Vintage Graphic Design, still relevant – pt.2

Grid Layout

Whatever media we find ourselves reading, discerning, describing, or decoding we are usually inclined to visually follow layout. This simply means that a designer has deliberately placed information on the page / screen in a way that reads from most important to least important – also known as “the hierarchy of information”. A newspaper is one of the most recognizable forms of information hierarchy. The front page usually has a “headline” (most important information) while the back of the paper is usually reserved for less important information. If we look at the vintage ad below I have sectioned off the hierarchy of information by highlighting the layout. Remember, the entire point of this hierarchy

is to help present the topic of information in a meaningful way to the reader – in this particular ad Bell is informing potential users of the benefits of it’s telephone booths. How do they convince you of these benefits? – by the combination of information (justification) and visual depictions (best practice) of the actual service in use:

1. Large Visual Space - the image takes up most of the layout space (app. 50%), it convinces the reader, before a single word of text is used (justification) to it’s intended purpose. In this particular layout the image itself is the headline. One of the immediate benefits to using an image alone, and why this image works so well in this layout, is the reader can instantly and subjectively infer visual-cues relevant to the supportive text in the next section – the image is simultaneously independent and interdependent with the rest of the layout. If this layout was in a magazine and a reader was quickly skimming pages, the reader would almost certainly absorb some of the intended information from the text – not by reading the information of section 2, but by “reading” the large image itself.

2. Headline / Supportive Message – the next section helps support the visual image above with detailed information as well as an infusion of marketing strategy. This section outlines the “what it is, what it does, and how it helps”. Notice this information is quick, simple, and directly related to the objective – using a Bell Telephone booth. It’s very easy to assimilate and a quick read – keeping the support message down to the core principle allows the reader to keep a quick pace while scanning the rest of the layout and also allows the reader to subconsciously verify several key points with the large abstract visual above and the emotional context below – think of this section as a buffer between the subjective interpretation of the main image in 1 and the objective use of the product in actual situations below – it helps solidify an emotional

3. “In-Situation” – this last part of the layout is really the “icing on the cake”. It convinces the reader that “real people, like you and me” use this particular product, so it must be good. It’s suggests an emotional experience will be had by using this product and outlines several separate people and scenarios while still remaining connected to the original pitch (found in #1). The use of several situations helps solidify the product’s diversity.

4. Core Branding - this is also known as the footer and as such wraps the ad objective with the entity responsible for having the capability to create the experience above – simply Bell Telephone System. Notice the impact and direct correlation to the product – there is nothing ambiguous in this section – it simply creates the foundation for the ad itself – simple, direct, and to the point.

As we can see the layout is a multifaceted message that targets past and potential customers by suggesting the benefits of it’s product. It not only states the objective(s) of the product (section 2) but it outlines the benefits of using this particular product in real-world situations (section 3). The point of any layout is to take an abstract idea and present it in a meaningful, relevant and emotional way allowing the reader to decide if the message is relevant – a successful layout will net quick response and understanding by using a modular approach such as this ad – we have several sections of information, some images, some text, and some a combination of both. It is the hierarchy of information that allows the designer to convince the reader of the product and it’s overall benefits.

As we can see from this vintage ad, the layout from yesteryear is still used today and just as effective. This particular modular layout approach is used all over the web and in print. Although technologies have changed from the days of telephone booths to internet cafe’s and personal computing, the fundamentals of graphic design are still very much the  same – in the end it really comes down to not just how to present effective communication BUT how we also filter that information – layout, at it’s core, is the science of information filtering.