Exercise 10 - Design Success and Failure in Relation to Syntactical Guidelines

(image: Best Design Options - http://bestdesignoptions.com/?p=4076)

1. Successful Design

The goal of this design was to visually reinforce the subject matter of the article, which deals with irrigation systems in rural Canada. The target audience for this design would be composed largely of educated younger adults with a tendency toward environmentalism, and who would appreciate subtlety and artistry in design. The composition is balanced by juxtaposing the large, irregular type and lesser photographic detail on the left with a square block of small type and more representational elements on the right. The fragmented-looking title and subtitles (located in the lower left for emphasis), as well as the asymmetrical quality of the chosen photograph, create visual stress which breaks up the potential monotony of a minimal, black-and-white composition. The blocks of text are grouped so as to facilitate the correct scan paths for reading the article sequentially. The text is established as the positive (predominant) element through a heightening of tonal contrast.


(image: Mushing Magazine - http://www.mushing.com/articles/content.php?vw=2,,4,490)

2. Failed Design

As in most magazine layouts, the goal of this design would have been to reinforce the subject matter of the featured article, which apparently has to do with dog sledding. The target audience for this design would consist of a specialized group of enthusiasts with a propensity for physical activity and the outdoors. The imbalance of the design can be attributed to several causes, including the poorly composed title page photograph with large blocks of text superimposed, as well as the lack of visual interest in the right-hand page as compared to that in the left. The large areas of black text on a plain white background have the stark, sterile look of an undesigned, plain-text webpage. Instead of existing in a clear positive-negative relationship, the text and images both lack visual interest; thus, neither predominates, and the design remains maddeningly ambiguous. As a result, even viewers who have prior interest in the subject matter would not likely be drawn to this article. Indeed, adventurous types could easily be put off by such a bland design. Although the color white suggests snow, and the image is illustrative on a basic level, the designer clearly did little else to connect the design with the article's topic.