This is coming alone nicely so far, but just a couple of suggestions:
I really like the page 3 layout with the photo taking up a column like so, so I believe the 2 column layout works well here. Maybe you can even have the photo running off the page to give it more appeal (just an idea). I'm still debating on whether or not I like the center aligned headings and subheadings. They feel a bit odd. Also I'm not sure I like the leaf silhouette. I think it is just randomly thrown in there to take up the left over negative space. Maybe you could increase the leading so the text takes up more space and there won't be any left over space. Plus I think generally your leading is a bit tight. Also I think I would change the background color to a really, really pale blue, if you want to stick with a blue hue or maybe just simply stick with white, because this color is fighting a lot with the text. It does not contrast it enough. I like that you bolded the headings and subheadings to show some hierarchy, but I think you might have forgotten to add it on page 3 with the "Eligibility." With the use of paragraph styles, it will help to keep this consistency, and less work for you to do. Great beginning to your spreads so far!
Pavlo – I agree with everything Eleni has said above, and here are a few more suggestions:
Page 2 has too much type. This is the inside front cover, and the place the reader will begin (and hopefully continue( into the brochure. The top block of text (MBDC: Helping businesses…) should actually sit on your cover. However, I will allow you to move it onto page 2 if you really don’t want it on the cover. But… it cannot serve as a section heading. It is the subheading for the entire brochure – so it will need to sit all by itself on the page. Feel free to add a photo to page 2 – but the main sections of type cannot start here, so soon, on the inside. It is too overwhelming, and you will loose the reader.
Page 3 – the right-hand page of the first spread. This is where some of the type can begin. Read the text and decide what sections should appear here, and which should move back into the following pages. You have some choices, but they should be based on what makes sense to you in the reading and interpreting of this content for the reader.
Because now you will not have as much text on this spread to work with – what are your options to fill the space? Well – consider the type itself as an important element, and think about ways to emphasize certain sections/words to help the reader understand the content more quickly. You can decide to repeat sentences as pull quotes (larger and set aside from the body copy) that you feel are important. You can continue to think about the relationship between photos and text – introducing additional photos. You can embrace the idea of well-designed negative space… so that not every inch of the page contains an element. I think Eleni is correct when she says you are adding random leaf icons to fill “left over” space. This is never a good approach. Instead, work that negative space back into the design in places where it is needed to make the page more interesting, and readable (+ leading is a very good idea).
The typographic styling and design approach that you use on this spread will set the course for the following pages – so it is important that you continue to work on these pages before moving on. I suggest you continue to work on these pages and then post again ASAP.
Pavlo,
ReplyDeleteThis is coming alone nicely so far, but just a couple of suggestions:
I really like the page 3 layout with the photo taking up a column like so, so I believe the 2 column layout works well here. Maybe you can even have the photo running off the page to give it more appeal (just an idea). I'm still debating on whether or not I like the center aligned headings and subheadings. They feel a bit odd. Also I'm not sure I like the leaf silhouette. I think it is just randomly thrown in there to take up the left over negative space. Maybe you could increase the leading so the text takes up more space and there won't be any left over space. Plus I think generally your leading is a bit tight. Also I think I would change the background color to a really, really pale blue, if you want to stick with a blue hue or maybe just simply stick with white, because this color is fighting a lot with the text. It does not contrast it enough. I like that you bolded the headings and subheadings to show some hierarchy, but I think you might have forgotten to add it on page 3 with the "Eligibility." With the use of paragraph styles, it will help to keep this consistency, and less work for you to do. Great beginning to your spreads so far!
Pavlo – I agree with everything Eleni has said above, and here are a few more suggestions:
ReplyDeletePage 2 has too much type. This is the inside front cover, and the place the reader will begin (and hopefully continue( into the brochure. The top block of text (MBDC: Helping businesses…) should actually sit on your cover. However, I will allow you to move it onto page 2 if you really don’t want it on the cover. But… it cannot serve as a section heading. It is the subheading for the entire brochure – so it will need to sit all by itself on the page. Feel free to add a photo to page 2 – but the main sections of type cannot start here, so soon, on the inside. It is too overwhelming, and you will loose the reader.
Page 3 – the right-hand page of the first spread. This is where some of the type can begin. Read the text and decide what sections should appear here, and which should move back into the following pages. You have some choices, but they should be based on what makes sense to you in the reading and interpreting of this content for the reader.
Because now you will not have as much text on this spread to work with – what are your options to fill the space? Well – consider the type itself as an important element, and think about ways to emphasize certain sections/words to help the reader understand the content more quickly. You can decide to repeat sentences as pull quotes (larger and set aside from the body copy) that you feel are important. You can continue to think about the relationship between photos and text – introducing additional photos. You can embrace the idea of well-designed negative space… so that not every inch of the page contains an element. I think Eleni is correct when she says you are adding random leaf icons to fill “left over” space. This is never a good approach. Instead, work that negative space back into the design in places where it is needed to make the page more interesting, and readable (+ leading is a very good idea).
The typographic styling and design approach that you use on this spread will set the course for the following pages – so it is important that you continue to work on these pages before moving on. I suggest you continue to work on these pages and then post again ASAP.