Process

Get down to the basics.
Think about the user.

Consider format and orientation.

Start with your focal point/entry point.
Group your information.
Create & maintain strong alignment.
Create a repetition.
Have strong contrasts or concordance (agreement).

Use the Grid System - The grid gives the design a sense of order and constraint, a consistent way of handling diversity. Discipline provides symmetry and repetition. Make sure to grid white space, you may need it later. Start with the type/content area. Think about containers and always sketch it out first.

Five ways to group information:
Category, Time, Location, Alphabetical and Continuum.

Keep linear information linear and use techniques already familiar to the user.

Think: organization | margins | legibility | white space

Direct the viewers attention. Use continuation.

The most important information should be at the top and bottom. Think 80/20 Rule.

Use the Golden Ratio:
100% by 85% or 62% + 38%

Use margins. Type "mi" in the font you are using and that should be the size of your margin. With a line, use "mii".
Too narrow - cluttered and confusing.
Too wide - Wasteful and disjointed.

How many times does your eye stop?

Use the ten foot test.

Layer information.

Fitts' Law:
The time required to move to a target is a function of the target size and distance to the target.

Form Follows Function.

Subtractive Design - Decrease the visual mass of a piece. Reduce clutter by eliminating any visual element that doesn't contribute directly to visual communication. By decreasing the number and size of graphics you create more white space or breathing room which helps make the piece seem lighter, airier.