Columbia Scholastic Press Association

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CSPA is affiliated with the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in the City of New York.

When someone aspires to be a great writer, everyone is quick with advice: “Read. Read a lot. Read as much as you can. Read work by as many different writers as you can.” And do you know what? That is excellent advice for those who want to become great designers too.

Let's translate it into the world of design: “Look at the world around you. Pay attention to what is already being done. Look at every design on as many levels as you can. Look at designs to figure out what makes them work... and try to remember all that you have seen.”

The best way to improve your design skills is to strengthen your visual memory. The more images you can call up when you face a design problem, the better off you will be. And, as you begin to look at more work by more designers, you will notice that there are four very important principles of design that are rarely ignored.

VOICE

In order for a publication to have a consistent voice/personality/tone, designers do more than simply strive for a classic look or one that’s clearly avant garde. The components of a book’s voice will parallel those long used to make a book’s theme package identifiable: type, color, shapes and patterns. In addition, a publication’s structure and use of space will aid in the presentation of a strong voice. In addition to creating a unified look that holds the book or coverage package together, it is important to have enough variations that the readers do not get bored. But too much variety is not good either; the various options should present a harmonious and cohesive vision. No longer are yearbooks five or six schizophrenically-designed sections held together by a theme/concept design package. Today’s yearbooks have one voice/personality that starts on the cover and continues through to the back endsheet.

SCALE

Keeping the scale of your work comfortable is an easy thing to do, but it’s something that designers who are too literal when they “borrow” from other sources often forget. As journalists who are creating a permanent record for a school community, yearbook designers often have to consider content elements that the pros don’t bother with. Complete yearbook captions are often longer than those in the professional press and few other designers deal with group shots, scoreboards or membership factoids. As you add more elements, remember that you may need to adjust the sizes of some pieces. Even if the headline and copy ran across five columns in the magazine, you may find that you need to decrease to three columns of copy in order to include a photo package that is appropriate for your needs. A visual hierarchy is imperative; the readers should know where to look first and should be able to determine which elements are “next most important” as they work their way around the spread.