I was thinking about my Fourth of July plans and how they could relate to this week's column. I thought about the great fireworks shows we have on the beaches around St. Petersburg, and what came to mind was what design consultant Mario Garcia calls the center of visual impact or CVI.
CVI refers to one visual element being at least three times larger than the others on a page. In Garcia's book "Pure Design" he says, "A CVI is essential and is the simpliest formula to guarantee a sense of proportion and balance, and to ensure design success."
As a kid I remember lying on a Treasure Island beach on a wool blanket watching the fireworks explode. Nothing else in the world caught my attention except the occasional scream of another kid grabbing the wrong end of a sparkler.
The center of visual impact acts much the explosion of fireworks. When a reader opens the paper or magazine, or links to a website, one visual element should immediately attract her eye. This element would most likely be with your lead story, but It could also be a stand-alone photo or other visual. So, before you start your next design think about the size relationship of your images, and how the size of your dominant image will draw the reader in.
Below are a few examples of pages that have strong CVIs.
Have a happy 4th!
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The Akron Beacon
Journal |
Die Ziet
Germany |
Chicago
Tribune | |
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The Independent
London, England |
San Jose Mercury
News |
The Age
Melbourne, Australia | |
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The Herald
Glasgow, Scotland |
Albuquerque
Journal |
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| The above pages are all winners from the 24th annual SND "Best of Newspaper Design Competition" website. |
| To view all the winners check out the SND website. |
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