Before & After Page Design

I received the book Before & After Page Design to review. On first flip through I was impressed with the layout. Very colorful and professional. Now to really review.

So many redesign books say “this is before” and “this is after.” But this one has starts with how to design it and then shows a before and after to demonstrate. I like the callouts on why each part of the layout was done and why it works so that it can be duplicated on my own. The designs also say when that layout should be used. For example, the digest-size newsletter says it’s “great for short runs and small budgets” though the author says an example of this layout is Reader’s Digest. I don’t think of that magazine has having a short run or small budget. But yes, it is smaller.

Some of the vocabulary is unknown to this new designer. For example, on a newsletter each area is explained but what is a kicker? What is a deckhead? He even says that the kicker box touches the edge, but doesn’t say what it is. From the context of the layout, I guess it’s the name of the magazine, but the kicker has a byline. So maybe not.

There is a lot of great information on the different types of layout, but I’ll jump forward to photo layouts since that’s one of the things I am working on now. The before and after are dramatically different. And instead of just showing you the after, he shows how the layout came to be step-by-step. The progress photos are a great complement to the simplistic illustrations which I think are called wireframes. There are also tips a non-designer might not notice like overlaps add depth and a reminder to check for trapped space.

I like all the random tips scattered throughout the book that aren’t necessarily design, but a good designer probably would want to know. For example, in the advertising section the author has a tip on taking a color photo. The brief instructions are illustrated with backdrop placement, angle of lights, and camera position.

The book is great as a read or reference book. I can see myself referring to it for upcoming print projects. I will apply some of the design ideas to my web projects, though there isn’t a web layout demonstrated. I wish there were.