layout

At its simplest, layout design could be characterised as determining the dynamic relationships between various elements of the page- type (both greyish text and blacker headlines), photographs or illustrations (whether colour or mono), and the colour of the paper itself. By arranging these elements in various shapes and juxtaposing them so that, for example, a horizontal form is balanced or challenged by a vertical form, a designer can create pages which look attractive and interesting. Walker suggests a further exercise to demonstrate the importance of these basics: ‘Note the interaction, study how balance has been achieved, pay particular attention to the white space, cut up pages and rearrange them, see how simple change of position of one element can transform a design’.
When surveying a magazine most people’s eyes tend to start in the upper left corner, then move right and down; the typical movement is often represented as a Z-shape. This can give a clue as to where the most important element of the page or spread might go.
Simple design tricks can make a page look more dinamic and give them a sense of movement.