Everything You Need To Know About Graphic Design Layout

SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 by URBANCLAP EDITORIAL

8 min read 

Graphic design layout refers to the way in which we arrange the elements on a page which makes up the content of a design. The aim of layout is both to convey the message correctly and to present information in a logical, coherent way making the important elements stand out. Investing into the best logo design can make the content easier to understand. Let’s take the classic newspaper layout as an example. The justified columns of text are designed to be visually appealing, yet authoritative. The use of large headlines grabs the reader’s attention, whilst the sub-headings allow you to see an obvious hierarchy of information, meaning you can easily get the gist of the news, without needing to read the whole piece. So when planning a graphic design layout, you should make sure that the layout looks authoritative and packed with information, or clean and structured. Today we are going to give master tips on everything you need to know about an effective graphic design layout.

1. Graphic Layout Meaning

Layout basically means the arrangement of predetermined items such as image, text and style on a page. It establishes the overall appearance and relationships between the graphic elements to achieve a smooth flow of message and eye movement for maximum effectiveness or impact. You just decide on placement, color, text, etc for items you already have.  Graphic layout plays a very important role in creating and achieving a successful design that easily attracts potential customers, is user-friendly, easy to understand has a universal appeal.

2. Graphic Design Layout Rules

A layout is the heart of any design. No matter how skilled you are there are chances that you might find it hard to try to fit the elements onto the page because they just don’t look or feel right. It is therefore extremely important to stick to these layout rules to create best logo designs.  The number one rule in layout is to balance all your elements, so that the message is not distorted. You should always place your elements in the center of the page, keeping the margins on all edges. Rotational and reflection symmetry are further variations of the theme, and can add interest. Next you should always remember the rule of third. Use guides to divide your work area into an equal three-by-three grid. Place your key element where two of the axes meet to have a focal point. It’s then simple to develop the rest of the layout quite effortlessly. Another important rule of layout is unity which states that by using unity you can create a cohesive layout. If your elements are of uniform sizes, aligned to grids, are of equal dimension a viewer will subconsciously create structure and order.

3. Graphic Design Layout Template

There are various design templates that you can use for creating a visually appealing layout. You can fully customize a page by just using HTML Code that does not use the theme. Liquid layout elements at will not show header, footer, or other carried over elements but can be great for creating unity. People generally use CSS property for creating liquid template. Another famous layout template people use is tables for layout creation which is quite intuitive. You can see them almost everywhere! You don’t even need to use a separate CSS stylesheet when using this template. And, the best part about them is that they don’t break. Flexbox is another layout template which is a short name for the CSS Flexible Box Layout Module. This is something new to Float template and the main idea behind the flexbox is to give a container the ability to alter its items length, width and order. You should use it if you want to fill the available space and make your layout stand out.

4. Design Layout Inspiration

The most inspirational things are often right in front of us and they often inspire us to create a unique and impressive layout.  It might be the opening titles in the recent movie that you saw , a typography on a book cover, the design of a square inch, the colors of your favorite music album, etc. Imagine you’re browsing through a bookstore, soaking up covers, getting awe-inspired by their colors, their typefaces, their layouts, little details. The variety is endless, and sometimes your eyes stick onto that master piece of art shining through the sheer mass. You just need to keep your eyes open and the best kind of design layout inspiration might indeed lie where you least expect it.

5. Graphic Design Layout Book

When it comes to seeking inspiration and getting into the depth of design layout, graphic designers are spoilt for choice. There is a wealth of books at our fingertips, all waiting to be explored and enjoyed, helping you improve and refine your design layout skill. A very popular layout design book in this category is Logo Modernism (Design) by Jens Muller where you can see the distillation of modernism in graphic design.  This unprecedented publication brings together approximately 6,000 trademarks and can be the best present to help you create appealing layouts. You can also read The Layout Book by Gavin Ambrose and Paul Harris which explains the hows, whys, and why nots of layout design. It has a selection of great layout designs and contains more than 300 illustrations in full color and black-and-white.  You can also read other books such as Layout Workbook by Kristin Cullen, Layout Essentials by Beth Tondreau. All these books can instantly awaken your inspirational mind.

6. Print Layout Design Inspiration

In print design, layout is one of the most crucial aspects.  Whether it’s an artworks on your bookshelf, the Postage Stamps collection on Flickr, an influential mazagine, collage print design or whimsical pixel art, playful geometric designs and patterns, all of this is sure to squeeze your creative mind.  Perhaps something extraordinary can also inspire you such as your own series of book covers made with HTML and CSS.

7. Graphic Design Layout Techniques

There are various techniques to make your design layout appealing. Focal Point and Accent is the most important among them because emphasis is achieved by position, rhythm, typeface weights and styles. The secondary emphasis points are called accent and help in framing the layout correctly. Another technique which can make your layout stand out is positive and negative shapes. In a successful positive/negative shape relationship negative shapes are interdependent, filling the whole space in the eyes of the viewer. Further you should also take care of the grid as it is a modular compositional structure made up of verticals and horizontals that segregates the format into columns. A grid gives a layout a unified look.

8. Graphic Design Layout Principles 

There are a few graphic design principles which you must follow. Alignment of elements in the layout is the basic principle which makes your layout stand out, Further, you should use simple font face, images should be of high resolution and should be big enough to capture the viewers attention. Proximity is another important principle which makes your layout a unity. Contrast is also important as it creates variety in the layout.

If the elements of the layout are laid out well, and you follow all of these master tips about the layout design then you will surly create a great layout and will feel excited as your viewers eye will be led across the page. A layout is the first attraction for your readers and viewers, so make it effective and appealing today.