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DISTINCTIVE DESIGN

(yet, if the page includes several headings, none stands out).  is is due to how humans

are naturally attracted to uncommon sights. Gaining a user’s eye requires a clever mix of

eye candy and o setting the layouts equilibrium.

If all of your content has little to no emphasis (such as just paragraphs of text), the read-

ability of that content is diluted to a neutral level. Yet, if you have too much emphasis

(such as stu ng everything into headings like in Figure 1-6), the strength you intend to

attain dilutes itself! Only when the critical mass is reached will emphasis and strength

sustain itself.

Figure -: If you place emphasis everywhere, nothing stands out.

Before leaving the concept of balance (for the moment), it’s important to highlight the

value of eliminating or repositioning balance whenever possible.  e key to gaining a visi-

tor’s attention is to provide distinctive content, but neutrality is the direct opposite of

this.  e trick to good design is to provide as much distinction as you can, without push-

ing it too far (and diluting the e ect).

You can apply distinction in many ways, including use of color, whitespace, and more!

What this means is that if you’re smart enough to apply emphasis equally through various

means, rather than on one aesthetic point, you make your content distinctive without

risking the issue of over-dilution. Generally, dilution only occurs visually with a lack of

context within its implementation, not just as a result of an abundance of balanced

objects.

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