“Shaping the Page”

Pages 143-179

March 3rd, 2022

What makes this chapter so interesting, titled Shaping the Page, is the way our author combines mathematic principles with our current design choices. Of course, there is a sense of math in design and more specifically typography. Spacing, canvas size, margins, etc. are all necessary aspects of design that must be prioritized in order to produce a satisfactory product. However, what I, alongside my fellow classmates have begun to understand, is that the basis of design relies heavily on proportionality.

“Working and playing with them is a way of developing good typographic instincts, they serve as useful references in analyzing old designs and calculating new ones” (P.144)

This quote stated above stuck out to me while reading this section. The author is referring to the use of proportions in design, and how they act as more of a personal template for both reference and innovation, rather than purely for making cosmetic decisions. Proportions themselves dictate how the elements are displayed. Typography, imagery, and use of space are all at the mercy of the proportions of the page. As a young designer, thinking of proportions as a catalyst for how we should shape our decisions is difficult.

Proportions do not simply mean the size of the canvas that an artist is working on. Instead, it includes several numeric ratios, standard industrial sizes, and more. Thinking of designing a page with these in mind seems daunting, but designing a page without these is impossible to achieve.