Create a Rhythm

Repetitions of similar or varying graphic elements can create a visual rhythm that a reader will understand as a sense of organization and unity. Figures and graphics tend to be picked up as pulsations, intervals between them as pauses. In interactive texts, this "beat" can be exploited in temporal directions as well, by varying the pagination and the "mental time" on any one page. Flowing rhythms are the most relaxing, and their gradual crescendos and decrescendos can be modulated into a final "cascade" to make a memorable point. Syncopated rhythms are more dynamic, and much more difficult to control. On a small scale, these shifts in rhythm and accent can bring pointed attention to important information. Color can be an effective way to control any rhythm.