Discussion Point 1 - Christian Andree

The emergence of digital technologies has opened up a freedom that didn’t exist previously in the graphic design world, but how much has it changed the way in, which we design?

Creative programs such as the Adobe Suite and specifically InDesign has ultimately provided the designer with a greater flexibility. Today we are able to create a simple layout to a complete magazine with the help of style sheets/guides in the time it took to print a single page using traditional technologies. It has also provided the ability of almost an inexhaustible amount of options in the terms of layout, also allowing for the ease in the ability to break the grid. 

1*

Traditional methods of graphic designer utilising letterpress are predominantly seen through old newspapers. Within this traditional method of printing the grid was of upmost importance. Setting type needed to take the form of columns and images too were worked into this grid. Overall these newspapers were designed with a set theme of title, headline, subheading, body copy and image.

 *2

When we look at magazines that are printed today, we see many of the same inherent qualities that are associated with traditional printing techniques. Style guides are used in the terms of creating a consistent theme with the use of headline, body copy and images all fitting into a tight grid.

We may ask ourselves why after all the changes in the digital world why we return to such traditional ways of designing when we have the chance to break away? As Edmund Carpenter described it is simply for the fact that we require order. It is with this order that the use of visual hierarchy and grids not only contain information but also organise it in a way that is visually appealing to our senses.

References:

1* http://www.anydate.com/images/big/newswarisover_detail.jpg

2* http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2359/2318667983_000a6e9dbf.jpg