Digital Design Theory:
Design and Layout Matter
Ann Arbor is one of the “book capitals” of the world. My favorite boss, John Lazaars, Typographic
Insight, used to brag that there were more printing presses in Ann Arbor than
in Heidelberg, Germany. The senior staff at the Computer Mamas grew up in the
publishing industry. Jeanette was a proof reader for Edwards Brothers and I was
one of the highest paid key liners.
Typographic Insight had dozens of typesetters who entered
manuscripts into the system. The typesetting machines handled most business Fonts
and sizes: Arial, Franklin Gothic, Helvetic, and Palatino. Specialized fonts
were inked by hand and enlarged in the dark room.
Rolls of Type: A key liner was responsible for creating
the actual books. The type setting came
out of the machines as long rolls of type. One roll would stretch across the
office floor if you knocked it off the drawing board. The key liner cut and pasted the type, chapter
headings and graphics together into pages. These pages were actual size, ‘camera
ready ‘for printing.
Printed Books: There is a purpose to the layout and
design of good books. The font sizes and
page layout are visual landmarks.
All chapters begin on the right page, not the left. The
first page of the chapter is embellished, so it is easy to recognize and find
again. It has been this way for over 500 years: This is our common history and
experience that we have all shared.
Scrolls Online: The early days of the Internet were
interesting. Many people who had little or no publication experience were
creating web sites.
I remember reading
corporate web pages that seemed to scroll down through 20 feet of type. Sometime
around the turn of the century people realized that the computer monitor,
laptop, or iPad is horizontal, not vertical. Today’s webpages keep important navigation
elements and headlines at the top of the screen.
Designed for Print: Most books are still designed for print;
portrait (the classic print layout), not landscape (the current digital
layout). The eBooks, whether Adobe PDF or some online Reader, print out
beautifully.
Reading an eBooks designed in portrait is a tedious task:
scroll down, scroll right, scroll to the top of the next page. Repeat: scroll down,
scroll right, scroll to the top of the next page. Repeat 3,146 times for the
number of pages in the Microsoft Office Specialist certification books.
Design for the
Device: Our Computer Mama books fit on the screen. The ratio of height to width mirrors the current devices.
There is no need to scroll left or right, up or down.
Our Users say they are easy to read. Imagine that: happy
users!
“I have enjoyed updating my skills in general office
procedures and learning new skills in Excel, Power Point, Word, and Outlook. I
recognize the time and effort which was put into the text books for the MS 2010
software programs.
“The books are user-friendly and I liked the idea of adding a
personal touch to the lessons by using pleasant pictures, words of encouragement,
and extra information about an activity.
“I've had a very good experience and would consider taking
more online classes in the future.
- T.L., Rutgers, The
State University of New Jersey
Emmitt
Kelly Jr., Artist at Work, from the Precious Moments
Collection of Marni Frank
