From the course: Graphic Design Foundations: Layout and Composition

Using shape and line

From the course: Graphic Design Foundations: Layout and Composition

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Using shape and line

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- When we look at a shape our first impulse is to determine what it is. Is that a lion hiding in the bush or a rock? Is that wheel round and functional? Or a square and not so? Recognizing line and shape is a primary tool we use as human beings. It's one of our first conscious activities as a baby to define the world around us and identify threats and opportunities. As a designer, clarity and legibility are two attributes I admire. I want to understand what I see. I want to know what that shape is without unnecessary effort. It's remarkable, however, how much we can identify with very small amounts of information. If we don't have all the visual information, we will fill in the gaps and find the answer. For example, this book cover seems to follow the rules. The typography references Spanish history with a classical centered axis. The colors match Spain's national flag. But there is that defined slash that seems out of place. Once we determine that this is about a great swordsman, it makes perfect sense. We look at the shapes and assign meaning. The success of the piece relies on the joy we feel that we solved the puzzle with a minimum of information. The poster for the 25th anniversary of the South African Conference Design Indaba is another layout that takes full advantage of the power of simple shapes. The only elements here are the repeating lines of the same weight, curves made with half circles, the headline, and the logo. Once again, this is a geometric riddle. And the viewer supplies the answer. The shapes in a composition do not need to be this overt. The shapes can be implied and used as a compositional tool. A strong X shape provides the guides for placement of the imagery and text on this poster. I prefer simple and dynamic shapes. I like to use the same shape as often as possible. This provides a nice sense of unity, as the forms all relate. The same circle makes most of the forms on this poster for a series of lectures on diversity at MIT. The flowers are created with a series of circles. Even the bananas are created from sections of a circle. Lines are a great tool to delineate information and guide the reader. Lines, or rules as they are often called, work as dividers between separate pieces of information. They help identify areas on a page and provide structure. Used horizontally or vertically, rules can tell the reader where to look first, second, and third. I like to use rules logically. The thicker rules apply to the more important information. The thinner rules are used on the detailed copy. A good trick is to use different weights of rules on a page. When they are all the same, they lose the dynamic that thick and thin rules provide. Determining which shapes work best to communicate the message and where rules are applied is a great first step to begin a layout. Don't worry, you're not locked in. You can always change your mind if it doesn't work once you start laying in the elements. This is simply the first broad stroke on your page.

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