Book design is not a new or novel art. In fact, it has been around in some form or the other ever since the beginning, when the first books were published. In the beginning, book design concentrated on making the books accessible to the general public, most of who were grossly unlettered or had little more than a rudimentary knowledge of the language. But as standards of education improved and more and more people began to buy and read books, the art or science of book design began concentrating on a more important aspect – that of designing books to sell.

In fact, going by the use of book design nowadays, it would be no small matter to say that this is the only sphere for which the art flourishes. Take a walk through any major bookstore and you will find that there are many cover versions of the same books available. Especially with the more popular books and authors, this is almost a norm. There will be a hard cover version followed by a paperback edition. There might also be versions with different book jackets to cater to the cultural sensibilities of various key markets. And finally, if a book makes it to the translated versions, the possibilities for book design are endless.

So there you have it. Book design is not just about layout and formatting as most people assume it to be. In fact, the book design professional is a consummate professional who specializes in taking the book and attractively ‘packaging’ it in order to make it sell better. And in the process, if the book design can make the book itself more accessible to a wider audience, so much the better. After all, this was one of the key tenets of good book design in the olden days. And catering to federal government laws like ensure access for all, especially in the arena of learning, is much more than a convenience. It is almost a mandate!

Labels: Book design is not a new or novel art

Why do some websites sell better than others? Do you need a marketing degree to create a website? Does design have much impact on sales...?

You may not realize this but many of the successful internet marketing businesses realize that design, or layout of the website should be as much of a marketing decision as the ad copy. Why is that?

Web designers can do some amazing things with graphics and colors. You will also have a much more professional looking site when an expert applies his handiwork. However, it is very important to understand some of the key elements that smart marketers will make certain to appear (or NOT appear) on their highly profitable sites. If you are aware of these you may be able to select a designer who is knowledgeable in marketing as well as design.

COLOR:

Designs with a dramatic color can make compelling choices for setting a mood. But reading on a computer screen demands as much contrast as possible, otherwise the reader will develop vision fatigue. You do not want to irritate or tire your visitors in any way or they may leave, so be certain that the main body of your website copy is black writing on a white background - or as close to that ideal as possible.

Colors also change appearance on different monitors, so what looks cool and calm on one monitor may be bright and glaring on another. Simple works.

GRAPHICS:

Striking, bold graphics can be a real eye-catcher for visitors. Still, successful internet marketers are pretty much unanimous in stating that you should avoid flash graphics as much as possible. Again, they tend to tire visitors eyes or create a distraction from the written copy. Even if they are initially impressed by the work it may subconsciously annoy them. Simplicity is again the best way to go.

LAYOUT:

The first 'fold' of your site is similar to opening a tractional paper letter. If you remove a letter from an envelope that is folded in three, you will obviously view the top 'fold' first.

This fold is what individuals will see without scrolling down the page. It is CRUCIAL that important elements like descriptive headlines, your contact number, newsletter subscription form etc. all show in the first fold. Do NOT place banners here unless they are the main element of your business as you will be giving prime space to other websites and your customer (which you fought hard to get in the first place) will be gone just as quickly.

These are just some of the important elements you should be aware of when designing your site.

Labels: Is Your Website Designed to Sell?