Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Body Text: 11pt
Pull Quotes: 16.2pt
Timeline: 10.85pt
Photograph Captions: 14pt
Front page:
Main Heading 40pt
Sub Heading 24pt
Date 22 pt
Text 16pt
Middle three pages:
Split into 3 columns
Charles Kostelnick states, "The rhetoric of supratextual design includes
structural functions that provide global organization and cohesion and stylistic
functions that affect credibility, tone, emphasis, interest, and usability"
(Kostelnick 9). When creating the encyclopedia article for Alvar Aalto, I was
thinking about both structural and stylistic functions that would make the
document not only informative but usable and reliable.
Stylistic Functions
In order to create interest for the reader, it was important to create the first page
with a majority of photographs, large headings to explain what the article is
about and a short explanation to provide an overview. Kostelnick states that,
into the document or repel them."(Kostelnick 26) The placement of the flag was
intended to draw the eye from the first page to the second by not only its form
but also the blue color which is present in the flag and the pull quotes
throughout the document.
It was also important to create credibility so as a result, in an encyclopedia I
focused more on the readability of the document rather than adding photo
elements and colors unrelated to the topic. Edward R. Tufte states, Confusion and
clutter are failures of design, not attributes of information" (Tufte 53). I chose to
create emphasis by using the blue color on all pull quotes. I thought it was
important for the most important passages of the text to not only stand out by
their placement but also by separating the way they relate aesthetically to the
black text. Tufte states, "These visual relationships must be in relevant proportion
and in harmony to the substance of ideas, evidence and data conveyed." (Tufte
54). I do not the blue text over powers the black and as a result only add to the
reader’s usability rather than distracts from the full text. Another reason for the
use of basically two colors, minus the photographs, was to enhance the credibility
of the document. Ann C. Tyler states, "For information to appear factual, it must
seem stable, unchangeable" (Tyler 26). As a result the conservative use of two
colors was intended to enhance the fact that the document is intended to educate
rather than entertain or persuade. Tyler also states, "Another view also
characterizes the audience as a passive reader in the communication process. The
audience decodes or interprets a visual statement but is not an active participant
in the formation of meaning." (Tyler 21).
In terms of the timeline, I wanted to differentiate the type of information from
the rest of the text by changing the background color. I chose the same blue color
colors of one area are repeatedly intermingled in the other..." (Tufte 90).
Structural Functions
Kostelnick states, "Structural elements visually arrange information in the
document, on the one hand dividing the document into discernible parts while
on the other creating global cohesion" (Kostelnick 24). The layout of the three
mainly text pages are split into three columns. All three pages resemble each
other except for the placement of the photographs. The second page of the
document has not photographs because of the heavy graphical page that lies
opposite of it. The third and forth pages were designed to in mind with each
other since when placed in the book they will been seen and looked over at
around the same time. I thought it was important to add photographs of the
work that was being described. Tyler states, "All communication involves an
interpretation of information, an interpretation based on data, perspective,
analysis, and judgment." (Tyler 26). The addition of photographs into the
educational article is important for the reader to be able to perceive and interpret
what he/she is reading and as a result increase the usability of the document.