Visual Element Analysis: National Geographic webpage and publication
9/3/2020
Making and Breaking The Grid: Notes
Grid design can be broken down into two steps:
- The designer assesses the unique informational characteristics and demands of the subject matter, taking into account potential problems and idiosyncrasies of the content.
- The designer lays out the content using the grid as a guideline- taking care not to adhere too strictly to the grid lest they stifle the voice of the subject matter.
Margins distinguish live matter from the physical edge of the page and can be symmetrical, but asymmetrical margins may also allow for spaces of rest for the eye OR unorthodox elements that would otherwise not be included (notes, spot illustrations, editorial comments).
The size of type text, as well as the spaces between letters and words, makes all the difference in how the information is perceived. Minor changes can dramatically shift the hierarchy of the page.
Columns are versatile in their ability to contain extended narratives, short segments, and widened modules. The trick lies in finding a sweet spot in width that is neither choppy or too long to keep track of sentences.
Modular Grid systems organize information into units called modules, which allows for a more customizable approach to layouts. The proportions and relationship between modules and formats generate a harmonious design on the macro-scale.
9/8/2020
Critique notes: Lack of a history/introduction, branding/audience focus. Inclusion of these slides allows a more fluid buildup to ‘ethos’ argument while giving context to the 2018 redesign. Also, rehearsing your spoken presentation more would be helpful
Visual design: High-contrast header is too large and too distracting- takes up valuable real estate. Consider using a lower-contrast combination of color and saturation, text. Pay more attention to how EVERYTHING is aligned. Some aspects of the presentation became a bit confusing- poor distinction between NatGeo content and your own. Consider using animations, stroke weight, alternate formatting to differentiate the two visual styles. Avoid mimicking the publication’s, for this same reason.
9/10/2020
Professor Crit: More information on NatGeo’s history would have been nice- visually, the presentation at times throws too much information out and forces the viewer to jump focus between speaker and visuals. Good work with the dark background for picture emphasis.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Hard project, but worth the research. Lots of effort went into simply figuring out how to say what I wanted to convey effectively. Technically not too challenging, although I learned more about effective visual design.
