around with the text, both in font choice and position. This is what I did with your elements. I didn't not really alter the Grid, but I did some work attaching one element to another, and changing the visual importance to some of the elements. Again, I'm sorry I didn't ask you first, but this is a discussion on this month's tutorial, your example is so close to perfect. I wanted to point out to all where the ad isn't perfect, and what to do to make it perfect.



My Best,

Gary

[angelize]

I agree that a warmer colour would have been much better but unfortunately the client provided the store logo with the blue background and wouldn't let us change it. And yes the photo was stock clipart, I chose it because she was posing and pointing. The client also wanted to play up the 20% off.

I love your version of the ad and it is good to learn how to go from good to great.

[Gare]

Tuck away some of this "throw-away" stuff that will never be used commercially for another day, Frances! Put the discount on the product: I drew a quick outline of a duvet behind the 20% off and it pops now. I used script and brush type fonts to make the ad toned down, less format. Lithos worked I thought for the address and there was no good reason not to reverse it out to call attention to it.

Once you have all the jigsaw pieces, there's more than one way to modify them to make them fit together: stuff slightly overlapping other things, rotating and/or distorting text.

If you want to download it, Xara will probably tell you you don't have the fonts on system, but I can tell you what they are if you like them, and where you can get them.

Your design waqs good, truly good, Frances. you should show them my mark-up, tell them you did it, and this is what they could have if they'd give you more control over creative decisions!



-g

And why for God's sake isn't there a reflection in the store's logo, whose name is Reflections!?

[angelize]

And why for God's sake isn't there a reflection in the store's logo, whose name is Reflections!?

If they had hired me to do their logo that's the first thing I would have suggested

[Gare]

This goes to show you, and me, and every designer who has some experience selling in the commercial field that the designer and the client need a collaborative relationship if the designer's efforts will work.

The customer is no dummy: they came to you for help. But they often come with preconceived notions that are wrong. I worked at a shop in Manhattan that did PanAm's advertising. When the airline hit the skids, they blamed us, and then the next ad agency, and two weeks later the next ad agency. They were blaming the agencies to spare face to the shareholders, but the truth will out: they had good advertising for a lousy company.

And the designer is no dummy: I know Frances would have designed something more attention-getting if she had the leeway.

Ya gotta educate the client on their own level, to explain your own craft.

-g

[stygg2003]

Gary I'm no designer and the only thing I've done is the Car Boot design so with that in mind, please excuse my lack of punch in this simple design, I had to start somewhere after watching the vid so I based this on the Francis design and the text on the article you linked to a few weeks ago, which was excellent. At least it gives me a kick start into this realm Still using P&GD7 but that's no excuse for not making an attempt on all I've seen so far on this subject in the Xone.

Stygg