5. Literacy
• Literacy is normally thought of as the ability
to read and write.
• But - you can interpret meaning from other
stimuli than just text.
• art, music, film, fashion, advertising
• Many mediums convey more through
images than text
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6. Reading & Writing
• You don’t just read, you read or write
something in some way.
• newspaper vs rap
• essays vs fiction
• Each domain has its own rules &
requirements
• These can be considered separate literacies
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7. What does this mean?
“The guard dribbled down court, held up
two fingers and passed to the open man.”
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8. Semiotic Domains
• Within each domain, all sorts of things can
take on meaning.
• Someone can be musically literate without
knowing how to read notation.
• they are part of a different semiotic
domain
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10. Game Domains
• Game literacy is really an umbrella term for
many sub domain literacies.
• FPS game domain expectations of a box
would differ from a platform game
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12. Short Cut
• By understanding the meaning of symbols,
the designer can avoid the need to explain
or teach the player what something does.
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14. Cultural Semiotics
• Swastika symbol has many meanings but in
western culture the association with
Naziism is overwhelming.
• Possible to cause offence or create meaning
where none intended.
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17. • Escapist discussed train
• http://bit.ly/18QuKV9
• can watch Brenda Brathwaite’s talk on the
GDC Vault
• http://bit.ly/1aV95jj
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18. Game Tells
• The decisions you make about your game’s
art style convey information to the
potential player.
• This is not aesthetics this is games design.
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20. Sci Fi Corridors
• Sci Fi corridors and doors often have
angled or curved walls.
• In the future, we’ll probably have
rectangular walls but the art design isn’t
trying to be realistic, it’s trying to
communicate.
• Desaturated, gloomy colours are often used
to imply a grim future environment.
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22. Association
• People associate and identify themselves
with certain things.
• Blue for boys, pink for girls
• Brands like Apple, The Hundreds have a lot
of meaning for people.
• The visual style of a game is important.
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25. Part 2: Icons
• Reading:
• Duarte
• Gnome Project
• Rule of thumb: If you have to think
about an icon to ‘get it’, the metaphor is
too complex.
http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/2.0/icons-design.html
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26. Rules of Icon Design
• 1: An icon should suggest its function.
• 2: Icons shouldn’t suggest the name
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27. Rules of Icon Design
• 3: Avoid text in icons
• text provides no metaphor and requires
more effort to scan than a good icon.
• 4: Don’t rely on information users won’t
have
• users should be able to predict outcome
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28. Rules of Icon Design
• 5: Avoid useless information
• if you have an icon for the game’s help
files, having a pen would mislead implying the creation of documents.
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29. Rules of Icon Design
• 6: Icons which work as silhouettes work
better than those which require detail
• 7: Avoid ambiguity
• if two icons could represent same
function, one should be redesigned
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30. Abstract Vs Realistic
• It is challenging to design visual
representations of some concepts.
• Some game functions may represent abstract
notions and suit an abstract icon.
• Other functions are more specific and
realistic and don’t require a distant metaphor.
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31. Abstract
• Abstract icons are usually shapes that
combine to show relationships.
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32. Abstract: Flow
• Linear Flow: Flow construction that
illustrates a process with a definite start
and end point.
• The Diagram can follow a straight line or
be a series of steps along a line.
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36. Divergent and Convergent
• Flow that occurs when two or more
elements either collide or separate out
form each other as if splitting off.
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38. Multidirectional
• Flow that expresses complex relationships
- flow charts for instance.
• Often these flows result from a
combination of the preceding types.
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40. Abstract: Structure
• Matrices - structures that compare data
with at least two different data sets.
• One set of data can even be a yes / no set
of data as in a checklist.
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44. Abstract: Layers
• Structures that show elements that stack
or build on each other.
• They can depict both hierarchy and
sequence.
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46. Abstract: Cluster
• Overlapping - Clusters that overlap and
indicate shared sets, interest, or
responsibility.
• Sometimes they form a new shape or area
within the overlap.
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48. Closure
• Clusters that emerge when shapes combine
to create another shape.
• This principle of Gestalt psychology can be
useful when expressing the idea that “the
sum is greater than the parts.”
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50. Enclosed
• Clusters that are enclosed and contain at
least one element that envelops another.
• Grouping in this way indicates which
elements are part of a higher order, and
which stand alone.
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52. Linked
• Clusters that are linked as a unifying
element to group items.
• A unifying element links related groups of
items.
• It could be a line, shape, or connector of
any kind.
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54. Abstract: Radiate
• From a point radiation occurs when a
single directional “burst” emerges from
either a graphic or point that has a clear
point of origin.
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56. With a Core
• creates a parent - child relationship.
• The outer elements connect with a central
element to hold the family together.
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58. Without a Core
• Implies that the elements connect through
proximity or mutual attraction.
• They are tied to one central area.
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64. Direction
• Showing where to go or how to get
somewhere.
• Usually feature a starting location and
destination, and may contain directions.
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66. Location
• Showing where something is in the context
of geography, topography, system, or shape.
• These diagrams call attention to a specific
location while providing context.
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70. Realistic: Displaying Data
• Comparison icons juxtapose two or more
sets of information to illustrate differences.
• Bar graphs, pie charts and other methods
are suitable.
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72. Trend
• One parameter of data represents time, to
indicate a trend.
• Change over time is the most important
aspect of these diagrams.
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74. Distribution
• Expression of a pattern in seemingly
disparate data.
• Whether a scatter plot, bell curve or other
model, distribution diagrams correlate
singular instances into a larger pattern.
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