Elements of an Effective Layout

According to Dorothy Cohen's "Elements of an Effective Layout," it is imperative that ad designers consider balance, proportion, movement, utility, clarity/simplicity, and emphasis. Cohen reminds us that "The message to be communicated may be sincere, relevant, and important to the consumer, but because of the competitive 'noise' in the communication channel, the opportunity to be heard may depend on the effectiveness of the layout" (Cohen 214). Basically, create an advertisement that is visually pleasing and smartly promoted using the key elements. The most important element is unity because it ties the laces of the advertisement together. Unity brings together all the elements by using basic shapes, sizes, textures, color, and mood. The least important element would probably be movement. I have noticed that movement is not included in all advertisements. It seems to be an added bonus feature that is not vital in the promotion of the product. I remember discussing some of this in high school journalism when I was a news writer. That was years ago, so it is a wonder the information has stayed in my head.