week 6 - Leng Cheok Kuan

Human perception
Chunking, visual variables, Gestalt Principles of Grouping

Graphic Design Guidelines
Simplicity, contrast, white space, balance, alignment

What is simplicity?

Week 6 lecturer slide mention that designing for simplicity is a process of elimination. Besides, simplicity forces you to have a good reason for everything. In film it’s called FORESHADOWING: Simplicity is not simple.

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
-Albert Einstein-

Chunking
What is chunking? The element of perception + memory = chunks. The presentation of information is simplified by diving it up. Forming chunks in working memory depends on how information is presented.

Contrast
Contrast is a difference along visual dimension (size or color). Communicates information and makes element stand out is irregularities in design.

Visual Variables
Visual variables are used for communication by encoding data and drawing distinction between visual elements. Selectivity and associatively are the 2 ways that visual variables work on perception. Selectivity means degree to which a single value can be selected from the entire visual field. Jaques Bertin defined Visual Variables consisting of position, size, orientation, hue, value, texture…

The Gestalt Principles
1. Proximity
2. Similarity
3. Continuity
4. Closure
5. Area
6. Symmetry

User Centred Design (UCD)

UCD shifts focus from the designer of the application /system/ web site to the user of that application /system/ web site.
The difficulties of UCD, good design not always satisfied customer. Design is a collaboration between designers and customers. UCD is participatory design, the problem of UCD : misunderstandings, interviews are not precise.

The method of involving the user is TALK TO THEM. Other than that, contextual interviews + site visits, interviews, prototyping, focus groups, direct observations, and others.

week 6 - Yau Fen Nie

- User Centred Design -

Human perception - Chunking, visual variables, gestalt principle

Graphic design guidelines - simplicity, contrast, white space, balance, alignments

simplicity, process of elimination. simplicity is NOT simple!!

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"--Albert Einstein

chunking -> elements of perceptions + memory = chunks

contrast - differences along a visual dimension (size/color)

visual variables - used for communication. 2 ways, selectivity & associativity

User Centred Design (UCD) - shift focus from designer to user. UCD --> Participating Design

Week 6 - by Lee Chen Yau

According week 6 lecturer class, simplicity is not simple. Designing for simplicity is a process of elimination and simplicity forces you to have a good reason for everything. In film it's called Foreshadowing.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

Albert Einstein

The elements of perception + memory = chunking.

Presentation of information is simplified by dividing it up. Bite size for easy storage. Forming chunks in working memory depends on how information in presented.

Tell me about contrast?

Contrast, differences along a visual dimension either in size or color. Contrast is irregularities in design that communicates information and makes elements stand out.

Visual variables are used for communication by encoding data and drawing distinctions between visual  elements. There are two ways of visual variables which are selectivity & associativity. Most variables are selective but shape is not selective in general because it is hard to pick out triangles a midst a sea of rectangle.

The Gestalt Principles

1. Proximity

2. Similarity

3. Continuity

4. Closure

5. Area

6. Symmetry

What is UCD (User Centered Design)?

UCD shifts focus from the designer of the application to the user of that application. From Wikipedia, user centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy and a process in which the needs, wants, and limitations of end users of a product are given extensive attention at each stage of the design process. The difficulties of UCD is good design is not means that is has satisfied the customer. Design is the collaboration between designers and customers. In a word, UCD is participatory design. Remember users are set class members in the design process. It actives collaborators versus passive participants. Users considered to know best about the subject matter included the work context. Methods of involving the user, the easiest way is TALK TO THEM. The problem of users are hard to get a good pool of end users to test the product. We have to know that uses are not expert designers. Don't expect they would come out with the design ideas from scratch. User is not always right. Don't expect them to know what they want.

Reference:

Lecturer's notes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User-centered_design

Week 6 - by Alice Low Soo Ying

Simplicity

Simplicity is not simple. Designing for simplicity is a process of elimination and simplicity forces you to have a good reason for everything. In film it's called Foreshadowing.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

Albert Einstein

Chunking

The elements of perception + memory = chunking. The presentation of information is simplified by dividing it up. Bite size for easy storage. Forming chunks in working memory depends on how information in presented.

Contrast 

Contrast, differences along a visual dimension either in size or color. Contrast is irregularities in design that communicates information and makes element stand out. For example, designer will use contrast color for design typo poster because it can grab people attention.

Visual Variables 

Visual variables are used for communication by encoding data and drawing distinctions between visual  elements. There are two ways of visual variables which are selectivity & associativity. Most variables are selective but shape is not selective in general because it is hard to pick out triangles a midst a sea of rectangle.

User-centered design (UCD) is an approach to design that grounds the process in information about the people who will use the product. UCD processes focus on users through the planning, design and development of a product.

Problems
• Misunderstandings.
• Interviews are not precise.
• Never know what happen in the future.

Solutions (REMEMBER)
• users are 1st class members in the design process
- active collaborators vs passive participants
• users considered to know best about the subject matter
- know all about the work content
• Iterative process
- all design stages subject to revision

Methods of Involving the User
The easiest way is to TALK TO THEM.

Problems of Users
• hard to get a good pool of end users to test your product. (expensive, reluctance)
• users are not expert designers. (don't accept them to come up with design idea from scratch)
• user are not always right. (don't expect them to know what they want)

Methods of involving the user
• Prototype
• Direct Observations
• Indirect Observations
• Interview
• Focus group
• Studying Documentary
• Contextual interviews + site visits


References:
http://www.upassoc.org/usability_resources/about_usability/what_is_ucd.html
http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-usability/user-centered-design.shtml

Week 5 - by Tang Yook Meng

WHAT IS GRAPHIC DESIGN?

About.com defines graphic design in this way:

"Graphic design is the process and art of combining text and graphics and communicating an effective message in the design of logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual communication. Today's graphic designers often use desktop publishing software and techniques to achieve their goals."

The Scope of this Industry...

Designs can include: brochures, posters, magazine covers, magazine layouts, tickets, business cards, T-shirts, signs, logos, book layout (typesetting), importing advertisements into a newspaper, websites, cd covers, dvd interactivity elements, Internet banners, flash animation, web interfaces, iPad app interfaces, and more.

Another use of this art form is in print media: Newspapers, magazines and others in the industry use it to a large extent to design their covers and pages. Use of the modern art form makes the pages more eye catching and attractive to the readers.

Graphic designing is not possible without some level of artistic inclination in the designer. It requires a good eye for color and combinations for the overall picture to turn out well.

Graphic design basically is creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas using text and/or graphical elements. A graphic designer aim is to create something that is pleasing to the eye, and gets the attention of the viewer. In other words, you (as a graphic designer) have a message you want to communicate. How do you “send” it? Designer can use any visual medium at all-if you are making a poster; type a letter; create a business logo, a magazine ad, or an album cover; even make a computer printout-you are using a form of visual communication called graphic design.

Graphic designers work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads; in books, magazines, and menus; and even on computer screens. Designers create, choose, and organize these elements-typography, images, and the so-called “white space” around them-to communicate a message. Graphic design is a part of your daily life. From humble things like gum wrappers to huge things like billboards to the T-shirt you're wearing, graphic design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention and provides pleasure.

Image-based design

• To represent the ideas their clients want to communicate.
• Images can be incredibly powerful and compelling tools of communication, conveying not only information but also moods and emotions.
• People respond to images instinctively based on their personalities, associations, and previous experience.
• The images must carry the entire message; there are few if any words to help.
• Images may be photographic, painted, drawn, or graphically rendered in many different ways.
• For example, a chili pepper is hot, and this knowledge in combination with the image creates a visual pun.

Type-based design

• Rely on words to convey a message, but use words differently from the ways writers do.
• The words look like is as important as their meaning.
• The visual forms, whether typography (communication designed by means of the printed word) or handmade lettering, perform many communication functions.
• Arrest the public attention on a poster, identify the product name on a package or a truck, and present running text as the typography in a book does.

Image and type

• Combine images and typography to communicate a client's message to an audience.
• Designers explore the creative possibilities presented by words (typography) and images (photography, illustration, and fine art).
• Once a design concept is chosen, designers use illustrators and photographers as well as with typesetters and printers to create the final design product.

Symbols, logos and logotypes

• Special. Highly condensed information forms or identifiers.
• Symbols are abstract representation of a particular idea or identity to recognize as representing a particular concept or company.
• Logotypes are corporate identifications based on a special typographical word treatment. Some identifiers are hybrid, or combinations of symbol and logotype.
• Designer must have a clear vision of the corporation or idea to be represented and of the audience to which the message is directed.

http://www.aiga.org/guide-whatisgraphicdesign/

http://www.adigitaldreamer.com/articles/what-is-graphic-design.htm

week 5- what is graphic design? by Leng Cheok Kuan

Week 5 class was lectured by Mr. Radzi Bedu. We discussed about graphic design.

What is graphic design? Graphic Design is the combination of image, picture, information and communication.

Graphic design is a part of your daily life. For example, design of a T-shirt, TV ads, books, magazine and others. All this are relate to graphic design.
Other than that, someone says that, an image can tell hundred words. I agree with that, image can be incredibly powerful and compelling tools of communication. Graphic designers also work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads.
According to Wikipedia, Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form, for example printers, programmers, sign makers, etc.– undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience. The term "graphic design" can also refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines that focus on visual communication and presentation.
This is the URL that Mr. Radzi Bedu show us http://vimeo.com/14251169


http://www.aiga.org/guide-whatisgraphicdesign/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design

Week 5 - by Yau Fen Nie

Week 5 class was lectured by Mr. Radzi Bedu. We discussed about GRAPHIC DESIGN in class.

What is graphic design?

"Art of combining pictures, images and decoration in the process of creating medium of communication."

"Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form (i.e., printers, programmers, signmakers, etc.) – undertaken in order to convey a specific message (or messages) to a targeted audience. The term "graphic design" can also refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines that focus on visual communication and presentation."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design

Graphic designers work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads; in books, magazines, and menus; and even on computer screens. Designers create, choose, and organize these elements-typography, images, and the so-called “white space” around them-to communicate a message. Graphic design is a part of your daily life. From humble things like gum wrappers to huge things like billboards to the T-shirt you're wearing.

Graphic design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention and provides pleasure.

Graphic design is a creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas. The designer works with a variety of communication tools in order to convey a message from a client to a particular audience. The main tools are image and typography.