| It's almost 5 o'clock on Friday afternoon. Do you | | | | amount of white space you use affects the |
| know where your newest marketing pieces are? | | | | overall page design. |
| If you're a small business owner, they may be | | | | 3. Repeat certain elements Good design calls for |
| buried on your desk because you've got so many | | | | repeating certain elements throughout your piece |
| other important details to handle. Or they're still | | | | to make the whole piece come together visually. |
| sitting on your assistant's desk where she's | | | | For example, use the same color, shape, and size |
| staring at them hopelessly. She's an admin | | | | for all your bullets. Also make all your headers the |
| assistant, for heaven's sake, not a designer, and | | | | same size, color, and font. Go for more and |
| she knows what she's produced so far is not | | | | repeat specific graphic elements (e.g., boxes, |
| very memorable or effective. | | | | banners, rule lines, etc.) throughout the piece. A |
| All of us would like to think our product is so | | | | word of caution: When you review your work, |
| good, our services so unique, they'll simply sell | | | | make sure you've used all of these design |
| themselves. Not so! Strong branding, powerful | | | | elements consistently. |
| images, compelling web pages and outstanding | | | | 4. Pay attention to proximity Proximity refers to |
| marketing pieces make or break that upward | | | | the exact spatial relationships between elements. |
| sales curve you crave so urgently. In today's | | | | For example, you create visual relationships |
| market, your customers and clients are influenced | | | | between photos and their captions by keeping the |
| more than ever by the visual presentation of | | | | captions close to the photos. For subheads, a pro |
| your marketing pieces. If they are well designed, | | | | positions them closer to the text below than the |
| they're likely to be read, remembered and | | | | text above. Apply this principle of exact spatial |
| respected. | | | | relationship to all other graphic and text elements |
| Here are five simple, but essential tricks of the | | | | where appropriate. When you review your work, |
| designer's trade that you can use immediately, at | | | | make sure you've applied this spacing consistently |
| little cost, and with excellent results to profit you | | | | throughout. |
| both short and long term. | | | | 5. Know when to use serif and sans serif fonts In |
| 1. Take advantage of quality clip art and stock | | | | general, when you have a large amount of text, it |
| photos Chances are you're not an illustrator or | | | | is best to use a serif font because it is easier to |
| photographer, but that shouldn't stop you from | | | | read than a sans serif font. Serifs are the tiny |
| using professional illustrations or photos in your | | | | horizontal strokes attached to the letters which |
| marketing piece. You can use clip art--sometimes | | | | help the reader's eyes flow from letter to letter. |
| at a very low price--to enhance your layout. | | | | Bold sans serif (without serifs) are good for |
| Check out the Internet for sites that feature clip | | | | headlines and subheads because they slow the |
| art or stock photo libraries that provide a wide | | | | reader down thus bringing more attention to each |
| variety of quality and prices to choose from. Use | | | | word or concept. Some examples of serif fonts |
| the same style of graphics throughout your piece | | | | that are good for body copy are: Times, New |
| to create a consistent look. | | | | Century Schoolbook, Garamond and Goudy. Some |
| 2. Add dramatic contrast Using contrast means | | | | examples of sans serif fonts that are good for |
| having clearly apparent differences among the | | | | headlines are: Arial Bold, Helvetica Black, Univers |
| design elements that come together on a page, | | | | Bold and Trade Gothic. |
| business card, or computer screen. These include | | | | It's 9 o'clock Monday morning. You're smiling |
| contrasting colors, shapes, fonts, and sizes of | | | | because you have incorporated these important |
| text and graphics. A high degree of contrast helps | | | | design elements into your marketing strategy. |
| create dramatic interest and draws the viewer's | | | | You're ready to face a new week with vastly |
| eye to specific areas of your page. White space | | | | improved opportunities to keep smiling at a |
| also provides contrast, aids legibility, and gives the | | | | growing bottom line. |
| reader's eye a resting point. Controlling the | | | | |