EXPLOSURE TO VARIOUS EXPECTS OF DESIGN

1. EXPLOSURETO
VARIOUS EXPECTS
OF DESIGN
Chapter 5

2. • Visual design focuses on the aesthetics of a site and its related materials by
strategically implementing images, colors, fonts, and other elements. A
successful visual design does not take away from the content on the page or
function.
Visual Design

3. Basic Elements ofVisual Design
The basic elements that combine to create visual designs include the following:
• Lines connect two points and can be used to help define shapes, make divisions, and
create textures. All lines, if they’re straight, have a length, width, and direction.
• Shapes are self-contained areas. To define the area, the graphic artist uses lines,
differences in value, color, and/or texture. Every object is composed of shapes.
• Color palette choices and combinations are used to differentiate items, create
depth, add emphasis, and/or help organize information. Color theory examines how
various choices psychologically impact users.
• Texture refers to how a surface feels or is perceived to feel. By repeating an element,
a texture will be created and a pattern formed. Depending on how a texture is
applied, it may be used strategically to attract or deter attention.
• Typography refers to which fonts are chosen, their size, alignment, color, and
spacing.
• Form applies to three-dimensional objects and describes their volume and
mass. Form may be created by combining two or more shapes and can be further
enhanced by different tones, textures, and colors.

4. Principles for Creating aVisual Design
A successful visual design applies the following principles to elements noted above and
effectively brings them together in a way that makes sense. When trying to figure out how to
use the basic elements consider:
• Unity has to do with all elements on a page visually or conceptually appearing to belong
together.Visual design must strike a balance between unity and variety to avoid a dull or
overwhelming design.
• Gestalt, in visual design, helps users perceive the overall design as opposed to individual
elements. If the design elements are arranged properly, the Gestalt of the overall design
will be very clear.
• Space is “defined when something is placed in it”. Incorporating space into a design helps
reduce noise, increase readability, and/or create illusion.White space is an important part
of your layout strategy.
• Hierarchy shows the difference in significance between items. Designers often create
hierarchies through different font sizes, colors, and placement on the page. Usually, items
at the top are perceived as most important.

5. • Balance creates the perception that there is equal distribution. This does not always imply
that there is symmetry.
• Contrast focuses on making items stand out by emphasizing differences in size, color,
direction, and other characteristics.
• Scale identifies a range of sizes; it creates interest and depth by demonstrating how each
item relates to each other based on size.
• Dominance focuses on having one element as the focal point and others being
subordinate. This is often done through scaling and contrasting based on size, color,
position, shape, etc.
• Similarity refers to creating continuity throughout a design without direct duplication.
Similarity is used to make pieces work together over an interface and help users learn the
interface quicker.

6. User-centered design
User-centered design (UCD) is a framework of processes (not restricted to interfaces or technologies) in
which the needs, wants, and limitations of end users of a product, service or process are given extensive
attention at each stage of the design process.
Purpose:
• UCD answers questions about users and their tasks and goals, then uses the findings to make decisions
about development and design. UCD of a web site, for instance, seeks to answer the following
questions:
• Who are the users of the document?
• What are the users’ tasks and goals?
• What are the users’ experience levels with the document, and documents like it?
• What functions do the users need from the document?
• What information might the users need, and in what form do they need it?
• How do users think the document should work?
• What are the extreme environments?
• Is the user multitasking?
• Does the interface utilize different inputs modes such as touching, spoken, gestures, or orientation?

7. Elements
• Visibility
Visibility helps the user construct a mental model of the document. Models help the user
predict the effect(s) of their actions while using the document. Important elements (such as
those that aid navigation) should be emphatic. Users should able to tell from a glance what
they can and cannot do with the document.
• Accessibility
Users should be able to find information quickly and easily throughout the document,
regardless of its length. Users should be offered various ways to find information (such as
navigational elements, search functions, table of contents, clearly labeled sections, page
numbers, color-coding, etc.). Navigational elements should be consistent with the genre of
the document. ‘Chunking’ is a useful strategy that involves breaking information into small
pieces that can be organized into some type meaningful order or hierarchy. The ability
to skim the document allows users to find their piece of information by scanning rather than
reading. Bold and italic words are often used.

8. • Legibility
Text should be easy to read: Through analysis of the rhetorical situation, the
designer should be able to determine a useful font style. Ornamental fonts and text in
all capital letters are hard to read, but italics and bolding can be helpful when used
correctly. Large or small body text is also hard to read. (Screen size of 10-12 pixel sans
serif and 12-16 pixel serif is recommended.) High figure-ground contrast between text
and background increases legibility. Dark text against a light background is most
legible.
• Language
Depending on the rhetorical situation, certain types of language are needed. Short
sentences are helpful, as are well- written texts used in explanations and similar bulk-
text situations. Unless the situation calls for it, jargon or technical terms should not
be used. Many writers will choose to use active voice, verbs (instead of noun
strings or nominals), and simple sentence structure.

9. Creativity
• Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity
is characterized by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden
patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and
to generate solutions. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then
producing. If you have ideas, but don’t act on them, you are imaginative but
not creative

10. Innovation
• Innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved
product, service or process that creates value for business, government
or society.
• Some people say creativity has nothing to do with innovation— that
innovation is a discipline, implying that creativity is not. Well, that’s not
true. Creativity is also a discipline, and a crucial part of the innovation
equation. There is no innovation without creativity. The key metric in both
creativity and innovation is value creation.

11. Evolution ofTransportation
• During the stone age of antiquity, we walked and ran upon the solid earth and
swam and floated in dugout canoes upon the liquid rivers or seas.
• By 3500 BC, we began using wheeled carts and river boats. By 3100 BC, we
tamed horses to assist our way.
• By 2000 BC, we built chariots.
• By 600 BC, we built wagons.
• By 332 BC, we built submersibles.
• By 312 BC, we built miles of paved roads.
• By 236 BC, we constructed our first elevators.
• By 214 BC, we built canals.
• By 200 BC, we constructed manned kites to fly.

12. • During the middle ages in the 800s, we paved streets with tar.
• During the 13th century, by the late 1200s, we invented sky-flying rockets.
• During the 15th century, by the later 1400s, we built advanced sailing ships to cross
entire oceans.
• During the 16th century, we began using horse-powered rails of wood and stone.
• During the 17th century, by 1620, we launched the first oar-propelled submarine.
• By 1662, we invented the horse-drawn bus.
• By 1672, we built the first steam-powered car.
• During the 18th century, by 1740, we invented the foot-and-hand-powered
carriage.
• By 1769, we experimented with the steam-driven artillery tractor.
• By 1760, we used iron rails.
• By 1776, we propelled submarines by screws.
• By 1783, we launched the first hot air and hydrogen balloons.
• By 1784, we built a steam carriage.

13. • During the 19th century, by 1801, we ran steam road locomotives.
• By 1803, we ran commercial steam carriages and steamboats.
• By 1804, we built steam-powered railway locomotives and amphibious vehicles.
• By 1807, we used hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines in boats and road
vehicles.
• By 1816, we invented bicycles.
• By 1820, we used steam locomotives on rails.
• By 1821, we used steam-powered monorails.
• By 1825, we began using steam-powered passenger carriages.
• By 1838, we built the first transatlantic steamship.
• By 1852, we invented the elevator.
• By 1853, we built aircraft gliders.
• By 1862, we made gasoline engine automobiles.
• By 1867, we began using motorcycles.
• By 1880, we built electric elevators.
• By 1896, we built electric escalators.
• By 1897, we had the steam turbine and electric bicycle.

14. • During the 20th century, by 1900, we built airships.
• By 1903, we flew motor-driven airplanes and sailed in diesel engine canal boats.
• By 1908, we drove gas engine automobiles.
• By 1911, we launched diesel engine driven ships.
• By 1912, we launched liquid-fueled rockets.
• By 1935, we built DC-3 transport aircrafts.
• By 1939, we built jet engine-powered aircrafts.
• By 1942, we launchedV2 rockets.
• By 1947, we had supersonic manned flights.
• By 1955, we had nuclear-powered submarines.
• By 1957, we launched a man made satellite into orbit — Sputnik 1, built container ships and
flew commercial Boeing 707s.
• By 1961, we launched the first manned space mission orbiting the Earth.

15. • By 1969, we flew Boeing 747 wide body airliners and made the first manned
moon landing — Apollo 11.
• By 1971, we launched the first space station.
• By 1976, we flew the supersonic concord passenger jet.
• By 1981, we flew the Space Shuttle.
• By 1994, the channel tunnel opened.
• During the 21st century, by 2001, we launched the first self-balancing
personal transport.
• By 2004, we operated commercial high-speed Maglev trains and launched
the first suborbital space flight — SpaceShipOne.
• By 2012, we have now probed and viewed beyond the edge of our solar
system withVoyager 1 spacecraft.

16. • Smoke Signals: Smoke signals are the oldest form of visual communication. Simplistic in
design and execution, they were used first used in 200 BC to send messages along the
GreatWall of China.
In 150 BC, Greek Historian Polybius devised a system of smoke signals that were visual
representations of the alphabet.This meant that messages could easily be sent by
holding sets of torchers in pairs. State of the Art!
• Carrier Pigeon: In the 12th century AD Sultan Nur-ed-din built pigeon lofts and dovecotes
in Cairo and Damascus, where pigeons were used to carry messages from Egypt to cities as
far away as Baghdad in modern day Iraq.
This extensive communication system, which used pigeons to link cities hundreds of
kilometers apart, is recognised as the first organised pigeon messaging service of it’s kind.
Pigeons also played a pivotal part in both WWI andWWII, unerringly delivering vital
messages that helped to save the lives of thousands of civilians and combatants alike.
One such bird — ‘GI Joe’ was awarded the Dicken Medal for bravery by the Lord Mayor of
London for saving over 1,000 British soldiers inWorldWar II.
• Good to know for when the wireless drops out in the office.
Evolution of Communication

17. Evolution of Communication
• Telegraph: The telegraph is a now outdated communication system that
transmitted electric signals over wires from location to location that translated into
a message. In 1844, Samuel Morse sent his first telegraph message, from
Washington D.C. to Baltimore Maryland. While the 21st Century saw the death of
the telegraph, there’s no doubt it laid the groundwork for the communications
revolution that led to the telephone, fax machine and Internet.
• Landlines: Before the cellular phone, there existed these things called landlines.
Most households had one from the 1950’s onwards, and only one person could
make a call at a time.
• Dial Up Internet: The archaic way to connect to the wide world web – a time
before Wi-Fi.
• SMS: The first text message ever sent was in 1992. It simply read ‘Merry Christmas’
and was sent to the CEO ofVodafone. Now over 8.6 trillion are sent each year.

18. Evolution of Communication
• Facebook: The social networking site Facebook was invented by Mark
Zuckerberg in 2004 and was originally purposed to connect Harvard
students with one another. Now, it boasts 1.23 billion users monthly (or
1/6th of the worlds population). Those users have made 201.6 billion friend
connections and have clicked the 'like button' 3.4 trillion times.
• The Smartphone: The future is now. The new Smartphones is 5-6 inches of
pure innovative technology that will help keep you connected with all the
important people in your life across a multitude of social-network portals.