A crash course in graphic design created by two professional graphic designers that work for libraries. Get an overview of basic design concepts, lots of tips for improving your design skills, as well as free and cheap resources.
1. GraphicDesign:101
Great Graphics on a Shoe-String Budget
ChristineKarpovage EricaKarmes-Jesonis
State of Delaware Cecil County Public Library
Division of Libraries Web Manager & Graphic Designer
Government Information Center
Web & Graphic Designer
2. Top Design Challenges for Libraries
• Time
•
limited •
Training
Resources
• Focus
WHY graphic design is critical
the pitch • Communication
• Impact
3. Design Tips… Where do I start?
Purpose
• What do I need to communicate?
Audience
• Who am I trying to get to my event?
Gather Information
• Logos, photos, specific colors, date, time location
• Are there special details needed? Driving directions?
Do they need costumes?
Treat it like a billboard
Keep it simple… Remember, less is more
• Can you look at it with in a few seconds and
understand what, when and where?
4. Body Text, Headlines and Fonts… Oh my!
Grab their attention
• Create a larger headline, use a fun
(but readable) font
• Keep it short and sweet
• Use a graphic element in the header
5. Remember readability for all text
• People read left to right, not sideways, or stacked
• Keep body text in easy-to-read fonts (Helvetica, Calibri, Times, etc.)
• Be careful with all caps
• Keep font variety to 2, otherwise your design can look chaotic
• Consider pairing fonts to create contrast – a bold, fun font for your
header, with a thinner font for a subheader
7. • “White Space” is negative
space.
• Gives the eye a rest.
• It is not your “Enemy” and no
need to fill up every inch of
the page.
• We want people to feel
pleasure when viewing your
item, not have a seizure.
10. Color
• Keep colors to minimal combinations
• Think of nature with neutrals and
pops of color
• Goal is to make it easy on
the eye, not cause headaches.
• Create balance with
“white” space and color blocks
11. Complimentary Colors
causes “vibration”
The eye has a difficult time
viewing and focusing.
Red & Green are used at
Holiday times and use
sparingly.
Try not to directly use next
to each other when
possible.
Many sports teams use
these bright vibrating color
combinations for uniforms.
You can definitely find your
team on the field!
12. Use color common sense.
Grab their attention but don’t give them a headache
When used sensibly you can put vibrating
colors together for a powerful punch. Finding
the right balance is key.
13. Layout & Color
“Color harmony delivers
visual interest and a sense
of order.”
In visual experiences, harmony is
something that is pleasing to the
eye. It engages the viewer, creates
an inner sense of order and balance
in the visual experience.
When something is not harmonious,
it's either boring or chaotic.
14. Layout – the secret of the 2 Ls
• Lump
Program
• Line Up
Program Title
DESCRIPTIVE SUBHEADER
Descriptive Subheader
Title PHOTO Paragraph of text that
describes the program.
Paragraph of text that
describes the program.
Paragraph of text that describes the program. Paragraph of text Paragraph of text that
that describes the program. Paragraph of text that describes the describes the program. PHOTO
program. Paragraph of text that describes the program. Paragraph Paragraph of text that
of text that describes the program. describes the program.
Paragraph of text that
Program Date & describes the program.
Program
Time
Mandatory ADA statement. Mandatory ADA statement. Mandatory ADA statement.
Date & Time
Library
Library Phone #
Phone #
Website address Website address
Mandatory ADA statement. Mandatory ADA statement. Mandatory ADA statement.
15.
16. Doodle time! – Have a plan
• Yes! I said “Doodle”
Put some thoughts on scrap paper
Your sketch is your road map
• You don’t need drawing skills!
No detail required. It is just to give you a
starting point for your layout.
• Group items
Put like items together to create distinct
sections. Most flyers have general info
like logos, phone numbers, and ADA
statements… put together to make a footer.
Phone #
Website address
Mandatory ADA statement. Mandatory ADA statement. Mandatory ADA statement.
Christine “ Graphic Design ” … when people hear that they think, “ Anyone with a computer can do it ” . Just stick the information on a piece of paper, drop in some funny clip art and post it… Not true. If you are not a designer but have been given the hat to wear, you know there is more to it, especially when you hear, “Why are people not attending our programs?” Because of the computer it seems workplaces want to keep their budgets low and want one person to be everything these days. As librarians you are already busy with a billion things to do, then there is that Flyer you have to put your design hat on for. Ugh. There is real strategy and research put into most advertising & design out there… We don ’ t have the time to go to get a design degree or the budget to get professional design software to help. All Libraries want to do is increase use, and communicate to their patrons about our services & events in an effective manner…. And hopefully have some fun doing it! We are here to give you some tips, share our experience & knowledge to help you as well as to validate why good design is necessary..
Erica CHALLENGES: Most library staff are already strapped for time, they rarely have training in graphic design, they have few or no resources such as design programs like Adobe InDesign, and no stock photo budget, etc. Worst of all is the focus problem. Designing and marketing is easiest when you have a narrow focus and audience, but libraries rarely do. They offer programs, services, materials and resources to a wide range of people on a wide range of topics – that can make design really challenging. THE PITCH: If you told your boss that you had a way to increase circulation, increase program attendance, help people navigate the library better, improve the user experience, increase awareness about your services – would your boss say no??? Of course not – graphic design is all about COMMUNICATION and IMPACT – 2 critical things – and it can help tremendously with so many aspects of our jobs. But… it takes time (preferably off the desk) and effort. It ’s not just playing around. It’s real, hard work.
Christine I want to design a flyer… but where do I start? Think of it as a puzzle and you have to fit the pieces… when you have the right ones, it just comes together. Remember you are not the audience. Let someone who doesn ’t know about the program view it… see if they can tell you about it. If you have to explain it you need to go back and fix it.
Erica… to talk about fonts and relation to getting approvals from IT Departments. Also if you are limited to regular fonts.
Erica
Christine… White space… Have you ever woken up on a snowy morning, you don’t have to go to work, and everyone is inside… Remember how peaceful and beautiful it looks… well that is what white space does for your eyes & brain. Gives it a moment to rest from information.
Christine White space… Have you ever woken up on a snowy morning, you don’t have to go to work, and everyone is inside… Remember how peaceful and beautiful it looks… well that is what white space does for your eyes & brain. Gives it a moment to rest from information.
Christine: Remember… color, font, and art choices will come into play when designing a eye catching flyer or brochure. On the left, it is chaotic… No contact information… Hard to read text…Too much going on with the background, eye can’t focus on anything… remember less is more. On the right white space is used, info is lumped together, date and time are visible. The eye can focus and follow around the document. Guide the eye… Headline, date, product, contact
Christine introduce…
Christine Primary Colors : Red, yellow and blue. In traditional color theory (used in paint and pigments), primary colors are the 3 pigment colors that can not be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues. Secondary Colors : Green, orange and purple These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors (Red, Yellow & Blue) When you use a color directly across from each other (a Primary & Secondary) these are “Complimentary” colors…
Christine Complimentary colors can be use to create bold exciting punches of color when used correctly… but when not, can really “hurt” the viewer.
Christine In these cases a lot of color has been used, and complimentary colors… like reds & greens, blues & oranges but the different “Values” and amounts of those colors are what makes the difference from bold and eye catching to headache causing. Just like cooking, sometimes you can add a little spice to make something yummy, but too much of one spice to ruin a dish.
Erica Soothing to the eye choices but not boring. Also combinations that are found in nature are great ways to accent a design. When used correctly color can evoke a feeling. Colors in this example are pulled from nature… Blues, greens, yellows, oranges… and the book is a pop of red for your eye to focus its attention to – also, the designer (Christine) did a great job of using color to layout the different areas of the design – look at the green stripes that separate the different areas How many of you have had the problem of loving the colors on screen, but then printing and seeing that it looks totally different? Common problem – discuss options, show Pantone print out
Erica LUMP – Put like items together so that you create distinct sections. For your typical flyer, headers and subheaders can go together. Body text and program date can go together. Most flyers have general info like the library ’s phone number, logo, ADA statement, and other logos – lump those all together in the footer to make designing much, much easier. LINE UP – Divide your flyer horizontally into 3 parts – header, body, and footer (show lines). Then place your lumped elements into the designated areas – as you place each element, consciously choose how you ’re going to line it up (don’t simply place it in the center because you don’t know where to put the pieces…) Many design programs offer the option to turn on a grid in the background, which can be very helpful to see how elements are lining up.
Erica Go over layout of 1 st two – with 3 rd , talk about how it can help to consolidate multiple like events together, create templates, reuse to save time and just change color scheme, etc.
Christine: Just remember to have a plan… Just as you make a list to go to the grocery store to not forget the items you need most, take all the tips you have learned and doodle out what you want to do before hitting the computer. It will make it easier and faster.
Erica… Talk about resources & Point out resources in packet, disclaimer that most free/cheap site will have ads to other stuff, be careful about downloads, talk to IT, etc.