What is a Layout in Graphic Design?
Before we discuss the importance of layout in graphic design, we must first understand what layout is.
A layout is the systematic arrangement of elements on a page to the specific image, text, or style placement. In graphic design, layout plays a significant role, and understanding the layout is fundamental.
If an individual does not understand the layout correctly, the message you want to convey may be misinterpreted.
A good layout is a crucial building block in graphic design since it is the primary tool that conveys the required message in an advertisement.
What is Page Layout?
Page layout is the arrangement of text, images, and other objects on a design page. The layouts are used to customize the appearance of magazines, newspapers, books, websites, and different types of publications.
Why is Layout so important in Graphic Design?
The correct layout in design makes it easy for the audience to understand the message behind an advertisement.
Therefore, the exact layout should be attractive to potential customers, easy to read, helpful in the marketing world, and universally understood.
A Brief Description on Types of Page Layout in Graphic Designing
- Mondrian Layout – this refers to different forms of image orientation such as square, landscape, and portrait to form a conceptual composition.
- Circus Layout – In this layout, elements are irregularly arranged.
- Silhouette Layout – these are layouts that are in the form of illustrations which are text wrapped using photographic techniques.
- Big-type Layout – this type of layout uses font styles to capture the audience’s attention, and they are mainly used in making creative headlines.
- Alphabet –Inspired Layout – the core of this type of layout is the arrangement of letters in a systematic sequence to give the right impression or the main idea in the advertisement.
5 Main Rules of Graphic Design Layout and Composition
There are five main rules in design layout, and its composition is discussed below in detail.
Everyone who understands art regardless of its form knows that to deliver standard output, one must recognize the various specific elements that comprise it.
Some graphic design elements such as line, color, texture, and shape must follow precise rules to achieve the required design.
The five rules include:
- The grid – Grids are fundamental since they make your design look neat and easier to understand. Also, a robust grid makes your design work look organized, and helps to illustrate the message being advertised clearly.
- Emphasis and scale – In graphic design, one must come up with a focal point which will capture the audience’s attention and make the subject matter recognizable with minimum effort. The focal point of the main design is determined by the structure and composition which catches the reader’s eye.
- Balance – To come up with a superb design, designers have to juggle a lot of different elements until they find the right one. It is essential to give each aspect some space and be able to balance the elements in use. If you don’t adjust the elements of composition, you could end up with a claustrophobic design.
- Rule of thirds – this is an important guideline that might seem simple but is very useful. This rule involves dividing your design into rows and columns to distinguish a definite point at which to place your subjects and other related elements.
- Rule of odds – The rule suggests that to create a balanced design, a designer must be able to place the focal point at the center which in the end creates a simple natural balance.
Designers Tip
There are different ways a designer can create a composition that will impact viewers. Therefore, it is wise to remember that your work will improve once you understand these rules and make your designs stand out from the rest.
Elements in Graphic Design Layout
In a graphic design layout, there are several elements to which one should adhere to make the required graphic design content.
Some of These Elements Include:
- Lines are used for many purposes such as connecting content, creating patterns or emphasizing the main text.
- Color makes the design visually pleasing which as a result elicits an emotional response. This can be explained by how people react to different colors according to Color psychology.
- The texture is crucial in graphic design since it creates visual attraction and interest.
- Size is used by designers to create contrast, interest and to convey the significance of the design.
- Shapes are used to create attractive, aesthetically pleasing patterns.
- Space is fundamental when it comes to separating information and to make an effective design one needs to use it efficiently to underline the importance of the design.
- Value is a contrast in design and entails using brightness or darkness to create emphasis.
What is Layout Psychology?
This is a critical concept used by many designers across the world. It was first used in the 1920s by a designers’ movement that claimed that some designs affect the audience’s visual perception.
The central perception of the theory was that the human brain is attracted by some elements in graphic design which create visual understanding.
Some of These Elements Include:
- The similarity is an element which gives your audience a sense of the relation of specific objects such as how some colors are associated with a particular brand or event, such as orange for Halloween.
- Continuation. The human eye has a specific way in which it identifies information and a continuous flow of information is more natural to identify.
- The closure is vital to completing shapes and layouts to enhance visual perceptions.
- Proximity – the composition of objects manipulates the message being conveyed and their placements in the design are crucial depending on what you want to deliver.
- Order is critical. Without it, there will be visual anarchy which can be caused by too many groups trying to decipher or decode the meaning of the message in a design.
Graphic Design Layout Techniques
A few techniques enhance your design layout to look appealing and stand out from the rest of the designs.
Some of these techniques include positive and negative shapes, which are interdependent and capture the eye of the viewer.
Another technique is composing structures that blend vertical and horizontal lines to achieve a layout with a unified look.
Other Additional information About an Effective Graphic Design Layout
The main aim is to convey messages correctly and successively present information, allowing the essential elements to stand out.
For instance, big headlines in newspapers capture the reader’s attention and thus make the reader understand the main topic being addressed without even reading the whole text. So when creating a graphic design layout, you should make sure that the layout is perfect, clean, and well structured.
