Let's Talk About the TOC (Table of Contents)

         I found this very interesting article about the design process go a table of contents. The author deconstructs what can be done to improve a table of contents (that is, to make it legible and attractive without being distracting) by dissecting one pulled from The New Yorker. I know I've crooned about The New Yorker's beauty in the past, but its TOC really does have much to be desired.



         Of this cluttered little TOC, KT Meaney observes; "The New Yorker wants you to quickly recognize its authors, who have been given the most amount of space and typographic attention. Outside of that, content is difficult to locate. This stems from a poor visual hierarchy—limited typefaces, type sizes and line spacing. The choices made here create congestion." 

        I've never considered how much thought goes into designing something as simple as a TOC, but even I can see the problems with this page. Along with Meaney's observations, an entire column's worth of space is being encroached on by some random advertisement; it's really distracting.

         To remedy this, she suggests that "If the ToC were typeset differently—in two columns, not one, with enhanced typographic hierarchy—one could add all necessary content and improve clarity. This way, more text would feel less cramped. A furnished room looks bigger than an empty one."




         










Citations: Article by KT Meaney  July 10, 2007. "Redesigning The New Yorker, Pt. 2: A Visual Critique." AIGA | the Professional Association for Design. N.p., 10 July 2007. Web. 19 Mar. 2017