Discussion Point: Katrina Hirakis

Today we live in a society saturated with content, in saying so the notion of attention is one that has become more prevalent due to our increase in information and advertisements. Kinsley also explores this in his article, as he states, “What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it”. 


In point, in society today there is a greater need to attain and keep attention. This can be achieved through the use of visual hierarchy and grids, though this is something that has evolved with the emergence of digital technologies. 

Figure 1

Visual hierarchy and grids provide any design with a backbone to sustain visual aesthetics, though when dealing with the letterpress the constraints of such a tool become evident. This can be seen in the evolution of Harper's Bazzar which was first published in 1867. The figure 1 is the cover of their first issue, at the time of print the letterpress was used and much needed to be considered, putting constraints on the use of such technology. The letterpress is an art in itself as the user had to contemplate the use of typefaces made from wooden blocks, the use of paint and what colour, the spacing between words and the entire page etc. This method created a beautiful hand made piece though something that took a lot of thought and time to create. 


In the time of letterpress and Harper's use of it visual hierarchy and grids were not necessarily considered in the fact that the creator would make a piece using what was needed in the best possible way. Because of the tools constraints printing was very dull in its design, and the typography was generally all one size and font therefore attention was focused not on one specific element.

                  

Figure 2

Though the magazine provides a great example of how visual hierarchy and grids have evolved with the emergence of digital technologies over the constraints inherent in the letterpress. Take figure 2 and 3, both recent pictures from Harper's which use digital technologies. Hierarchy's and grids can can created in a matter of seconds to create and keep attention for its reader something that new technologies such as InDesign has made possible. With the use of digital technologies designers are capable of creating anything... as the saying goes, the skies the limit!

Figure 3