Pavlo, Is there a chance you could tone down that green background? I feel like it's a bit too bright for a brochure like this. It might even help you out with the gradient effect you've decided to use behind the levels of certification relating it to metals. Because I feel like we can't really see those gradients and if you figured out a way to show them more it might work out in your favor. Also, with those boxes the type is too close to the outside of them. Trying going into your text frame options and moving the type away from the sides so it looks like it's enclosed in the boxes.
I agree with everything Nicole said. Also just a shortcut to help you with the spacing in your boxes, if you click command B, you can adjust the inset of your text boxes there. Also I'm not sure if the gradient within the text boxes works with the background being a different flat color. You've also only added this effect to one page so it seems a bit unbalanced. I really like the image with the water pouring out of the bottle, but the text is a bit odd the way it is placed. I think a really cool effect would be if you put the text on a path so it could follow the path of the running water, so our eyes would flow down in the direction the water is going (just a thought). I think you could use some space between the subheadings and the body paragraphs as well. So far, great progress!
Pavlo – we spoke about this a bit in the classroom, so here are some reminders and maybe some new feedback:
A good thing to consider is the use of color – and why we use it? The green background, and its intensity, seems to call to us – and ask the reader not to read the words, but to look at the background color. I’m sure this isn’t what you have in mind. Color is the STRONGEST design element, and as such it can work against the readability of your design in a major way. That is what is happening here. It is a much better idea to use less color and more vibrant photos in a design – since the photos help pull the reader to the page while not hindering their ability to read the text. I challenge you to use a white background and photos that are stronger and more interesting than the ones on this spread.
Also – of course, the infographic must be designed with the use of icons to explain the data. This is a photo with caption-like text inside it (not sure why the type is tilted… not a good plan) – not an infographic. You’ve now seen enough infographs from other students in the class, and online research that you should be able to create one.
I question the subheadings, if not also the heading alignment. Why center? I suggest you FL them, like the body copy, mainly because of the length of “Cradle to Cradle Certified Levels of Achievment” – which seems pretty awkward centered in such a small column.
The other option would be to run it across the gutter to the next page – making sure the gutter is actually between 2 words. That way it would sit above the columns you have dedicated to the 4 different levels.
Don’t let the body copy sit too closely to the photos – leave more negative space around them. I use Text Wrap of at least p9 all around my photos, and let the photos push the type around. I will then re-crop and resize the photos to facilitate the layout, pushing the type where it should go.
Yes, please use Text Inset on your different levels of achievement boxes – command/B (Text Frame Options) to pull the text away from those edges. Your boxes may need to be a bit longer to hold the text – but that’s ok because the infographic should fit into the space left on the page. In fact, some of these levels could move to the bottom right column on page 4 and run across the gutter onto page 5. A good use of this center spread.
Please use InDesign’s bullet list feature (on the control panel along the top when you are in the text tool) and it will indent these bullets and the following lines just perfectly).
I’m looking forward to actually seeing different colors inside the boxes – subtle color shifts to help me know that the levels are different.
Pavlo,
ReplyDeleteIs there a chance you could tone down that green background? I feel like it's a bit too bright for a brochure like this. It might even help you out with the gradient effect you've decided to use behind the levels of certification relating it to metals. Because I feel like we can't really see those gradients and if you figured out a way to show them more it might work out in your favor. Also, with those boxes the type is too close to the outside of them. Trying going into your text frame options and moving the type away from the sides so it looks like it's enclosed in the boxes.
Pavlo,
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything Nicole said. Also just a shortcut to help you with the spacing in your boxes, if you click command B, you can adjust the inset of your text boxes there. Also I'm not sure if the gradient within the text boxes works with the background being a different flat color. You've also only added this effect to one page so it seems a bit unbalanced. I really like the image with the water pouring out of the bottle, but the text is a bit odd the way it is placed. I think a really cool effect would be if you put the text on a path so it could follow the path of the running water, so our eyes would flow down in the direction the water is going (just a thought). I think you could use some space between the subheadings and the body paragraphs as well. So far, great progress!
Pavlo – we spoke about this a bit in the classroom, so here are some reminders and maybe some new feedback:
ReplyDeleteA good thing to consider is the use of color – and why we use it? The green background, and its intensity, seems to call to us – and ask the reader not to read the words, but to look at the background color. I’m sure this isn’t what you have in mind. Color is the STRONGEST design element, and as such it can work against the readability of your design in a major way. That is what is happening here. It is a much better idea to use less color and more vibrant photos in a design – since the photos help pull the reader to the page while not hindering their ability to read the text. I challenge you to use a white background and photos that are stronger and more interesting than the ones on this spread.
Also – of course, the infographic must be designed with the use of icons to explain the data. This is a photo with caption-like text inside it (not sure why the type is tilted… not a good plan) – not an infographic. You’ve now seen enough infographs from other students in the class, and online research that you should be able to create one.
I question the subheadings, if not also the heading alignment. Why center? I suggest you FL them, like the body copy, mainly because of the length of “Cradle to Cradle Certified Levels of Achievment” – which seems pretty awkward centered in such a small column.
The other option would be to run it across the gutter to the next page – making sure the gutter is actually between 2 words. That way it would sit above the columns you have dedicated to the 4 different levels.
Don’t let the body copy sit too closely to the photos – leave more negative space around them. I use Text Wrap of at least p9 all around my photos, and let the photos push the type around. I will then re-crop and resize the photos to facilitate the layout, pushing the type where it should go.
Yes, please use Text Inset on your different levels of achievement boxes – command/B (Text Frame Options) to pull the text away from those edges. Your boxes may need to be a bit longer to hold the text – but that’s ok because the infographic should fit into the space left on the page. In fact, some of these levels could move to the bottom right column on page 4 and run across the gutter onto page 5. A good use of this center spread.
Please use InDesign’s bullet list feature (on the control panel along the top when you are in the text tool) and it will indent these bullets and the following lines just perfectly).
I’m looking forward to actually seeing different colors inside the boxes – subtle color shifts to help me know that the levels are different.