Simple Organization

[A Type Primer: pgs. 116-149]

Golden Section and Fibonacci Sequence

Isn't it amazing that the Fibonacci sequence can be seen everywhere? After reading about its mathematical beauty (I sound like my old math teacher), I checked online for more information. Take the sunflower for example. There are two spirals, one going clockwise and the other going coutner clockwise. The number of spirals for one is 21 and the other is 34, which are the numbers in the Fibonacci sequence. It's not only the case for flowers, but pine cones, plants, and even bees and rabbits.

So how does this relate to graphic design? When a designer first considers the space that must be worked with, proportions, organization, and layout must be taken into account. Because the paper we work with has limitations, understanding the kinds of proportions like the "golden section" or the "Fibonnacci sequence" should be a basis for all designers (at least that's what I inferred from the book, A Type Primer).

The way text is placed on a spread is important for sustained reading. The golden section was the ideal layout especially used in the old days. Now we can use columns of 2 to even 8 with different variations. This helps in organizing a mass amount of text.

Paper

In the U.S., the standard paper size is 8.5 x 11 inches (letter). The rest of the world however use the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) system. Doesn't this remind you of the Metric System? And by the way, there are only 3 countries in the world not using the metric system (aka: International System of Units): the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar.

The beauty of the ISO system (below), is that this related ratio allows you to cut a paper in half to get the exact smaller ratio. For example cut an A0 in half and you get an A1, and so on. I think this is very logical and convenient, especially for printing facilities and designers.

Hierarchy

In the first project with Jimmy, I found myself having a bit of trouble organizing the information in to a good hierarchy. What is the most important information? What is the least? "A designer's first goal is to make the material comprehensible to the reader." This should be instinctive when we first approach a project, especially one with a lot of information.

No matter how much text or information there is, they can be divided into their own groups. By establishing a format, establishing a hierarchy, and using different styles of a typeface, the distinctions between different types of information are made clear.