OUGD404 - Study Task 05 - How do you read? - Canons

'Canon'

1. An ecclesiastical rule or law enacted by a council or other competent authority and, in the Roman                         
    Catholic Church, approved by the Pope.2. The body of ecclesiastical law.3. The body of rules, principles, or standards accepted as axiomatic and universally binding in a field      of study or art: the neoclassical canon.4. A fundamental principle or general rule: the canons of good behaviour.5. A standard; criterion: the canons of taste.6. The books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired.7. Any officially recognized set of sacred books.


As evidenced above, the word 'Canon' can be found alongside a plethora of definitions and meanings. Ultimately, they are all concerned with the notion of established acceptances of what is considered to be the desired set of standards, rules or laws. 

A design specific definition of the word being 'Principles of page layout design used to measure and describe proportions, margins and print area. 

When apply this notion to the context of page design however, we open a conversation as to how these standards, rules or laws are either obeyed or disregarded. That is not to say however that the breaking of these rules results in poor work, more so that they can be broken to achieve alternative, less conformist design for effect. 

To follow is a commentary on the Canons of page design, what they achieve and how they can be used.

Balance

Visual balance is achieved via arrangement of visual information on a page so that no one
section is heavier than another. This is aided ratio, margins and white space. Though a balanced composition may provide the most harmonious aesthetic, there are times at which this harmony
may be inappropriate in the communication of a particular concept or ideology. Elements may
be intentionally taken out of balance to create a distinct tension that best reflects particular
content and/or style. This is a rule that is required for more conventional pieces of
design, however can be broken to provide alternative results.

The Gestalt Theories of Visual Perception

The Gestalt Theories of Visual Perception were a set of exercises of perceptual organisation. The laws of perception show that the mind perceives using four basic points of reference, these being:

Similarity: Objects or visual elements that are similar are perceptually grouped by the mind.

Simplicity: Images that are more complex are organised by the brain into more easily understood  
                   shapes.
Proximity: Objects or visual elements that are placed close together are perceptually seen as a whole.

Closure:     The brain will fill in missing gaps within an image despite visible space.

The Gestalt laws allow for visual information to be visually ordered, perceived and understood through reliance on the brains ability to perceptually make sense of what the eyes are seeing.
Separate elements placed close together can be identified as a whole, missing information can
be filled in, groups can be recognised via similar styling and complex images can be simplified. These laws, in specific relation to page design, are exploited through active white space and can
be used to provide appropriate order and structure, regardless of whether or not the composition
is balanced or not.

Alignment / Type Setting

Alignment within a page design provides order to what has the potential to be chaotic if unconsidered. The dynamic between type and image explored through alignment can make
a layout either easier or harder to read dependant on how it is approached. Is information set
top, left, bottom or right in the composition? Has a grid been used to ensure the alignment is consistent? All of these things feed into the strategy to alignment and how the design is
perceived as a result. Although alignment should typically be consistent, it may be
interrupted for visual effect or communication of a particular notion or concept.

The alignment of typography within a page layout can also significantly affect how it is
read. Wether is is flush left, centred, flush right or justified - these decisions can majorly
impact the readability of the information. Generally, flush left provides maximum
readability via distinct line ends that are easier to follow line by line, however this
may not be the most appropriate choice to certain movements, styles or concepts.

The rules of alignment are another element of design that can be exploited to best reflect
the content and its concerns.

Repetition / Consistency

Consistency of style, layout and visual elements aids a readers ability to navigate through a publication both confidently and efficiently. Page design should always be concerned with
repetition and unity of visual information. This means type style, sizing, alignment,
placement and overall content style should be used cohesively and consistently
unless attempts are being made to draw attention via deviation from style.

Grids 

Grids are two-dimensional structures formed from a series of intersecting straight vertical,
horizontal and/or angular lines, as well as curved lines in some instances, that provide a
framework for organisation of graphic elements. They allow a designer to systematically
impose order on layouts to create visual hierarchies and compositions that have distinct,
clear and considered outlined spaces in which information can be set and communicated
from. The importance of grids in editorial design in particular is significant.

Grids provide a dynamic between word and image, allowing for a designer to control
the interaction of type and image within a layout - enabling them to create cohesively,
consistently and also efficiently. They enable almost all of the design principles to be
explored within the utility and therefore are a necessity.

Ratio

One of the most acclaimed ratios is the Golden Ratio. It is a mathematical ratio that not only helps designers to create pleasing, harmonious and natural looking compositions, but can also be found in nature. This ratio is  also known as the Golden Mean, The Golden Section, or the Greek letter Phi.

Closely related to the Fibonacci Sequence, which has a ratio of 8:13, the Golden Ratio describes the perfectly symmetrical relationship between two proportions.

Approximately equal to a 1:1.61 ratio, the Golden Ratio can be made using a Rectangle: a large rectangle consisting of a square, with sides equal in length to the shortest length of the rectangle, 
and a smaller rectangle.