Page Design

In the textbook, Document Design, page design is defined as “the process of placing design objects such as text, headings, and images consistently and effectively on the page, taking into account the actual visual field, the characteristics of the design objects, and the relationships implied among them by the principles of design.”

I think a more simple way to say it is to say that page design is “the process of placing design objects on the page in the way that makes the most visual sense and adheres to the principles of design.” For my book cover redesign, the power zone is located at the top right corner of the cover and it is the design object that is the most prominent, important object, and adds the most context to the cover. Placing the image of the young man at the top of the page, the reader/audience experiences him first, relating to sequence. The flow of the page goes from the image at the top of the page, down to the left to the image of the notepad and pencil, and then to the right to the title of the novel. The reader’s eye is then moved down to the name of the author. The sequence/ flow of the document is logical, because the design elements are seen in order of importance as they are supposed to appeal first to ethos.  

It was my intention to make the visual rhetoric of the cover design to firstly appeal to ethos. The image of the young man with powerful eyes and his hand over his mouth provokes curiosity in the reader. I also tried to appeal to logos with the placement of each of the design objects.

I emphasized the connection between the author and title of then novel by making them the same color. I also emphasized the name of the author by placing the name directly in the bottom middle of the design. The angle of the pencil and the notepad works well to point to and emphasize the title of the novel. Also, by placing the title on top of the notepad, the context of the novel (the fact that the novel is about a guy who doesn’t speak and instead communicates just by writing) is more clearly stated/(implied at least). I used an orange line to separate the image of the young man from the bottom of the page because the pencil is orange, and this creates a sense of connection between the young man and the pencil.

I split the page in two, placing the image of the young man in the top half, and the title and the name of the author in the bottom half. I did t his because I thought those pieces of information were of equal importance to the effectiveness of the cover, and should therefore be given equal space. Doing this also creates a nice sense of contrast: the blackish background in the image of the young man with the gray-green color in the background of the title and author text.