The ultimate success of any publication, whether in print or on-line, depends on one thing - the communication of the client's message - and the design must always be harnessed to this end. Therefore, if it is to be really effective, the layout must not merely be an appendage to the words but a fundamental part of the communication process. An effective designer will love and respect words just as much as images. (Art schools take note!)

Just as in speech the use of a different intonation or stress, accent, change in speed of delivery or volume can give even a single word a different feeling or meaning, an effective layout can have a similar result.

The successful design will enhance or distil the message conveyed by the words and provide the visual environment in which that message can most effectively be conveyed. This may seem an unattainable expectation for a humble layout, but look at examples of the best designs and you will see that it is possible.

Skill set and match

It is in the nature of design that technical skills go hand in hand with aesthetic ones. It is possible to pick up the technical skills through practice and training, but in a world increasingly dominated by digital technology, designers of the future will need continuously to acquire new skills. The aesthetic considerations, being entirely subjective, will always be more difficult to define. And all this is possible using just four elements - heading, text, image and, most importantly, space.