Layout Balance - Fixing the Mistakes!

When writing articles for this blog, I’ve chosen to research things that I would like to know more about. This is why I have decided to write a series of articles on achieving balance in your layouts. When trying to design new and innovative layouts using eclectic materials, I sometimes struggle to achieve what I consider to be pleasing design elements and balance. I therefore thought it might be an interesting topic for others who may also struggle with the same things.

I will often look at a layout and think – “Ok, I’ve finished!” yet when I go to upload my layout on-line, I look at it onscreen from a different perspective and think “oh no – there is something missing!” You ask your friends “what’s wrong with this?” and they will appreciate it as it is, because it is something you have hand made – and they like it! However, this is not always helpful when trying to gain an honest critique when something niggles – and I usually have to sit there for a while, or maybe come back to the layout after a significant break, and have another fiddle, in order to see just what the layout might have been missing.

I wanted to delve into more of the science and the principles of graphic design, in relation to scrapbooking. However, as this subject is quite in-depth, I have decided to break it down over a number of weeks, and I’ve taken quite a lot of material from John Magnik, a compositor and teacher who teaches principles of graphic design. His site is here, but I am going to adapt the material specifically for scrapbooking.

This week, we will talk about visual weight. I am also going to show you some befores and afters to provide some examples.

Visual Weight:
Graphic designers use the terms “visual weight” and “visual balance” – where things are placed in connection to the layout space. Something that has a lot of visual weight is dark, or large – your eye is drawn to this and rests for a longer period of time than for something which is small, or light.

Look at this layout – this was my first attempt.

Now – I am not asking you to critique my scrapbook page – this is using my oldest wedding stash, and the photos are some candid night time shots at my wedding – so I started off with less than premium materials. The photos are not well composed – there are chairs in the way, and they are full of red eye. I made this page from a class on the recent UK Scrappers cybercrop, but I decided to change the page quite considerably, in order to better suit my own purpose.

Being that I have all this stash in place for my wedding scrapbook, I am determined to use it - even though I may not love it as much as once I did. So, I popped the stickers onto cardstock, cut the letters out, outlined the letters in ink, and raised them onto foam pads to add more depth. I added eyelets into the scallops for more detail.

The ribbon and key detail was recycled from a lovely handmade card sent by a friend.

I added the prima flowers and stickers strategically - to block out bits of the photos I didn't want to see. But when examining or self-critiqueing the page when I thought I had finished, my layout didn't look balanced. The curve on the right hand side of the semi-circle means that there was more space and there were less elements on the right hand side - I felt it needed "more visual weight" to make it look balanced. But how?

I fiddled and faddled for a while - and then came up with the idea of adding more cornflower ribbon, which partially achieved the trick, because it was a darker colour, and thus drew the eye - but it still needed more.

The addition of threaded beads weaving their way on the right hand side really worked for me - and thus gave the layout a finishing touch, and I felt it added the "wow" factor. Here it is in more detail -

And so I was finally happy with the end result, after some considerable time.

I have added more visual weight to the right hand side of the page, in order for it to be balanced with the elements of the left hand side. So, after some considerable faffing - I am pleased with the end result - and happier to know WHY my layout didn't work in the first place!

Next week, we shall talk more about visual balance, and I shall be doing some more research into the science bit - and the design principles of scrapbooking! Until then, happy scrapping.

Ali x