Designing for meaning

But first A little movie break

Lester - the four visual cues : color/light, form, depth, movement - combined with the elements of good designs: balance, contrast, rhythm, and unity

- the four visual cues : color/light, form, depth, movement

- combined with the elements of good designs: balance, contrast, rhythm, and unity

Balance or lack thereof Placement of elements Weight includes size, shape or color intensity of the objects A balanced, symmetrical design is (sometimes) appropriate for formal presentations Asymmetrical designs are less formal and are used when you want to create tension with the image - which usually you do

Placement of elements

Weight includes size, shape or color intensity of the objects

A balanced, symmetrical design is (sometimes) appropriate for formal presentations

Asymmetrical designs are less formal and are used when you want to create tension with the image - which usually you do

Every design should have a “center of visual impact”

Every design should have a “center of visual impact”

Contrast Contrast : difference s in color, size, symbolism, time, movement Low contrast: peaceful, easy to look at, but maybe boring High contrast: creates tension in the viewer White-space: effective in creating contrast in writing and images

Contrast : difference s in color, size, symbolism, time, movement

Low contrast: peaceful, easy to look at, but maybe boring

High contrast: creates tension in the viewer

White-space: effective in creating contrast in writing and images

Rhythm Rhythm: the design controls the movement of your eyes through the visual image Sequencing : positioning the images so that the viewer can easily follow along Simplicity : a design with few elements can be read and interpreted easier and quicker than a complex design with multiple elements

Rhythm: the design controls the movement of your eyes through the visual image

Sequencing : positioning the images so that the viewer can easily follow along

Simplicity : a design with few elements can be read and interpreted easier and quicker than a complex design with multiple elements

Unity elements within a design should be aligned in content, color, and movement to achieve your desired effect. everything on the page is visually joined to something else thus giving the work a feeling of wholeness or o neness

elements within a design should be aligned in content, color, and movement to achieve your desired effect.

everything on the page is visually joined to something else thus giving the work a feeling of wholeness or o neness

Stebbing Contrast - same Rhythm - same Balance - same Proportion - relationship between objects (related perhaps to unity) Visual composition is innate in human beings.

Contrast - same

Rhythm - same

Balance - same

Proportion - relationship between objects (related perhaps to unity)

Visual composition is innate in human beings.

Good visual design The artful arrangement of visual elements within a frame to create a unified or meaningful whole The effective arrangement of visual elements

The artful arrangement of visual elements within a frame to create a unified or meaningful whole

The effective arrangement of visual elements

Basic visual elements Point Line Plane shape Volume – third dimension Frame

Point

Line

Plane shape

Volume – third dimension

Frame

Point

Line

Plane shape Square: honest, solid, static straightforward You know … square. Circle: warm, perfection, nurture, continuum Triangle: action, conflict, tension

Square: honest, solid, static straightforward

You know … square.

Circle: warm, perfection, nurture, continuum

Triangle: action, conflict, tension

Volume

Weight Texture

Weight

Texture

Frame Shape Size Direction Frames include They make your brain look for relationships Frames exclude Removing elements from consideration

Shape

Size

Direction

Frames include

They make your brain look for relationships

Frames exclude

Removing elements from consideration

Back to …. Contrast Rhythm Balance Proportion

Contrast

Rhythm

Balance

Proportion

Contrast Emphasis on difference

Emphasis on difference

Rhythm Repeating or contrasting visual elements

Repeating or contrasting visual elements

Balance Symmetry Formal balance – symmetrical Informal balance – dynamic, energetic, tension

Symmetry

Formal balance – symmetrical

Informal balance – dynamic, energetic, tension

Proportion relationship between objects Ratio of one part of frame to the other

relationship between objects

Ratio of one part of frame to the other

Common proportions

Fibonacci sequence 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13 1:2 (1+2=3 ; 2+3=5) 2:3 3:5 5:8 etc

0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13

1:2 (1+2=3 ; 2+3=5)

2:3

3:5

5:8

etc

Golden whatever

Movement Sense of rhythm and direction Center of interest Where your eye goes (first) Rule of thirds Divides frame into thirds, intersections are natural centers of interest Scale Relation in size

Movement

Sense of rhythm and direction

Center of interest

Where your eye goes (first)

Rule of thirds

Divides frame into thirds, intersections are natural centers of interest

Scale

Relation in size

Spaciality The way elements are grouped or arranged in the frame Perspective Depth, point of view

Spaciality

The way elements are grouped or arranged in the frame

Perspective

Depth, point of view

Color/Light Unity Proximity Similarity Good Continuation Closure

Color/Light

Unity

Proximity

Similarity

Good Continuation

Closure