The Design Process in Graphics

ITAP
Lecture 3
Colette

Key Principles

• Legibility
• Visual Hierachy

Legibility.

Typeface, typesize and layout need to be considered itelligently. As it needs to be appropriate for the intended purpose. Many things need to be considered such as colour for example yellow and white wouldn't be seen as legible. Other things such as headings, images need to be taken into account also.

Find examples of visual communication that are legible or illegiable and explain why?

Here is an example of the New York Times newspaper, which I feel isnt legiable due to the way it has been put together as an article. As the type face is an innapropriate size and causes a strain upon the reader, also the layout to close and compact making it hard and somewhat fustrayting to read through. In terms of colour, black and white is an obvious combination that works, but in this case as the type is so small and portrayed in a boring way it lacks prominence therefore isn't stimulating to the viewer.

This is an example of a piece I feel is legible, in comparison to the pieces above you can see it is immediately alot more visually stimualting and so much more easier read. This is due to the differet type faces, aswell as the various font sizes, attaracting the reader to different areas of the newspaper. Aswel as a combination of different coloured text makes the pieces legibale aswell as the thought out composition of the images used. All these aspects combined make this newspaper appropriate for the intended purpose. 

This newspaper example leads appropriately into my second key principle, Visual Heirachy as this is a good example. Visual Heirachy means what do we see/read first. Foreground, background, priority of information.

 Here is another example of an image where this is shown.

I immediately was drawn to 'Miley Cyrus' photograph as it is so porminant on this cover, this also being the main selling point of her interview within the magazine. There are many devices designers use, such as high contrast, here the magazine is white but as she has been photographed in black clothing and her tanned complexion on this plain background makes her stand out. This is the play that designers have on viewers, they may put the least important things smaller and the most important aspects bigger and bolder. Everything is cleverly thought out and put together in order for them to benefit. Magazines, books, newspapers are all designed in a way so you see what they want you too first in order for them to intrigue and attract the viewer into being interested and hopefully leading into a purchase. The order in which you read is usually the title, image, headline, smaller text (article) other smaller images, then the lower level of text. Where your eye is drawn to first could be down to the use of repitition, contant message and signs, key point being stated, colour palette, and the play on image and text, for example light and dark. The Elle magazine above is a key example of this. There are many desing devices thats create and make up the visual heriachy these being colour, typography, image, light, weight, scale, composition, structure, grids, grouping, movement and sound.

Graphic communication is all about communicating something to an audience and communicating information in a visual form such as text, image, time and sound.