Graphic Design | Childrens Ministry Online

Better Design: Conclusion

Posted on 05. Jan, 2010 by Kenny.

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Well, this wrapped up my little series on better design. In case you missed any of the posts, you can catch them all here:

Better Design: Introduction
Better Design: Why you should care
Better Design: Four Rules
Better Design: Contrast
Better Design: Repetition
Better Design: Alignment
Better Design: Proximity

Remember, we communicators by what we do. Unfortunately, we communicate in more ways than one, sometimes in ways we’re not strong. Bushing up on these simple design rules will help you become a better communicator in other mediums than just the spoken word.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. The main resource I used in telling the four rules was the the book, “The Non-Designer Design Book” by Robin Williams.… Read the rest

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Better Design: Proximity

Posted on 04. Jan, 2010 by Kenny.

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Although good design is an art, this rule really appeals to the logical side of my brain. The rule of proximity is really about organization.

The rule can be boiled down to this statement: related items should be grouped together. Grouping similar items together while separating items that are not similar create visual cues. When someone is scanning that flyer or postcard advertising a future event, arranging the details into similar groupings help the reader understand what is being communicated. Sometimes we have pieces that are information heavy. Don’t make it a chore to look at.

So the next time you are designing something, keep this in mind. The closer you place items on a page the more you communicate a relationship between those items.… Read the rest

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Better Design: Alignment

Posted on 31. Dec, 2009 by Kenny.

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At time I find this rule for design to be the hardest. You might as well. A good designer pays very close attention to alignment.

Boiled down, alignment means that nothing is arranged on the page without thought and every single item needs to be visually connected with something else on the page. Good design is intentional and alignment is the one area where designer have to pay careful attention.

Here’s where most people miss it. This was the hardest thing for me to overcome and is still sometimes a challenge. I’ll say it gently. RESIST THE URGE TO CENTER! You know what I’m talking about. We design that flyer or program insert and what do we do with the title?… Read the rest

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Better Design: Repetition

Posted on 30. Dec, 2009 by Kenny.

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So this rule is easy. Repetition is finding certain elements that naturally repeat and strengthening them. The idea of repetition is to unify your overall design. Although this is really important on multi-page designs, it is true too of postcards, banners, flyers or other one page pieces. Repetition has the power to add visual interest. Perhaps your flyer has a paragraph of information. See if you can’t divide the content into 3-5 one or two sentence bullet pints. Not only does it make it easier to read, but it makes it more interesting to look at. Maybe you’re refining your resume. Incorporate repetition into your headings and sub-headings. Don’t use 5 different fonts, just use one (two at the most) and stay consistent through your piece.… Read the rest

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Better design

Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by Kenny.

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I’ve had a little series tucked away in the back of my head (and several drafts written already) for the past 6-7 months. I decided that I would actually post/write these during the week between Christmas and New Year. It’s a holiday and so many people are on vacation. Since this is a Children’s Ministry blog, this series isn’t core to the topic (although I do believe it relates… which I’ll explain later), so I’ll plant to post these when most of my readers aren’t all reading. This way the content is here if you’re looking for it but not annoying the readers who are just looking for ministry related content.