When the information is very complex, the design should be very simple.
I’ve been working with the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UC Davis since the late 90’s designing books and publications. The books are manuals for growing, harvesting, pest control, vineyards… all things agricultural. The information is very technical with lots of diagrams, charts, and illustrations.
The obvious solution is to keep the design as simple as possible. 2 column grid. Easy to read text. Large images wherever possible. The projects have been really interesting and fun. As a city dweller, I learned a lot by reading through the text. Most of the projects I designed for UC Davis were books and manuals. But I also had the opportunity to design a catalog for the 4-H, a UC extension program.
