Web Comic Design Plan

The design plan for my comic was derived from viewing dozens of web comics, trying to pin down traits that are consistent with each one.

My web comic will be designed using Adobe Illustrator and laid out using Adobe InDesign; I chose to separate the design and layout into two separate softwares because their respective programs specialize in them; Adobe InDesign will ESPECIALLY be more useful for the speech bubbles my characters will use, because InDesign has a whole range of typeface options Illustrator cannot provide; at the same time, Illustrator has pen mark, coloring, and other illustration options that InDesign cannot offer, and that would be useful for drawing the bulk of my objects. Combined these two programs will provide me with all the tools I need to make this comic EXACTLY the way I want it.

One thing I've learned about web comics is that they are better off being short and sweet--thus, I plan on keeping the comic limited to 4 panels, 5 at the VERY most (depends on how I develop my dialog, and that still needs a ton of work), all in a single row. A network of guides, grid lines, and snap features have allowed me to create on Illustrator equally-spaced boxes and gutters, and the outer shell of the comic is already complete.

Another factor I've learned about web comics (and comics in general) is how much effort I should put into the visual, and how much to put in the message.  Since the message is more important (and because I suck at drawing anyway), I plan on keeping the characters and background objects limited to stick figures or rounded figures, at the very most--color will be kept at a minimum as well.  This will allow the audience to focus on the message without becoming distracted by the figures--they are only plot devices, after all.  It occurred to me that some of the comics I looked at were very well-drawn and detailed, but this definitely distracted me from the message, and I want to avoid this problem with my own audience.

I am uncertain whether to keep the comic black and white or to use color...if I end up using color, though, I will only be using pale and soft colors--anything bright or striking will become distracting, which once again is something I want to avoid.  If any color is used, it will ONLY be used to provide a little depth perception and a subtle influence of the mood.

I've also learned a basic order of how dialog and characters move through panel to panel in a comic, and I will be implementing this order into my own.

The dialog will be made in InDesign, and will consist of two different typefaces in order to help distinguish character roles.