Sucking Less at Typography

CatnipCat

So it's been my summer project to rework my portfolio, just graduated and I want to spruce up the ole' pages. Been having a bit of a problem with the cover, though.

Old Cover:


So then I was trying to rearrange the elements a bit, but I was having trouble with integrating the text or at least making it more interesting than just shoving it into the bottom corner:

But it's hard to read and still doesn't really fit all that well.


And now I'm thinking of a new idea overall, but again I feel that text is starting to clutter the image, I'm trying to go with something more simple, text seems to break the flow when it should strengthen the design. I'm fighting the urge to just make some vertical lines along the right side to guide the text.

CountBlackula

Throw some letters on the new one, just to show us where you potentially want them to be. I like the newish black and white one, though.

MagicToaster

How big is the type under Trevor Boyle?

CatnipCat

Count - Somewhere in this region. As it is, the left side feels too heavy.


Toaster - It's 8pt. Is that too small for secondary text? It's bumped up a bit in the one I just posted.

CountBlackula

That's not actual size, is it?

CatnipCat

No, it's shrunk down in tinypic so I keep all the hscrolls in good condition. Also the text is really hurriedly placed, at the moment I can't think of anything good to do with it so it's just kinda there. I might need to add more information or something and just make a new system independant of the graphic.

wakkawa

I like the little illustration in the new one, but the values and colors make it hard to read.

CatnipCat

I probably need to play around with the saturation and take a look at some color wheels.


Is this any better in terms of text?

Flay

There are a few ways I think your latest cover could be improved. Firstly, as wakka said, you need to increase the contrast between the text and the background, because as it stands it's very difficult to read. Secondly, think about where you've placed the text carefully. There's no reason to have it floating randomly on the page; even if the text isn't directly adjacent to any graphical elements, it's still possible to create a visual alignment that'll draw the eye to the text. Finally, you're also using too many different sizes at the moment, the most jarring of which is the difference between 'University of Florida' and 'Design Portfolio'. At such a small size, it doesn't really work. I also agree that the type may need to be slightly larger.

Here's a quick edit I threw together. I don't think the colour scheme I've settled with here is quite right (your illustration seems to be very much about light), it's really just to show you want I mean.



I have to say too that the illustration is really very nice.

Grenn

Values are way too light (it just looks like you've covered the entire cover with a semi-transparent white fill) - I think Flay's edit is looking better, though I'd still push the contrast/saturation a little more.

I think you could do a lot of interesting things with the type, other than just trying to line it up with something - there are examples of great ways to impliment text and imagery literally everywhere you look. I'd be very surpised if a little bit of research doesn't provide you with far more ideas than you could practically execute.

I would also perhaps rethink the info you're wanting to communicate on the cover. My personal opinion is that there is no value in putting your University details or dates on there -- what is there to gain by advertising you are a fresh graduate?

If this is going to be a printed portfolio, the sort of thing which might briefly find itself on the desk of an Art Director or Design Exec, I would personally want my name and number to be prominent, or at least have something on there which will make me memorable.

Good luck!

MagicToaster

CatnipCat wrote: »

Count - Somewhere in this region. As it is, the left side feels too heavy.


Toaster - It's 8pt. Is that too small for secondary text? It's bumped up a bit in the one I just posted.

Yeah, it's a little hard to read because of the size and the colors. I would make it bigger. I saw new version you made, but I like the original one better. It feels more like the design than the new one.

I'm not sure why I feel that those colors wont print well. The light gray is gonna be the main problem, but also the blue details mixed with slightly lighter blue details will be lost in a laser printer. Make sure that you don't get an out of gamut warning on the gray.

CatnipCat

So I adjusted the contrast a bit, hopefully it's a little easier to read now. The text is still just kind of floating out there for now, that hasn't been fixed yet.


In the mean time, I have been working on a few interior pages. One of which is this one right here:


Which is condensing two spreads I had slapped together before.