The document provides tips for improving layout and design techniques to make content more readable, including using compositional techniques like establishing a focal point and hierarchy, choosing fonts appropriately for different mediums, reducing visual density by breaking up content with subheadings and white space, and working collaboratively between designers and editors from an early stage. Key recommendations include establishing goals and discussing audience needs, incorporating infographics, and giving constructive feedback when reviewing designs.

1. •Layout &
•Design
• Layout Techniques Designed
• to Get your Content Read
• By Rob Drinkard

2. Designers VS. Editors

3. Why Design Matters

5. What Went Wrong?
Lack of compositional
techniques
Poor Font Choices
Poor Typesetting
Visually Dense

6. COMPOSITION

7. Focal Point
Texture
Contrast
Visual Hierarchy

8. Focal Point
Texture
Contrast
No Visual Hierarchy

9. Focal Point
Texture
Contrast
No Visual Hierarchy

10. Font Choices
Old Style vs. Sans Serif
Type Type
Oldstyle: Times New Roman
Sans Serif: ITC Stone Sans
Best for print Best for web

11. Font Choices
Old Style vs. Sans Serif
Type
Type Modern: Didot
Oldstyle: Times New Roman
Type
Slab Serif: Rockwell

12. Font Choices
Font Sizes
All 32 pt fonts are equalAll 32 pt fonts are equa
All 32 pt fonts are equal All 32 pt fonts are equ
All 32 pt fonts are equal
All 32 pt fonts are equal
All 32 pt fonts are equal

13. Font Choices
Font Sizes
For Print materials, start with a 10pt. Oldstyle font
And adjust from there.
For Print materials, start with a 10pt. Oldstyle font
And adjust from there.

14. Font Choices
Styling Issues
Sans serifs fonts
are easy to read
Reverse Type:
Use for short cop situation s
in reverse out type.
Use sans serif
Bad Emphasis:
ALL CAPS ARE BEST RESERVED
FOR A SMALL BLOCKS OF TEXT, Sans serifs fonts
SUCH AS SHORT HEADLINES. are easy to read
The same applies to the use of all italics. Italics in reverse out type.
are particularly to read on the web.
Computer made underlining irrelevant

15. Reduce visual density
Break up copy with
• Subheadings
• Bullet List
• Drop caps/images
Save the white space!

16. Reduce visual density
Break up copy with
• Subheadings
• Bullet List
• Drop caps/images
Save the white space!

17. Reduce visual density
Break up copy with
• Subheadings
• Bullet List
• Drop caps/images
Save the white space!

20. Reduce visual density
Design in clusters
• Smaller, digestible bits of content
• To design in clusters, you
must write in clusters
• Use grid structure
• Create columns

21. Reduce visual density
Design in clusters
• Smaller, digestible bits of content
• To design in clusters, you
must write in clusters
• Use grid structure
• Create columns

26. The Art
of Infographics
• Infographics can say it more
quickly and effectively than copy
• Not all infographics are created equal

33. Working Together
• Meet Early
• Discuss audience/needs
• Establish Budget
• Establish goals
• Bring examples to the table
• Creative brief
• Give designer clean copy/photos

34. Working Together
Designers Editors
• Be open, not defensive • Start critique with a positive
• Listen. Really. Listen. • Hear your gut reaction
let it percolate
• Hear your gut reaction
let it percolate • Define the issue. Don’t solve it
• Be willing to adapt. There’s • Make your feedback useful.
Always another way Be prepared to answer “why”
• Ask questions. Ask “Why” • Listen