As with any field, there are a few basic elements that define the foundation of that field. In design, those basic elements are: alignment, contrast, proximity, and repetition. To create efficient designs, one should understand and master these simple principles. Today, I write about the first of these four elements: alignment.
On our computers, we find four basic alignment options: left align, center align, right align, and justify. Each has it uses, pros, and cons.
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We all receive tons of advertising in our mail. We glance at it, and most of the time we throw it away, either because we do not require the service offered or because we can’t be bothered to try to figure out what the advertiser is trying to sell us.
Discarded advertising is a loss for everyone: it is wasted money for the business who put out the flyer, it is wasted time for the reader, and it costs to society in garbage collection and recycling.
In the screencast found on my site (www.design-maestro.ca), I show you some of the flyers I have received, contrast two of them in terms of design and efficiency. I also take on redesigning a third flyer to show how we can easily improve our brand and increase our changes of being read. Continue Reading
Welcome to my blog.
After twenty-five of creating promotional materials—posters, flyers, websites, etc.— for myself, for friends and colleagues, and a number of organizations, I have decided that it was time to share with the world my thoughts on good design, techniques to carry out better presentation and allow as many people as possible to discover the beauty of quality page layout.
With my experience, through reading, observation and constant learning, I have developed a critical eye for good design, an appreciation for clarity, and a special interest in typography. I have acquired several techniques to help me create designs that are elegant, classy, and effective. Although there is nothing wrong with flashy, strange and weird, I prefer focusing on delivering the “message” efficiently. Continue Reading
Design Maestro 