The Principles of Beautiful Web Design by James George Jason Beaird

Author:James George Jason Beaird [Jason Beaird, James George]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: SitePoint Pty Ltd
Published: 2014-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 3.12. Speed Kids

It may not be apparent at first, but the shapes in this page’s illustration are the key elements that define the layout. One way to determine how much influence shapes have on a design is to isolate them by tracing out the layout’s main elements. You can do this either by printing a screenshot of the design and tracing the shapes by hand using tracing paper, or by opening up the screenshot in your favorite graphics program and removing the image after you’ve traced the key elements onto a new layer. I call this the "economy of line" test. The expression economy of line is used to describe art and design that provides significant graphic meaning with as few lines as possible. If a traced page layout still looks complete when recreated using only lines, it passes the test. As you can see in Figure 3.13, the Speed Kids layout still guides your eye around the page effectively, even without the text or colorful imagery.

Notice how the different design elements and how they are arranged leads your eye down the page. You typically start at the top of the page and work your way down, but the shapes of the illustration help your eye to follow a path to the menu system at the bottom. No matter where your eye ends up on the page, every element, such as the slide, the ship masts, and the playground posts lead you to the same place.

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