5 Must-Haves in Every Layout

Whether you are creating a brochure, an advertisement, or a magazine article, the goal is to grab the reader’s attention. While layout software can help the designer create the final layout, knowing tips and tricks of creating a composition is important to creating an effective piece.

Here are five tips that professionals use in all their layouts:

Engage the Reader

If you look at any of your favorite magazine covers you will notice the picture captures your eye. In addition, the cover also highlights the headlines found inside. It’s important not to settle for boring images and rather choose ones that engage the reader and make them interested to take notice of the page.

Guide the Reader’s Eye

Avoid images that draw the readers eye away from the text. This is distracting and will leave the reader not engaged in the content. Instead position images that draw the reader to the text. This tactic becomes especially important for postcards and web articles.

Find the Natural Focal Point

Most images feature a natural focal point that draws the readers eye to the picture. It’s important that the focal point doesn’t get covered with headlines and other content.

Balance the Composition

A difficult task when designing a piece is to properly balance the page. It’s important that the image never overpowers the text but rather balances it. A common way to solve this issue is to center the photos with the headlines running along the bottom. Another is to make the images and the text the same width.

Go For a More Asymmetrical Design

In effort to balance the text and image many designers make the mistake of laying out a symmetrical design because it appears natural. However, this design can appear boring to the reader. Add more interest by using a more asymmetrical design. Here’s how:

• Don’t be afraid to use white space
• Crop pictures differently to give the page a more creative look
• Break up the grid by using picture boxes

Creating a great layout takes more than just images, font, and text. An effective design captures the reader’s attention and makes them engaged in the page. When first starting off, laying out a page can seem difficult. These tips will get you off on the right track and help you begin your journey in design.