Should Graphic Panels Ever Sidestep Good Grammar?

February 2, 2012 by Taylor Studios in Other, Process & Project Management

There are circumstances when copywriters and graphic designers must decide whether to break a grammar rule for the sake of visual cohesion and quick comprehension. Take the following text on a theoretical graphic panel:

Get to Know Skunk Cabbage

• Attracts pollinating insects with a strong odor.

• Favorite food of black bears.

• Generates heat during the winter to pop through snow.

Putting other interpretive qualities of the theoretical graphic aside to concentrate on the point at hand, notice how the three bullet-pointed phrases start with a capital letter and end with a period. Each bullet pointed phrase read easier when treated as a complete sentence. Grammar was sidestepped for the sake of brevity, readability, and visual cohesion.

When determining whether to break a grammar rule, the copywriters and graphic designers first ask themselves: