IIID Public Library Information Design 4 Graphic Design Revised edition 2015 Rune Pettersson Institute for infology IIID Public Library The “IIID Public Library” is a free resource for all who are interested in information design. This book was kindly donated by the author free of charge to visitors of the IIID Public Library / Website. International Institute for Information Design (IIID) designforum Wien, MQ/quartier 21 Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Wien, Austria www.iiid.net Information Design 4 Graphic Design Typography Layout Rune Pettersson * Institute for infology Information Design 4–Graphic Design Yin and yang, or yin-yang, is a concept used in Chinese phi- losophy to describe how seemingly opposite forces are inter- connected and interdependent, and how they give rise to each other. Many natural dualities, such as life and death, light and dark, are thought of as physical manifestations of the concept. Yin and yang can also be thought of as complementary forces interacting to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the parts. In information design, theory and prac- tice is an example where the whole is greater than the parts. In this book drawings and photos are my own, unless other information. ISBN 978-91-85334-29-2 © Rune Pettersson Tullinge 2015 2 Preface Information design is a multi-disciplinary, multi-dimensional, and worldwide consideration with influences from areas such as language, art and aesthetics, information, communication, be- haviour and cognition, business and law, as well as media pro- duction technologies. Since my retirement I have edited and revised sections of my earlier books, conference papers and reports about informa- tion design, message design, visual communication and visual literacy. The result is this series of six books: Information Design 1–Message Design Information Design 2–Text Design Information Design 3–Image Design Information Design 4–Graphic Design Information Design 5–Cognition Information Design 6–Predecessors & Pioneers These books include definitions, selected results from research, theoretical considerations, as well as practical guidelines for message design. The intended reader is especially interested in research and theory related to message design, and the design of information materials and information sets. Tullinge, Sweden Rune Pettersson, Ph.D. Retired Professor of Information Design 3 Contents Preface 3 Contents 4 Organized structure 8 Graphic design 8 Purpose for graphic design 8 Graphic design objectives 11 Graphic design processes 12 History of graphic design 17 Step by step 17 Modern graphic design 19 Research-based design 22 Aesthetic principles 25 Aesthetic proportion principle 25 Fine art 26 Information aesthetics 30 Harmony principle 34 Dichotomy 35 Harmony in typography 36 Harmony in colour 37 Aesthetic theories 38 Beauty theories 38 Philosophy of beauty 39 Philosophy of art 42 Aesthetics and usability 47 Aesthetic experience in instructional design 49 Colour theories 51 Colour wheels 52 Colour systems 53 Colour for information 57 Contributions for ID 58 4 Functional principles 60 Providing clarity 60 Legibility of text 61 Legibility of pictures 64 Legibility of layout 65 Legibility of symbols 65 Legibility of numerical values 66 Legibility of maps 66 Legibility of colour 66 Providing emphasis 68 Emphasis in text 69 Emphasis in layout 70 Providing unity 73 Typography 76 Type 76 Design of characters 77 Typefaces 79 Size of type 83 Stylistic variation of type 90 Typeface personalities 92 Selection of typefaces 95 Some common typefaces 98 Paper and ink 103 Cost effective typography 104 Projected typography 106 OH and PP 107 Slides 109 Screen typography 111 Visual displays 111 The message on the screen 117 Computer print-outs 130 Layout 132 Paper size 132 5 Page composition 134 Page size 135 Text face 136 The classic model for page design 137 Margins 140 Grid systems 142 Oppositions 145 Text layout 146 Justified or unjustified text? 148 Line length 152 Interline distance 157 Space 161 Headings 165 Paragraphs 168 Tables 172 Captions 180 Quotations 182 Lists 183 Miscellaneous 187 Layout of text and pictures 198 Different layouts 198 Balance in design 200 The picture area index 206 Graphic symbols 212 Use of graphic symbols 212 Groups of graphic symbols 213 Visual terms 214 Objectives 215 Interpretation of meaning 216 Warnings 219 Traffic signs 219 Project “crossing road signs” 220 Message and symbol 225 Design of graphic symbols 229 6 Information graphics 235 Graphics 235 Objectives 238 Time for production 240 Everyday graphics 241 Instructing 242 Informing 243 Tempting to buy 245 Text, pictures, and background 247 References 252 7 Organized structure Although we may not think about it, the practice of graphic de- sign is as old as recorded history. We see the results of graphic design every day in books, magazines, packages, papers, post- ers, symbols, and many other products. Graphic design A generally accepted view is that graphic design may be de- scribed as the art and craft of bringing a functional, aesthetic, and organized structure to different kinds of texts and illustra- tions. Graphic design is a process (verb) as well as a result (noun) of that process. Traditional graphic design is a kind of “all purpose-design” used in the production of various media. Modern visual graphic design has its roots in the rational, func- tional aesthetics that evolved in traditional graphic design over the centuries for the print media, and are now used in industrial design, as well as in architecture. Purpose for graphic design The purpose of work with graphic design is to find a suitable presentation of the message with respect to the intended re- ceiver, medium, and economical situation. A well-designed book appears as a ”unified whole.” All design elements serve to enhance the content. Melin (1999, 2011) found that it is more likely that graphi- cally complex texts will be read than “plain” texts. And it takes less time to read a graphically complex text than a “plain” text. Readers often react in a positive way to texts with good ty- pography and good illustrations. The overall visual look shapes 8 users’ perceptions of consistency and user satisfaction in brows- ing tasks (Ozok & Salvendy, 2000). Within a given area, such as a page in a book, a computer screen, or a projected image, we may alter the presentation of text (headings, running text, captions, lists), pictures, tables, and the background (margins, ornaments, page number, space). When text and graphics are organised into meaningful se- mantic clusters, this makes it easier for readers to chunk the content (Kahn, Tan & Beaton, 1990). Visual grouping of text enables readers get a sense of the overall structure (Tullis, 1997), and help readers remember content (Niemela & Saari- nen, 2000). How the content is grouped may influence the readers’ first impressions of the content (Lindgaard et al., 2006). Readers will better remember the content and make fewer errors. Careful integration of words and pictures engage people more effectively than words or pictures alone (Sadoski & Paivio, 2001). Producers of information and learning materials can facili- tate communication, and the learning processes of the readers. Complicated language, in both texts and pictures, will impair the understanding of the message. Active voice, clarity, com- prehensibility, consistency, legibility, precision, readability, reading value, simplicity, and structure are the key concepts in information design. Hiebert (1998) saw graphic design as inter- face design (p. 9): In the largest sense, all graphic design serves as an inter- face. It is the filter that facilitates communication between users and products, places, processes, information, and services. This interface may have the purpose of description or persuasion. It may be in a process of one-way presenta- 9 tion or two-way discourse (interactive). It has a functional rather than a decorative purpose. The role of graphic design is functional. According to Bull (1999) there are currently many debates as to what the role of a designer is. Terms like “Visual Communicator” and “Informa- tion Architect” have arose. Many of these debates have grown out of many designers’ misuse of technology and the computer. Bull concluded (p. 54): In our fast-paced, drive-thru oriented society, the graphic design community often suffers from the public perception of what I have coined the ‘Kinko’s Mentality’. This is where anyone with a computer is legitimized as a designer and so- lutions to your problem can be given form based on a solu- tion to another problem. And of course, it all perpetuates the idea of the designer as just someone who just dresses things up. The study of rational, functional aesthetics, as well as effective and efficient layouts for all media makes graphic design inter- esting for information design scholars. Graphic design is a tool with which we can manipulate the raw materials – words in dif- ferent typefaces, sizes, styles, empty space, illustrations, colour, paper and ink, and the final number of pages – to achieve the best possible communications between people. Waller (1980) provided a list of codifying rules for graphic language and functions of the typographic organization of text in a book. Waller discussed two main categories (I) Rhetorical functions, and (II) Access functions (p. 246): I. Rhetorical functions 1. About the argument. 10 – Summarization (title, summary). – Introduction (foreword, preface, introduction). 2. Within the argument – Emphasis