Rhythm in Design
For my first example, I found this two-page ad, for Stacy Adams low-cut urban wear boots, in an old 2003 issue of ‘The Source’ magazine. While I don’t know if it’s still in publication, this magazine was popular with the hip-hop crowd. This ad most likely targeted males between the ages of 19-35 who wanted the casual urban look.
I liked the two page spread not only for the way the vibrant colors popped against a white background and the order that they were placed in, but also the way each pair of boots alternated and seemed to fit together, almost like puzzle pieces. The first boot, on the left hand page which is tan in color, shows a strap across the top, and is pointing up. The second boot has a brown color, shows that it has laces and is pointing down. On the right hand page the pattern repeats itself, with two more boots, one being gray and the other being beige. Alternating the direction of the boots, so one is pointing up and the next one down, gives a sense of repetition or rhythm.
There is very little text, in the ad. The ‘SAO’ text, in the lower right hand corner, is a red sans serif type font all capital letters. The brand name, Stacy Adams’, also all capital letters, is a smaller, black serif type font and is laid across in front of the red type.
Overall, I thought the ad did an excellent job taking full advantage of a two page spread. The colors of the boots also worked well together and the ad’s layout was not cluttered with a lot of text.
In searching for something to use as my second example, I had my mind set on staying along the same lines, as in my first example. I wanted to find an actual product that showed repetition, rather just than another magazine ad, as much as possible. I spotted a group of several bottles of Duplin wine bottles lined up on a shelf, at a local Harris Teeter.
The target audience would be anyone who is a wine lover or enthusiast. Each wine type then goes on to narrow down the target a bit more. Scuppernong Blush and Pink Magnolia targets those who like blush wines, while Hatteras Red and Carolina Red target those who favor red wines. You also have Scuppernong and Magnolia for those who enjoy white wines.
I’m not a drinker by any means, but being that I love the coast, I was drawn to the wine bottles by the familiar striped image of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse with some seagrass and a seagull gliding by in the foreground which were then bordered by a thin gold frame. The seagull gliding by the lighthouse gives the view some sense of movement.
The images, the words ‘Carolina’ and ‘Duplin’, the gold seal (above the word ‘Duplin’) are repeated on the bottles of each of the wine varieties. Most of the text seems to be sans serif type, while the word ‘Duplin’ is a serif font.
In finishing, I hope the labels on these wine bottles showed a good example of rhythm (or repetition) in design.
