Easy Design TipsLyn Belisle

Easy Tip 1Imagine that your workspace is divided into a nine-space grid. This is called the Rule of Thirds. Focal points should be placed relative to the intersections of the grid.

This is especially helpful with page layout, either on a printed page or on a web document – it provides a framework for the designer on which to “hang” print and graphic elements

EASY TIP 2Face objects and photographs into your content to draw the viewer’s eye toward what you want them to see or read:

People’s eyes tend to follow the sight line of the object or person they are viewing – this arrangement leads the eye completely out of the content:

If the object absolutely has to be placed on the right, see if it can be flipped horizontally (obviously, if there is writing in the background, this is not possible)

Easy Tip Three

Don’t be afraid of white space – it can call attention to a main idea better than lots of clutter.

Which of these two book covers is most effectively designed? Does white space contribute to the effectiveness?

Easy Tip FourOdds are better than evens – ones, threes, and fives are design-friendly numbers

3 1

5 3

With four objects, you eye goes from one to the other – with three, they are perceived as a dynamic group – triangles are generally more aesthetically interesting than rectangles.

• Imagine a nine-space grid (the rule of thirds)

• Face objects into the page content

• Don’t be afraid of white space

• Odds are better than evens