Page Layout Techniques: Alignment

Alignment
Robin William’s Principle of Alignment states, "Nothing should be
placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a
visual connection with something else on the page."

Business Card again
!  Use proximity AND
alignment to produce
a dynamic design.
!  In the center
alignment, the edges
are "soft”

Business Card again
!  The proximity did not
change, but the one
below is right-aligned.
!  The right alignment
creates a line that
leads the eye down.

Death to Centered Alignment
!  It is not that
centering items is
bad, it just shouldn’t
be done without a
reason.
!  This movie poster
presents a dull,
almost amateurish
look, which may
influence someone's
initial reaction to the
event.

Death to Centered Alignment
!  The strong flush-left
alignment makes the
poster look more
sophisticated.
!  There is strong
connection between
the different parts of
the movie poster,
emphasizing the
intellectual
relationship between
them.

!  Sometimes there is nothing wrong with a
centered alignment, but you must do it on
purpose.
!  Be careful to make all your alignments the same

Centered Alignment Right Alignment
There is always more than one solution to the
problem, again just make your design on
purpose.
Which one do you like best?

Using Centered Alignment Wisely
Intentional Unintentional
This side is centered.
Should you decide
to center text,
make it
obvious!
It is difficult to tell if this
text was centered on
purpose or possibly
accidentally. The line
lengths are not the same,
but they are not different
enough. If you cannot tell
instantly that the type is
centered, are you really
going to bother reading it?
When you use centered alignment, use it on
purpose

!  Sometimes it is
appropriate to use
centered alignment.
!  Wedding invitations are
often centered because
they are rather sedate,
formal affairs.
!  Appropriate to use
centered alignment? Yes!

!  Sometimes,
however, it is a good
idea to pay attention
to the text and use
it to move the eye.
!  The change is small,
but effective.

Alignment
!  The website has many different elements in it.
!  Sometimes you have to get creative to make
everything work together

Summary
!  Purpose: to unify and organize.
!  Every element should have some visual
connection with another element on the
page.

Tips
!  Be conscious of where you place
elements.
!  Always find something else on the page to
align with.

Avoid!
!  Avoid using more than one text
alignment on the page.
!  Break away from a centered alignment.
◦  unless you are consciously trying to create a
more formal, sedate presentation.
◦  Choose a centered alignment on purpose, not
by default.

Alignment Poster
!  Using art supplies, make a poster that illustrates alignment.
(This is non-digital.)
!  Use the same requirements as you did for the previous poster.
!  Show Alignment:
◦  Write the word ALIGNMENT in letters at least two inches high
on your poster; so they can be read across the room.
◦  Make 3 identical shapes/images which are close to each other and
aligned along an imaginary vertical line which is at least ½ inch
from the left edge of the page.
◦  Make 3 identical shapes/images which are different from the first
3, and are close to each other and aligned along an imaginary
vertical line which is at least ½ inch from the right edge of the
page.
◦  Align the top shape/image in each group along an imaginary
horizontal line which is at least ½ inch from the top edge.
◦  Align your items with the word "alignment" in some way

Resource
!  The content in this PowerPoint was inspired by “The Non-
Designer’s Design Book” by Robin Williams.
!  The assignment was inspired by the content on
www.nhsdesigns.com

Page Layout Techniques: Alignment

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Page Layout Techniques: Alignment