1. differences between responses both quantatitively and qualitatively.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
GRAPHIC DESIGN
PLAN601E VERBAL AND VISUAL: INFORMATION GRAPHICS (SESSION 2)

2. LAYERS help you think about what information you want
to communicate and what graphic elements you need.
ACTIVITY ICONS, WATER CONNECTIONS, GREEN CONNECTIONS, TRANSIT STATIONS, TREES, BUILDINGS, PAVEMENT EDGES, WATER
EAST RIVER ESPLANADE PLAN
NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION / SHOP ARCHITECTS

3. HIERARCHY provides a route for the eye to follow and
assigns an order of importance to each graphic element.
JOURNALISTS USE THE MODEL OF AN “INVERTED PYRAMID” TO ORGANIZE INFORMATION IN NEWS STORIES.
THE INVERTED PYRAMID

4. HIERARCHY provides a route for the eye to follow and
assigns an order of importance to each graphic element.
COLOR HUE LINE WEIGHT FONT SIZE
Very
Important
Important
Less Important
Least Important
THERE ARE MANY GRAPHIC ELEMENTS THAT CREATE VISUAL HIERARCHY.
VISUAL HIERARCHY

5. HIERARCHY provides a route for the eye to follow and
assigns an order of importance to each graphic element.
WHERE DOES YOUR EYE GO FIRST?
WHERE DOES IT GO FROM THERE?
WHAT DO YOU NOTICE LAST?
WHAT GRAPHIC ELEMENTS CREATE
VISUAL HIERARCHY?
DOES THE HIERARCHY COMMUNITY
A CLEAR IDEA?
FUTURE OF GREENWICH STREET SOUTH, DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE / ARO

6. COLOR helps to create hierarchy by emphasizing graphic
elements and associating elements with information.
EQUIDISTANT COLORS
ADJACENT COLORS
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
MONOCHROMATIC COLORS
THERE ARE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO SELECTING A COLOR PALETTE.
THE COLOR WHEEL

7. COLOR helps to create hierarchy by emphasizing graphic
elements and associating elements with information.
MONOCHROMATIC BACKGROUND WITH HIGHLIGHT COLOR EMPHASIZING A SINGLE ELEMENT.
“MILLION DOLLAR BLOCKS”, SPATIAL INFORMATION DESIGN LAB

8. COLOR helps to create hierarchy by emphasizing graphic
elements and associating elements with information.
EQUIDISTANT COLORS LEAD YOUR EYE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.
PLANYC 2030, MAYOR’S OFFICE OF LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY / TWO TWELVE

9. COLOR helps to create hierarchy by emphasizing graphic
elements and associating elements with information.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS EMPHASIZE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO ELEMENTS.
NYU PLANS 2031, NYU OFFICE OF STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT,
PLANNING, AND DEVELOPMENT / 2 X 4

10. COLOR helps to create hierarchy by emphasizing graphic
elements and associating elements with information.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS MAKE SOME ELEMENTS “POP” MORE THAN OTHERS.
PLANYC 2030, MAYOR’S OFFICE OF LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY / TWO TWELVE

11. PANTONE helps to choose a palette of colors that work together
and makes printing more predictable.
CHOOSE COLORS FROM PANTONE SOLID UNCOATED – AVOID RANDOMLY SELECTING COLORS WITH THE COLOR PICKER.
COLOR PICKING

12. SCALE helps to create hierarchy using size
to distinguish one element from its surroundings.
SCALE

13. SCALE helps to create hierarchy using size
to distinguish one element from its surroundings.
SCALE CAN LEAD YOUR EYE ACROSS THE IMAGE AND HELP TO MAKE COMPARISONS.
“MAPPING ISTANBUL,” PROJECT PROJECTS

14. SCALE helps to create hierarchy using size
to distinguish one element from its surroundings.
SCALING FONTS DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBER.
NYU PLANS 2031, NYU OFFICE OF STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT,
PLANNING, AND DEVELOPMENT / 2 X 4

15. REPETITION holds together the composition of
a graphic and can help to communicate a narrative.
HOLDING BACKGROUND ELEMENTS CONSTANT IS A GOOD WAY TO SHOW CHANGE OVER TIME.
EAST RIVER ESPLANADE PLAN
NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION / SHOP ARCHITECTS

16. REPETITION holds together the composition of
a graphic and can help to communicate a narrative.
REPETITION CAN BE USED TO MAKE COMPARISONS – EDWARD TUFTE CALLS THESE “SMALL MULTIPLES”.
“PUBLIC HOUSING: A NEW CONVERSATION”,
BUELL CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE, MTWTF

17. REPETITION holds together the composition of
a graphic and can help to communicate a narrative.
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO TAKE MUCH REPETITION TO COMMUNICATE A COMPELLING IDEA...
SPONGE PARK, DLAND STUDIO

18. BALANCE happens when there is a hierarchy, but no one
graphic element has more “visual weight” than another.
IN A CAT’S CRADLE, EACH LINE SEGMENT IS HELD IN TENSION WITH THE REST...

19. GRIDS are important for laying-out boards or
arranging elements in a supergraphic.
THE RULE OF THIRDS SAYS
THAT THE EYE LIKES TO
SEE IMAGES AND LAYOUTS
BROKEN INTO A GRID 3 X
3 GRID AND ITS NATURAL
FOCAL POINT IS OFF-CENTER.
LAYOUT AND GRIDS

20. GRIDS are important for laying-out boards or
arranging elements in a supergraphic.
2
1
1) PAGE MARGINS
2) VERTICAL COLUMNS
3) HORIZONTAL ROWS
3
4) SPACE BETWEEN TYPE
OR IMAGES (GUTTER)
4
LAYOUT AND GRIDS

21. GRIDS are important for laying-out boards or
arranging elements in a supergraphic.
2
1) PAGE MARGINS 1
2) VERTICAL COLUMNS
3) HORIZONTAL ROWS
3
4) SPACE BETWEEN TYPE
OR IMAGES (GUTTER)
4
“VENDOR POWER”, CENTER FOR URBAN PEDAGOGY

22. GRIDS are important for laying-out boards or
arranging elements in a supergraphic.
2
1) PAGE MARGINS 1
2) VERTICAL COLUMNS
3) HORIZONTAL ROWS
3
4) SPACE BETWEEN TYPE
OR IMAGES (GUTTER)
4
“VENDOR POWER”, CENTER FOR URBAN PEDAGOGY

23. TYPOGRAPHY is important for establishing hierarchy
and making presentations legible.
GOOD SERIF FONTS GOOD SANS-SERIF FONTS
Cooper Helvetica
Neue
Garamond Myriad Pro
Sabon Rockwell
TYPOGRAPHY

24. TYPOGRAPHY is important for establishing hierarchy
and making presentations legible.
HEADER AND TEXT LABELS
HELVETICA
NEUE HELVETICA
NEUE
Sabon luptat ra qui numquo eari Helvetica
Neue
dolore etur sandae nonsequo Helvetica
Neue
mint. Genit ipsam fugitectem HELVETICA
NEW
doluptam es si id ut velicim aciur,
simusandis enet audae dessinc
tatiuntotat moluptur, solupis
essimag niendam autem fuga.
CHOOSE ONE SERIF FONT FOR RUNNING TEXT AND ONE SANS-SERIF FONT FOR HEADERS AND LABELS;
A VARIETY OF SIZES, DISPLAY TYPES, AND TINTS ADDS VISUAL INTEREST TO THE PRESENTATION.
TYPOGRAPHY