Clients often hand you far too much information: a full programme, ten sponsors' logos, three phone numbers and a Bible verse, all for one A5 flyer. Layout is how you fit it in without chaos. Agencies and in house teams also design many items in a series, and a consistent layout is what makes them look like they belong together.
Margins first
Start every design by setting margins: an empty border around the edge that nothing important crosses. Margins make a design feel calm, and for print they protect text from being cut off when the paper is trimmed. On a phone graphic, margins stop text from touching the edge of the screen.
Use a grid
A grid is a set of invisible columns and rows that you line things up with. Most design apps can show guides or a grid. A simple flyer might use two columns: the photo in one, the text in the other. A brochure page might use three columns. You do not need to fill every column; the grid just gives you edges to align to.
When text boxes, photos and logos all start and stop on the same lines, the design looks organised even if it holds a lot of information.
Guide the eye
People scan designs in predictable ways. In English, eyes usually start top left and move across and down. Put the most important item where the eye lands first, often at the top or in a large focal image, then lead to details and finally to the call to action, such as a phone number or "Order on WhatsApp".
Group and space
Decide which pieces of information belong together and make clear groups. Use equal space inside each group and more space between groups. Keep your spacing consistent: if the gap between two sections is a certain size, use the same gap between all sections.