Krause - Layout Index: Brochure, Web Design, Poster, Flyer, Advertising, Page Layout, Newsletter, Stationery Index

Neither book requires the other in order to be used, although the two books could be searched in tandem for solutions and inspiration. This is not a how to book; this is a what if book. Whether you are a designer, illustrator or anyone involved in the creation of visual material, this book assumes that you are already familiar (to some degree or another) with the tools of your trade. The purpose of this book is to augment these tools by providing your eyes and mind with a flurry of visual suggestions intended to ignite and inspire your particular style of creative output. Not a typical layout book. Most books about layout focus on the mechanics of arranging and displaying visual elements: alignment, proportion, relationship, grid, etc.

Important considerations, for sure, and ones that are present in the examples shown in this book. The Layout Index, however, is not a typical layout book. The mechanical aspects of design are not the ultimate focus here and are addressed by name in relatively few places. The examples featured in this book are aimed toward the intuitive centers of the mind and are meant to be viewed on a number of different levelslevels both conceptual and literal in nature: structure, arrangement, content, color, mood and more. There is no right way to use the Layout Index. If you are looking for concepts that could be applied to a specific project, allow the examples to strike you in whatever way they willsome may provide ideas relevant to your project, others will not.

One or more of the examples may start a mental chain-reaction that leads to a solution that is a near relative to a concept seen here. Other times, a chain of ideas that begins here might end up far removed from these pages. The Layout Index, after all, is not meant to be a book of answers, but rather directions in which to explore. Every person who views the samples in this book will react differently to what they see and use the material in a different way. Designers who adhere closely to traditional layout rules will, naturally, gather and apply ideas differently than those who employ more abstract criteria to assess their work. Students and new designers might find a wealth of fresh ideas on these pages; experienced professionals may see these samples as a quick-flowing stream of familiar visual cues from which they can consider and form new ideas.

There is no right way to use this book, nor does it presume to tell anyone how to design, nor what is proper or improper. The Layout Index simply offers a large spectrum of ideas intended to spark the imagination of its viewer toward solutions they feel are appropriate based on their unique (and ever-developing) standard of finish. How the Layout Index is structured and why its structure can be ignored. The Layout Index is divided into eight chapters, each of which focuses on a specific form of media: brochure, flyer, Web page, newsletter, poster, advertising, page layout and stationery. These chapters are meant to be regarded loosely. You might begin your search for brochure ideas in the brochure chapter, but it's just as likely that a sample from the poster or Web chapter could be applieda concept from the newsletter section might apply itself perfectly to a client's stationery package.

In other words, don't take the chapter headings too seriously. The creative sparks that lead to good solutions can come from anywhere (including the storehouse of ideas already in your head as well as an infinite number of other sources outside the pages of this book). Where is the North Park Zoo? While there may actually be more than one North Park Zoo in the world, the North Park Zoo featured in this book is not any of them. In fact, none of the clients featured in the Layout Index exist outside of its pages. These clients were invented for the purposes of this book so that design and layout ideas could be freely explored without being bound to the restrictions and guidelines that real-world organizations must establish. The mix of pseudo-clients featured here represent an array of corporate, public, humanity and arts organizations.

The samples featured for each client differ on a number of levels, including budget, scope and production parameters (colors, size, etc.). A broad spectrum of styles can also be seen among the examples (from conservative to way out there). The proportion of conservative, middle ground and out-there designs is roughly equivalent to real lifethat is, less on either end than toward the center. Most of the clients featured in this book appear in more than one chapter. As you look through these pages, you may want to take note of the ways that a client's look is (or is not) carried from one type of media to another. Focus Pages Each section in this book contains focus pages. Focus Pages Each section in this book contains focus pages.

These facing-page spreads highlight principles of layout, client interaction and creativity that I have found useful during my career as a designer. Some of the topics are directly related to the content of their surrounding pages; others deal with more widely applicable ideas. Taken as a whole, these topics form a cohesive base of concepts that I hope will prove as useful to you as they have to me. Jim Krause Brochure. A broadly applied term that refers to printed material, usually folded, sometimes stitched, sometimes with pockets for inserts. Brochures come in many sizes and shapes, and can (must) be designed to fit budgets large and small.

Brochures and/or Web pages often provide the public with their first view of a company or organization. It is critical that these sources of information portray the client in a way that is seen as advantageous to their purpose, both visually and content-wise. Creating a brochure, then, is an exercise that uses both sides of the designer's brain: the right side must determine the right feel for the piece using both emotional and factual information gathered through various channels. The left side of the brain is in charge of practical considerations such as budget matters, production challenges, writing and coordination between other individuals who are involved in the piece's development and production. This chapter features four clients' brochures. A variety of budgets, looks, formats and printing specifications are represented here.