Publication Design: Format Follows Function

Size and Color
8x10” format was chosen for a book because this size works-best for presenting and showcasing its content.
As a point of comparison, let’s examine how an alternative form might work:
Imagine how different this book would look and feel if it was cut in half and had twice as many pages.
As the reader, you would be viewing and absorbing the same amount of content, but your perception of it would be very different when experienced within the context of this alternative format.

A book twice as thick might give the impression of having lots to read. This feature might draw the type of reader who would be inclined to pick up a publication full of literary content, such as Reader's Digest, but it could likely alienate design students who are typically visual learners, as well as others wanting information in a "quick read."

A format half this size would require showing the visual examples in this book at a smaller scale, a factor that would probably inhibit a full understanding of the design principles that are presented and explored because it would be harder to view the details in these examples.

This same book features four-color printing-crucial to full-color reproduction and an understanding of how color works. Printing a book in four colors is typically more complicated and expensive than printing one or two colors.

A text-heavy book such as a novel would not warrant the additional expense involved in four-color printing. However, it is a necessary expense for this book in which full-color reproduction of visuals plays an important role in supporting content. Imagine how differently this book would function if the presentation of visual material was confined to just one or two colors!

Format
In addition to choosing a format that supports the book's content within its interior pages, the book's designer must also consider how its format and cover would function in book stores and other environments where its retail presence must compete with other books of this type. A book with a half-size cover and limited color might not be as likely to attract and engage its audience.

In addition to its vertical and horizontal dimensions, a publication also has volume and thick ness. A publication's thickness or bulk is obviously related to the number of pages it contains. A book with 16 pages will appear to have less bulk than one that contains 60 pages. A publication that appears to have many pages sends a message to prospective readers that it contains lots of information. On the other hand, one that appears thin will send the opposite message.

When considering the format of any publication, it is important to determine whether a publication's audience will respond favorably to the idea of being presented with lots of information or if they would be more responsive to a publication that contains a small amount of information.
A publication's dimensions, its thickness, and its width and height should support its communication goal. Making this determination is an important first-step in the design of any publication.


Although at first glance it looks like a printed box, this catalog of stock imagery is a book with printing on the edge of its pages. Unlike most catalogs of this type that feature many images on a page, the small size of this catalog (3.5 x 3.5 inches) allowed for just one or two images per page. The result is a catalog with considerably more pages than most, giving it a thick, chunky presence. (Font Shop catalog design by Stefan Sagmeister, Matthias Ernstberger, Sagmeister, Inc.)

Paper
Publication designers can control a viewer's perception of the number of pages a publication contains by selecting paper that adds to or reduces a publication's bulk. Papers come in varying degrees of thickness and, because the thickness of a paper also affects its weight, both aspects are described by the term basis weight. A paper with a high basis weight adds bulk to a publication, whereas one with a low basis weight reduces bulk. In some cases, practicality leads to the selection of a thin paper with a low basis weight, such as for bibles and dictionaries that contain hundreds of pages.

Other times, it is important to send a message that a publication is packed with content. In these instances, publication designers create the illusion of more pages than a publication actually contains by selecting a paper with a high basis weight to add bulk. Understanding how a paper's basis weight can affect the bulk and weight of a publication is an important aspect of publication design. It is so important that designers typically make a bulking dummy or request one from a paper merchant before they begin the design process in order to see and experience how a publication will look and feel with the dimensions, number of pages, and the paper they have chosen.

The texture or surface characteristics of a paper and the perception of quality a paper projects are also important factors in publication design. When you compare the inexpensive paper used for printing newspaper to the premium coated paper used for a fashion magazine, there is an obvious difference in the way these papers look and feel. There is also an appreciable difference in their ability to reproduce printed type and imagery. Newsprint paper tends to absorb ink and makes images and type appear fuzzier when compared to the crisp reproduction capabilities of a premium printing paper.

Printing papers come in a wide range of colors, surface textures, and basis weights. Papers with subdued patterns, fiber inclusions, and varying degrees of translucency can also add textural richness and aesthetic appeal to a publication's design. Any designer wanting to get involved in publication design should have a basic understanding of the different categories and varieties of paper and how they perform on press. Paper can play an important role in defining a publication's personality and achieving its communication goal, and can be used in many creative ways to support a concept.

Alternative Formats
What defines a publication? Does it have to consist of bound pages? Some of the most impressive and memorable designs go beyond convention perceptions of what a publication should be. It could be argued that publications are printed, time-based media, in that the viewer is led from beginning to end through a sequence of pages. Therefore, a publication's binding and format are at the discretion of the designer and others involved in a publication's design.

Children's books frequently take advantage of unusual materials and formats to create visual surprises. Pop-up images, books that mimic toys, and other aspects that encourage touching or manipulation are often more likely to engage children than conventional books by inviting interactivity.

Covers
A publication's covers and spine contain and protect its interior pages as well as identify its content for potential readers. A cover should also hint at what the reading experience is like by expressing the personality or voice behind the publication. How this is achieved and how a cover is designed to support these aspects is largely a result of the venue or circumstances in which the publication will first be seen. There are major differences between how a publication is experienced when it is first encountered in a retail environment versus non retail venues, such as receiving it in the mail.

Points of Entry
If you thumb through any publication, powerful imagery, strong color, and large, contrasting type are likely to catch your eye as they stand out in a sea of text. These items and graphic treatments that draw a reader's attention to items on a page, such as pull quotes, subheads, and sidebars, are called points of entry.

Points of entry are visual clues. They help readers by calling their attention to items of interest as they randomly thumb through a publication's pages. In addition to drawing the read er's attention to an item on a page or spread, they can also serve in a broader context by helping a reader navigate through a publication. In this book, for instance, the imagery and bold typography that are incorporated into the design of each chapter's opening pages serve as points of entry.

When considering points of entry and what readers see first, it is important to note that items positioned on right-hand pages and closest to the edge of a page are more likely to be noticed first. Magazines are aware of this visibility factor and typically place fractional ads (those smaller than a full page) on the outside edge of a page, rather than close to the gutter. Many magazines also charge a higher rate for ads placed on a right-hand page.

Establishing Rhythm and Balance
Typographic techniques can break up large bodies of text and add visual interest and organization to a page. Visual points of entry scattered throughout a publication, such as large photographs or bold graphic effects, act in much the same way. They stand out in contrast against pages that have large areas of text and little or no visual activity. Although visual points of entry should be established with the idea of supporting content and guiding a reader through a publication, it is also important to keep visual balance in mind when determining where high-impact visual material will occur. Those pages need to be balanced by "quiet" pages that contain little visual activity.

To sum it all up, a publication's design begins with determining:
Format: its width, height, thickness, and amount of color involved. Format should support a publication's content and its goal.
Paper: The perception of the amount of content a publication contains is influenced by its bulk or thickness, a factor that is influenced by the basis weight of the paper on which it is printed. The quality of a paper, its surface characteristics, and color also have an impact on a publication's design and how it is perceived. Some of the most impressive publication designs go beyond traditional definitions and formats.
Covers: play an important role in a retail environment where the publication is in competition for a reader's attention.
In a non-retail environment, covers can play a more subtle role in a concept-driven design.