Before&After
BAmagazine.com
®
i U X
DesignTalk18
FiveDesignIdeas
Repeating Shape
Web Stickies
Updates!
Single-Object Card Photo Sequence
Beautiful Book Cover
Continued 
Design talk
0686
Before&After
®
Design talk
BAmagazine.com
2 of 8
i U X
Business card Repetitive shape
Nubi Yogurt is a new franchise whose creamy confection is light, airy, fresh. How do
you get that across on a business card? Easy: Use one line, one curve, and light colors.
Stonecreek Village
5765 Pacific Avenue, Suite 120
Stockton, CA 95207
T 209.473.8888
www.nubiyogurt.com
Repeating lines Everything about
this card says modern. It’s made,
essentially, from a single line and
curve. (No need to pile on “effects.”)
Geometric letters (one line weight, no
serifs or fussy detail) are repeated in
the logo and the physical card (above),
which requires die-cutting. Every
element sends the same message.
yogur t
Opposite colors
White dominates the design. Interacting with blue, orange is a juicy,
energetic counterpoint. Yum!
Alignment One line is simpler than
two. Here, physical location, Web
address and other contact information
are left- aligned with the name.
2 of 8
Design talk
0686
Before&After
®
Design talk
BAmagazine.com
3 of 8
i U X
Business card Single-object design
Unlimited clip art has made it tempting to fill a business card/brochure/ad/Web page
with lots of images. But don’t! One will say more than ten — and it’s easier, too.
Before
After
Darin Brazil | Owner
2111 Saddlebrook St.
Stockton, CA 95209
P: 209.560.9980
F: 209.560.4567
darinbrazil@yahoo.com
License #364009
Commercial • Residential
New Construction • Repairs
A single object says more
(Above) Using every tool in the shop is
great for the job site but bad for your
image; the brushed typeface is somewhat
feminine, and the indistinct, ghosted
­photo contributes only noise. (Right)
Upright format; bold, angular typeface;
and a simple tape measure convey organization, masculinity and forthrightness.
Darin
BRAZIL
Construction Inc.
Maricelle
Maricelle’s Yarn Shop
410 West 95th St.
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
708.456.7890 (desk)
maricellesmitts@gmail.com
A single object has touch Can a humble ball of yarn
be beautiful? Sure! Up close, it has detail, color and
touch that you’d miss on a busy card. Maricelle’s graceful
­calligraphy is an ideal complement; flowing ­letters mimic
the hook, and its color matches the yarn.
3 of 8
Design talk
0686
Before&After
®
Design talk
BAmagazine.com
4 of 8
i U X
Image Sticky notes
Who can resist a yellow sticky note? No one! Stickies are light, brief, and they stick
anywhere — including your Web page! Be prepared for the attention they get.
www.trale.com
Big bang for the buck
Sticky notes are interrupters
and don’t have to be designed.
Design your page in the style
of your choice, then for special
attention slap on a sticky or
two. Keep in mind that your
sticky will be read before anything else. Use it accordingly.
You can find photos of sticky notes
online, or you can make your own
using an image-editing program like
Photoshop. Sticky notes are usually
handwritten. Words can be live html
text or hand-written and scanned,
or use a handwriting-style typeface.
Draw and fill.
Draw shadow.
Fill with black.
Blur and reduce.
Add words.
Updates!
4 of 8
Design talk
0686
Before&After
®
Design talk
BAmagazine.com
5 of 8
i U X
Sequence Sequential spacing
When going for that perfect form, it’s easy to overlook function. Keep in mind
that what’s obvious to you isn’t necessarily obvious to your readers.
Before
After
Uniform spacing makes a perfect grid, but which
direction do you read—across or down? Your
­readers can — sigh — figure it out, but to tell at a
glance, this layout will require numbering.
Adding extra space between rows makes it
obvious. Works, of course, for columns, too.
5 of 8
Design talk
0686
Before&After
®
Design talk
6 of 8
BAmagazine.com
i U X
Cover Focal axis
A book of recipes from a master chef and a chief perfumer needs a cover as light
as its dishes are aromatic. Solution — white circles around a focal point.
Circle upon circle Elegant and oh, so basic, a bowl, platter, mint and
yellow glass orbit asymmetrically around a circle of green soup; straight lines
of type tie to the straight edges of the page. White dominates. The effect is
airy as a fragrance, as appealing to the eyes as the dishes are to the palette.
Circles reinforce the focal point; straights create the counterpoint.
Title overlays the soup, which is where you’re
looking. White byline at the bottom recedes
and does not disrupt the circular movement.
6 of 8
Design talk
0686
Before&After
®
Design talk
BAmagazine.com
7 of 8
i U X
Article resources
Typefaces
1a
7
1b
2a
2b
3
Maricelle
Darin Brazil | Owner
2111 Saddlebrook St.
Stockton, CA 95209
P: 209.560.9980
F: 209.560.4567
darinbrazil@yahoo.com
License #364009
Commercial • Residential
New Construction • Repairs
Darin
BRAZIL
12
4
Maricelle’s Yarn Shop
410 West 95th St.
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
708.456.7890 (desk)
maricellesmitts@gmail.com
14 15
1 (a–b) ITC Franklin Gothic Demi Cond
a) 8.5 pt, b) 7.7/10 pt
14 C0 M0 Y0 K100
2 (a–b) ITC Machine | a) 41 pt, b) 13.5 pt
15 C0 M3 Y18 K5
3 Sloop Script One | 58 pt
16 C30 M17 Y70 K0
4 ITC Franklin Gothic Demi Comp | 8.5 pt
5
5 ITC Franklin Gothic Book Condensed
8.5/10 pt
6 Helvetica Neue 53 Extended
16 17 18
Construction Inc.
11
Colors
17 C0 M0 Y0 K80
18 C0 M0 Y0 K60
7 Helvetica Neue 45 Light
19 C2 M0 Y26 K0
8 Helvetica Neue 43 Light Extended
20 C0 M100 Y85 K0
Stonecreek Village
6
5765 Pacific Avenue, Suite 120
Stockton, CA 95207
T 209.473.8888
7
9 QType Pro-Extended Book
www.nubiyogurt.com
6
10 Caflisch Script Pro
9
yogur t
8
Images
Images: iStockphoto
13
Updates!
10
11 (722006)
19
12 (3384191)
20
13 (2652323)
Book
Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils
in Foods and Fragrance
7 of 8
Design talk
0686
Before&After
®
Design talk
8 of 8
Subscribe to Before & After
Subscribe to Before & After, and become a
more capable, confident designer for pennies
per article. To learn more, go to
http://www.bamagazine.com/Subscribe
E-mail this article
To pass along a free copy of this article to
others, click here.
Join our e-list
To be notified by e-mail of new articles as
they become available, go to
http://www.bamagazine.com/email
BAmagazine.com
i U X
Before & After magazine
Before & After has been sharing its practical approach
to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world
has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before &
After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone.
John McWade Publisher and creative director
Gaye McWade Associate publisher
Dexter Mark Abellera Senior designer
Before & After magazine
323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678
Telephone 916-784-3880
Fax 916-784-3995
E-mail mailbox@bamagazine.com
www http://www.bamagazine.com
Copyright ©2009 Before & After magazine
ISSN 1049-0035. All rights reserved
You may pass along a free copy of this article to others
by clicking here. You may not alter this article, and you
may not charge for it. You may quote brief sections
for review; please credit Before & After magazine, and
let us know. To link Before & After magazine to your
Web site, use this URL: http://www.bamagazine.com.
For all other permissions, please contact us.
8 of 8 | Printing formats
Design talk
0686
Before&After
BAmagazine.com
®
i U X
Before & After is made to fit your binder
Before & After articles are intended for permanent reference. All are titled and numbered.
For the current table of contents, click here. To save time and paper, a paper-saver format of this article,
suitable for one- or two-sided printing, is provided on the following pages.
For presentation format
Print: (Specify pages 1–8)
For paper-saver format
Print: (Specify pages 10–13)
Print
Format: Landscape
Page Size: Fit to Page
Save
Presentation format or
Paper-saver format
Back | Paper-saver format
®
Before&After
DesignTalk18
2 of 8
BAmagazine.com
Single-Object Card
i U X
BAmagazine.com
Design talk
i U X
Photo Sequence
Continued 
2 of 8
Design talk
Design Talk 18: Five Design Ideas
0686
0686
0686
FiveDesignIdeas
Updates!
Repeating Shape
Design talk
Beautiful Book Cover
Web Stickies
®
Before&After
Business card Repetitive shape
Stonecreek Village
5765 Pacific Avenue, Suite 120
Stockton, CA 95207
T 209.473.8888
www.nubiyogurt.com
yogur t
Alignment One line is simpler than
two. Here, physical location, Web
address and other contact information
are left- aligned with the name.
1 of 4
Before&After | www.bamagazine.com
Opposite colors
White dominates the design. Interacting with blue, orange is a juicy,
energetic counterpoint. Yum!
Nubi Yogurt is a new franchise whose creamy confection is light, airy, fresh. How do
you get that across on a business card? Easy: Use one line, one curve, and light colors.
Repeating lines Everything about
this card says modern. It’s made,
essentially, from a single line and
curve. (No need to pile on “effects.”)
Geometric letters (one line weight, no
serifs or fussy detail) are repeated in
the logo and the physical card (above),
which requires die-cutting. Every
element sends the same message.
0686 Design Talk 16: Five Design Ideas
c.
airs
®
Before&After
Before
Design talk
3 of 8
Business card Single-object design
4 of 8
After
Darin Brazil | Owner
2111 Saddlebrook St.
Stockton, CA 95209
P: 209.560.9980
F: 209.560.4567
darinbrazil@yahoo.com
License #364009
Commercial • Residential
New Construction • Repairs
Construction Inc.
Darin
BRAZIL
BAmagazine.com
3 of 8
BAmagazine.com
www.trale.com
Fill with black.
Blur and reduce.
i U X
Design talk
Add words.
Updates!
Design talk
Design Talk 18: Five Design Ideas
4 of 8
i U X
A single object has touch Can a humble ball of yarn
be beautiful? Sure! Up close, it has detail, color and
touch that you’d miss on a busy card. Maricelle’s graceful
calligraphy is an ideal complement; flowing letters mimic
the hook, and its color matches the yarn.
Maricelle’s Yarn Shop
410 West 95th St.
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
708.456.7890 (desk)
maricellesmitts@gmail.com
Maricelle
Unlimited clip art has made it tempting to fill a business card/brochure/ad/Web page
with lots of images. But don’t! One will say more than ten — and it’s easier, too.
Design talk
A single object says more
(Above) Using every tool in the shop is
great for the job site but bad for your
image; the brushed typeface is somewhat
feminine, and the indistinct, ghosted
photo contributes only noise. (Right)
Upright format; bold, angular typeface;
and a simple tape measure convey organization, masculinity and forthrightness.
®
Before&After
Image Sticky notes
Draw shadow.
2 of 4
Before&After | www.bamagazine.com
Draw and fill.
Who can resist a yellow sticky note? No one! Stickies are light, brief, and they stick
anywhere — including your Web page! Be prepared for the attention they get.
Big bang for the buck
Sticky notes are interrupters
and don’t have to be designed.
Design your page in the style
of your choice, then for special
attention slap on a sticky or
two. Keep in mind that your
sticky will be read before anything else. Use it accordingly.
You can find photos of sticky notes
online, or you can make your own
using an image-editing program like
Photoshop. Sticky notes are usually
handwritten. Words can be live html
text or hand-written and scanned,
or use a handwriting-style typeface.
0686 Design Talk 16: Five Design Ideas
0686
0686
0686
®
Before&After
Before
®
Before&After
Design talk
5 of 8
Sequence Sequential spacing
After
BAmagazine.com
5 of 8
BAmagazine.com
i U X
Design talk
i U X
Adding extra space between rows makes it
obvious. Works, of course, for columns, too.
When going for that perfect form, it’s easy to overlook function. Keep in mind
that what’s obvious to you isn’t necessarily obvious to your readers.
6 of 8
Uniform spacing makes a perfect grid, but which
direction do you read—across or down? Your
readers can — sigh — figure it out, but to tell at a
glance, this layout will require numbering.
Design talk
Cover Focal axis
Design talk
Design Talk 18: Five Design Ideas
6 of 8
Title overlays the soup, which is where you’re
looking. White byline at the bottom recedes
and does not disrupt the circular movement.
A book of recipes from a master chef and a chief perfumer needs a cover as light
as its dishes are aromatic. Solution — white circles around a focal point.
3 of 4
Before&After | www.bamagazine.com
Circle upon circle Elegant and oh, so basic, a bowl, platter, mint and
yellow glass orbit asymmetrically around a circle of green soup; straight lines
of type tie to the straight edges of the page. White dominates. The effect is
airy as a fragrance, as appealing to the eyes as the dishes are to the palette.
Circles reinforce the focal point; straights create the counterpoint.
0686 Design Talk 16: Five Design Ideas
0686
0686
0686
Boo
Pat
7
1a
1b
2a
2b
11
13
®
Before&After
Darin Brazil | Owner
2111 Saddlebrook St.
Stockton, CA 95209
P: 209.560.9980
F: 209.560.4567
darinbrazil@yahoo.com
License #364009
Commercial • Residential
New Construction • Repairs
Construction Inc.
Darin
BRAZIL
Design talk
7 of 8
Article resources
Maricelle
3
4
12
5
BAmagazine.com
i U X
14 C0 M0 Y0 K100
Colors
15 C0 M3 Y18 K5
Typefaces
1 (a–b) ITC Franklin Gothic Demi Cond
a) 8.5 pt, b) 7.7/10 pt
Images: iStockphoto
12 (3384191)
7 of 8
BAmagazine.com
Design talk
i U X
20 C0 M100 Y85 K0
19 C2 M0 Y26 K0
18 C0 M0 Y0 K60
17 C0 M0 Y0 K80
16 C30 M17 Y70 K0
2 (a–b) ITC Machine | a) 41 pt, b) 13.5 pt
3 Sloop Script One | 58 pt
4 ITC Franklin Gothic Demi Comp | 8.5 pt
5 ITC Franklin Gothic Book Condensed
8.5/10 pt
7 Helvetica Neue 45 Light
6 Helvetica Neue 53 Extended
9 QType Pro-Extended Book
16 17 18
6
10 Caflisch Script Pro
8 Helvetica Neue 43 Light Extended
Stonecreek Village
7
9
8
13 (2652323)
11 (722006)
20
8 of 8
|
Design talk
Design Talk 18: Five Design Ideas
Printing formats
You may pass along a free copy of this article to others
by clicking here. You may not alter this article, and you
may not charge for it. You may quote brief sections
for review; please credit Before & After magazine, and
let us know. To link Before & After magazine to your
Web site, use this URL: http://www.bamagazine.com.
For all other permissions, please contact us.
Copyright ©2009 Before & After magazine
ISSN 1049-0035. All rights reserved
Before & After magazine
323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678
Telephone 916-784-3880
Fax 916-784-3995
E-mail mailbox@bamagazine.com
www http://www.bamagazine.com
John McWade Publisher and creative director
Gaye McWade Associate publisher
Dexter Mark Abellera Senior designer
Before & After magazine
Before & After has been sharing its practical approach
to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world
has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before &
After is dedicated to making graphic design understandable, useful and even fun for everyone.
Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils
in Foods and Fragrance
Book
19
10
Images
5765 Pacific Avenue, Suite 120
Stockton, CA 95207
T 209.473.8888
Updates!
yogur t
www.nubiyogurt.com
8 of 8
6
Maricelle’s Yarn Shop
410 West 95th St.
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
708.456.7890 (desk)
maricellesmitts@gmail.com
Design talk
14 15
®
Before&After
Subscribe to Before & After
Subscribe to Before & After, and become a
more capable, confident designer for pennies
per article. To learn more, go to
http://www.bamagazine.com/Subscribe
E-mail this article
To pass along a free copy of this article to
others, click here.
Join our e-list
To be notified by e-mail of new articles as
they become available, go to
4 of 4
Before&After | www.bamagazine.com
http://www.bamagazine.com/email
0686 Design Talk 16: Five Design Ideas
0686
0686
0686