Product Description

Layout is the arrangement of the elements of design in relation to the space that it occupies according to an overall design scheme. It could also be called the management of form and space. The objective of layout is to present the visual and textural elements that are to be communicated in a manner that enables the reader to receive it with the minimum of effort. With good layout, a reader can be navigated through quite complex information in both print and electronic media. The second title in the Basics Design series Layout addresses the practical and aesthetic considerations of the job in hand such as where and how the content will be viewed, regardless of whether the final format is a magazine, website, television graphic or bottle of bubble bath. How the content will be used is also discussed. The use of a grid, for example, allows quick and accurate placement of items and ensures a consistent visual identity from page to page, or item to item across a range of products. This book will prove indispensable for anyone wanting to acquire a thorough knowledge of the building blocks of creative design.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #332368 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

About the Author
Gavin Ambrose MA, achieved his Masters in Communications at Central St. Martins and is a tutor on both the Typographic and Information Design courses at the London College of Communication. He is also a practising designer and has worked for design agencies, including Studio Myerscough, Rodney Fitch & Co. and Masius, galleries, publishers and advertising agencies. Paul Harris PG Dip, London College of Printing is a freelance writer and editor who has written for magazines and journals both in London and New York including the style bible, Dazed & Confused. He has previously written about packaging design and lives and works in London.

Customer Reviews

Layout
Why do people purchase books? Honestly, in this day and age, when so much is available digitally and so many people are saving trees and cutting down on paper purchases, and print, and even print design, people buy books because they want to take them home, read them, reference them, enjoy them. This book is A HORRIBLE READ. If it was possible to give it zero stars, I would have. The content and theory are fine, but it's execution is disastrous. It is designed in such a way that I get a headache even thinking about it. There are entire pages of copy set in white type knocking out of a black solid background, or of black type on a bright yellow background that in three sections vibrates right into your skull and out the other side due to the gloss stock (about which is noted "it's shine can interfere with the readability of text", yet the book designer used it anyway). The most important body copy is nearly 18pt bold on this vibrating yellow background, hardly a combination that helps a brain absorb and retain information. The examples of printed layout in the book are partially obscured by a transparent white box containing the layout caption information. In a book about layout design would it not be better to put aside the giddy overuse of transparent boxes and place the caption info somewhere off the image so that the reader might absorb the full effect of the sampled layout? I could nit pick more, but I won't bother. I'm struggling to get through this book for the content, but I'm tempted to return it. This book design would be better suited to a web page with hidden layers or some kind of other animation. It's impossible to know where my eye is supposed to look next. I think it's a failure of layout design, and considering it's all about layout design, that's pretty pathetic. What's the use of a wonderfully written book - and this one is alright - if you don't want to read it?Basics Design Layout (Basics Design)

Awesome book
I found this book extraordinarily helpful. A great resource of information presented in a way that anyone can understand and grasp. Every page is full of text and pictorial descriptions. Great for the visual learners. I also think this book would be helpful for an educated graphic designer looking to expand their library. The other four books in this basic design series are similar in the quality and delivery of the goods. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in graphic design.