Annaliese Zieme - Discussion Point

The use of visual hierarchy and grid are the structural basis of layout for both print publishing and screen design. The users understanding of the information is greatly enhanced when the information is structured in a way that is meaningful and relates to the needs of the audience. Designers are organisers of images, text, and other forms of data able to manipulate and subvert this according the requirements of the situation. Technologies have played a crucial part in shaping this role and allowing for much improvement and understanding. 

Print has a limited range of industry standard tools which is responsible for early layout designs which were rigid, standard and very simple. It was just a case of place a bold heading, possible by-line and then paragraph after paragraph of text, sometimes an image was included to break up the text (see below). Yet with the introduction of technology and programs such as adobe suit and the use of style sheets, we have come to see more creative layouts and much more variety. By using these specialized palette of tools designers have been able to create layouts which suit the information being presented, have been able to draw the readers eye to specific areas and provide an overall experience for the reader (see below). 

January 1946 Household Magazine

CLEO magazine July 2009

Digital technology has enabled both grid layouts and visual hearty the flourish. The introduction of fonts and improvements in photography and images have enabled simple poster design to move to a new level, improving advertisements for the audience and producing much more enriching designs. Below you can see the contrast between a 1920s wine ad and a nightclub poster from today. The differences are outstanding and this is a direct result of the digital technologies that have improved layout and hierarchy. 

1920s Clos Vougeot Nuits St Georges Wines

Spit Kingdom Nightclub Poster

Screen based design has much more diversity when it comes to tools available for producing designs. Sophisticated coding and mark-up languages make the possibilities endless in terms of what screen design can produce. However it is this emerging technologies that must be used wisely in order to create successful layouts and designs. A designer must be up-to-date given the speed of technological change in the industry, as information and tools become redundant very quickly. A designer must use these technological advancements to the best of their capabilities or else bad and unfortunate designs can result. Contrasted below are two examples of screen-based design. One successfully used grid, layout, text and imagery to create an easily understood and simplistic professional webpage. Whereas the other seems to disregard grids, hierarchy, colours and layout, resulting in impossible to read, understand or navigate webpage. This shows the vital role the digitial technologies have played but also the importance of using them correctly and creatively. 

www.dokimos.org

www.apple.com