Mike Stevens

Mike Stevens - Graphic Esthetician

from Signcraft magazine; Spring, 1982 issue, pp. 32-34

I'd like to thank SignCraft Magazine for this opportunity to share my work, and Harrison Todd of Sign Classics of San Jose, CA, for referring Tom McIltrot to me.
My special interest in the sign industry has always been layout and design. As a showcard writer, a keen sense of design is required. Also, as a full time card writer you literally paint hundreds and thousands of more signs (cards) than the average signpainter, hence more layout and design experience.
Out of that experience, I'm writing a book entitled: "Layout & Design, Cause & Effect For the Signpainter." My hypothesis is: The consistent achievement of good design is knowable and explainable.

Perhaps the greatest problem in the sign industry over the years has been the inability to communicate the "how-to and why" of good layout and design. The average artist seems to only see isolated design elements out of context, such as a certain type style, snap, flair, color, or the latest, sandblasted and carved wood signs. We tend to go off on design tangents.
The consistent achievement of good design is knowable and explainable. Unfortunately, most people, including artists, have been misguided into thinking that good design is a subjective value judgment.
Good design is not subjective, personal taste is subjective. Each and every one of us is a unique individual with our own personal likes and dislikes. However, we're all still subject to the same underlying objective principles of effective design.
We must learn to see the whole, the entire composition simultaneously . . . the graphic essence.
Signpainting is not the perfection of lettering. Signpainting is the art of graphic imagery. Our task is the illusion of perfection! We must break our stereotypical way of looking at signs and learn to see the graphic essence. The signpainter is in a unique position in the world of advertising and commercial art. We're expected in a matter of minutes (occasionally hours) to conceptualize and design effective graphics with eye appeal, that can be produced economically.
The solution to design success is a clear understanding of a few theoretical terms, guide posts that ensure a reasonable consistency in a sometimes unreasonable and inconsistent world. To quote Socrates: "The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms."

First, let's establish the goal, or function, of a sign design.

(A) Capture viewer's attention.
(B) Inform targeted market within the specific time parameter.
(C) Reflect desired public image.
(D) Make efficient use of materials or medium.

Out of design function we get the definition of "good design." Good design is: "The unification and integration of individual subordinate design elements, in such a way as to maximum function."
The following is a list of individual design elements with brief definitions. As space is limited in this article, fuller explanation is not possible here. My book will fully explain and illustrate these terms. They are presented here as food for thought.
These elements exist, or are present in all graphic imagery whether we are conscious of them or not. They are "cause and effect." The designer's role is to creatively manipulate these components, adapting them to a particular culture or market. That is commercial art.

Format
The shape of the sign face, or area to design within.

Axis
Vertical, Italic and Horizontal Axis
Theoretical central lines, around which an artistic form is composed or organized.
The axis is used to design and integrate singular, or multiple graphic elements into a symmetrical whole.
i.e., Each individual letter, shape, copy block and total composition.

Negative Space
Commonly referred to as the background, white space or air space. Negative space is the area around (or within) letter forms extending out of the edge of the format.
Negative space is analogous to light. Without lights we would be in the dark, unable to see.
Without proper negative space, graphic forms become illegible. To understand cause and effect in design, one must learn to see negative space, learn to see the shape of space. Start by seeing the negative space with the letter "O."
Negative space is as equal in importance, or value as a design element, as is the copy or letter forms.

Positive Space
Positive space is the letter form and/or any graphic imagery.
This of course, is the most obvious element in graphic design. Graphic symbols we're all taught to recognize, and this is where most people's conscious awareness begins and ends. The most common and basic error is to give all your attention solely to the positive space. Examine your positive and negative proportional relationships.

Line Value
The relative thickness of letter strokes. Variation in line value is used to lead the eye through the composition, highlighting the most important point of interest. For the sake of clarity, it's best to limit your design to three distinct line values.
Bold - analogous to foreground
Medium - analogous to middle ground
Light - analogous to background
The most common error is monotony of line value.

Symmetry
Excellence of negative and positive proportional relationships. When all individual design components are integrated so as to achieve maximum format potential.

Visual Hot Spots
Where unintentional attention is created, such as poor letter spacing, or an awkward intersection in line value, as in poor letter construction.

Rhythm
The relation and interdependence of parts with reference to one another, and to the artistic whole. Rhythm as in a script or italic letter and the rhythm of positive and negative in a line of copy, etc.