Design is Everything

Have you ever looked at a magazine and thought about why you are drawn to certain articles more than others?  I know that when I read a magazine I want to read the articles that have less text and a clear title that interests me.  If it has too much text, I usually just flip right by it.  I am sure we all flip by articles a little bit differently because we all have different view points and interests.

There is a more formal way that helps us understand why we don't want to read something.  The acronym is CARBS.
Color
Alignment
Repetition
Balance
Spacing

The use of color is very important.  It can't be too much.  It needs to be just a few colors that go nicely together and appeal to the eye.  It also needs to be appropriate for the topic.  Bright colors can't be used for an article about puppies dying.

Alignment must be appealing to the eye.  If one item is out of alignment, the article will just look wrong and your eye won't want to read the article.

Repetition is a good thing.  People like to see repetition.  Repetition in fonts, colors, and  themes make the article look well put together.

Balance is about the overall look of the article.  Do both sides of the article look balanced.  It doesn't mean that everything has to be symmetrical but they have to balance each other. A picture needs to be placed where it looks balanced on the other side.

Spacing is one that I think is the most important.  If there is no spacing in text, then I will not read it.  It needs to be broken up into chunks so my eyes do not get tired.  White space is a good thing.

Now the hard part is applying everything to the briefing article we are working on in class.  It is easy to pick out things you like and do not like in other people's work, but it is hard to make your own work look good.  Especially when I am the least artistic person and have horrible skills with editing and design.  But I am trying and I am learning and getting better.