Mike Stevens > Quotes

“Layout is the organization and arrangement of copy, the stage when proportional relationships of positive and negative spaces are fine-tuned and adapted to a particular format. Design is the result of layout - the end effect. It is the combination and sum of all applied graphics and their relationship to the format. Think of layout as cause, and design as effect.”
― Mike Stevens, Mastering Layout: On the Art of Eye Appeal

“Learning sound layout principles is best accomplished in the light of simplicity... unencumbered by embellishment that hides the real meat of the matter.”
― Mike Stevens, Mastering Layout: On the Art of Eye Appeal

“One of the first realizations an artist must come to is that what we think or intend often controls what we consciously see. It can totally compromise our ability to perceive what actually is. We must have enough will, ego, and assertiveness to create, and yet, at the same time, be intellectually honest and humble enough to correct ourselves. It serves us well never to lose sight of this basic truth.”
― Mike Stevens, Mastering Layout: On the Art of Eye Appeal