Creating an Album With Flow

I would like to encourage you to start and finish a mini album. I love the feeling I get when I hold a finished album in my hands. It's addictive, and it makes me want to complete more albums and share them with the people I love. I actually make an event out of it. I will organize a nice meal for my husband and after wards we will sit down together, flick through the album and remember the moments that have been captured. 

Here's a couple of my favorite shutterfly albums -

 

I bet you have tons of finished pages inside your layouts folder, just sitting there. I did, until I decided to bring them all together in a Shutterfly album. I was pleased with the fact I had so many pages with the everyday moments captured. And that's the most important thing. But as a designer I noticed one thing that really bugged me. The pages didn't have flow. Yes, the individual page designs seemed to look balanced and complete. But when they were positioned next to another page with a slightly different style, the two just didn't complement each other, resulting in a album with no flow and no balance. In a way I knew this was going to happen while designing, but I guess I thought it would be alright. And you know what, it is alright. But, if you want to create something with more emotion and flow, you will need to pay better attention to the page designs when creating.  Otherwise the special details you put into each page will be overlooked and not appreciated by the viewer.

I view an album almost like a beautiful song. It has structure.
 

An intro - Cover and Title page of your album.

Your title page should create suspense and curiosity to the viewer (family and friends). And your title page should be the same.  

Pre-Chorus -  The style of these pages should be predominant throughout most of the album.

Bridge - These page designs are made up of two pages, connecting to make one big design.

Breaks - Simple, minimalistic  pages. These act like an interlude between pages that have a lot of text and photos. It's important to throw in pages like this, so the viewer can refresh their eyes and maybe even think more about what they have just viewed.

Chorus - Pages that are heavily layered, artistic, fantasy inspired. These create a sharp contrast to the pages before and after them. You can also, if you want, end and start an album with a page like this.

Tips on creating more flow throughout your pages.

- Always keep in mind what the opposite page will look like when you're designing. If you've already completed one page, pull it up in your image editing program and always refer back to it, comparing it with the page you are working on.

- Make a whole composition flow onto the opposite page by positioning objects and photos so they overlap each page.
- For contrast, try creating a simple white-space page, then on the opposite page fill it with one photo! Make sure you go for a close crop too.
- Create one page where the background is light and the opposite page with a background color that is dark.
- Repeat colors, elements, and textures throughout the album. - Try and stick to no more than 2 different fonts for your journaling.

- Fill 2-3 pages of your album with full photographs that have creative crops.

You don't have to use this way, it's just the way I look at it, and it works. You all know I can't put myself in a box and say "I only create simple pages" or "I only create fantasy pages." Oh no. I want to do both and whatever other style I feel inspired to work with. And this approach seems to create a more balanced project.

Comments

[Lisa Parnell]

The templates look great! Thanks for the inspiration and I enjoy your site.

[Eva Marina]

I've been wanting to try this, your albums always look great! Thank you for sharing your talent.

[Didee]

I would love to do a shutterfly album and I have seen both of yours which are gorgeous! Very inspirational.

[Dana N (MissD)]

Your album was beautiful. I love all those special moments that you captured. Thanks for sharing the info on creating flow with your pages. It really gives me something to think about.

[Vinnie Pearce]

So Lisa, Eva and Didee, you all scored the template pk! I will contact you girls tomorrow with links :) Congrats!

[Vinnie Pearce]

Oh and thanks so much for your encouraging words girls. Means a lot!

[Barbara]

Your templates and pages are great. This is a great place to go for inspiration.

[kelleighr]

Well, looks like I'm late, but I have to agree with everyone here. Your mini album you posted was gorgeous, and thank you for sharing the info about creating flow!!

By the way, I just finished another mini-album and I'm SO excited!! I'll post it soon! (Maybe I'll swing by your blog and show you!)

[Account Deleted]

I have really been drawn to your work lately. After I finish two gift projects in the works I'm going to start an album that I hope will capture the emotion and dream like qualities you produced in your two Shutterfly books. Thank you so much for the tips.

[Melissa]

Thanks so much for the freebie and the tips for creating an album.

[alice]

oh thanks for the freebie!

[esmile]

Thanks for the inspiration.. I wish i got time to scrap again...hay!.. i miss it.

[Alice]

Fun ! I'm making a mini album right now ! Love your conception of minis ! I'll keep that in mind next time i'm doing one ! It took me too much time to figure out how i would compose each pages !!! LOL

[Vinnie Pearce]

thanks!

[Christine]

Vinnie, THANK YOU! I've been studying your albums because I love how you incorporate both simple and detailed pages together. Between these tips and your new 2 pagers, I feel like I may actually be able to put together my own book!

[Miss Bubble]

Thanks for your advises !

You really make me want to try my first album, thanks for your inspiration Vinnie !

[Sabee]

Thanks so much for the inspiration! :) It was very useful Vinnie! :D

[Astrea]

Hallo Vinnie, herzlichen dank für das telien mit uns. Ich schaue deine Alben seit ein Paar Tagen, da ich für meine Freundin etwas ähnliches machen möchte. Ich habe eine Idee: vielleicht könntest du zum Kaufen fertige Seiten anbieten? Ein Album mit Seiten in PNG und PSD Format, so dass wir selbst Hintergrund und Elemente aussuchen können:)
Deine Tipps haben mir sehr geholfen und ich bin mit meinem Buch bald fertig,
ich bin sehr neugierig auf das was du demnächst zum kaufen anbietest:)
Hugs