Comparison Review: Graphic Design Theory For those interested in graphic design theory, there are two compelling books on the market with nearly identical titles: Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field , by Miami University professor Helen Armstrong, and Graphic Design Theory: Graphic Design in Context by NC State professor Meredith Davis. Although the books sound similar, they take different yet complementary approaches to the subject. Armstrong’s book is a collection of excerpts from groundbreaking texts written by designers, such as Jan Tschichold’s The New Typography . The telling of theory in Armstrong’s book is implicit. Some Background Information: Helen Armstrong’s Graphic Design Theory was published in 2009 by Princeton Architectural Press . Meredith Davis’ Graphic Design Theory was published in September 2012 by Thames & Hudson . A Few Surface Similarities: Both books are loosely organized by a similar chronology: one that begins with the industrial revolution and ends with the present day.
How to seek inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci How to seek inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci Posted by Richie on Monday, June 7, 2010 · 57 Comments Who do you look for inspiration in your daily life? Who influences your work and your profession the most? It’s quite evident that we underestimate ourselves and our true potential. Most of us assert the fact that creativity is fixed at birth and only those who are born with it are able to pursue it in the right manner, whereas the rest of us who pick the art of understanding design via schooling and appropriate courses and sometimes self-learned, cannot reach the levels of creativity achievable by the former. The human brain is certainly the most complex system in the entire world. 500 years after the renaissance, when people started to question the very foundations of science and art, the world has rapidly evolved into a whole new dimension of information exchange and is experiencing a rapid expansion in knowledge, capitalism and interconnection. The 7 Da Vincian principles are:
9 Inspiring Graphic Designers and their Distinct Design Styles Creative graphic designers never fail to incorporate new styles and techniques in their works through the inspirations they get from virtually a lot of sources. There are several exercises and sources which you, as a designer, can consider to better improve your skills and creativity and be in demand with such competitive field. You can scan the web, utilize the power of social networking sites, get inspiration from your experiences, family or the nature itself, and most significantly browsing the creativity of several established and famous graphic designers and distinguishing their styles that made them standout. Below is a list of a few graphic designers that gained prominence in their creative design styles which you too can discover and adapt. 1.) Wolfgang Weingart is an internationally acclaimed Swiss graphic designer and typographer best known to be the father of Swiss Punk typography. Wolfgang Weingart’s Works: 2.) Erik Nitsche’s Works 3.) Paul Rand’s works: 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.)
The Framing Effect: Influence Your Audience By Setting The Conte Is the glass half full or half empty? How does seeing it one way frame everything else you later decide about both glass and water? Would seeing it the other way change your view? Imagine you and I are walking across the desert with a single canteen. In either case there was exactly the same amount of water in the canteen, however my reaction and determination of how much water is in the canteen frames the situation. The Framing Effect The framing effect is the idea that manipulating the way information is presented can influence and alter decision making and judgement about that information. Framing is used exceedingly often in politics. The context in which information is delivered shapes assumptions and perceptions about that information. People reach conclusions based on the framework within which a situation is presented. Positive frames tend to elicit positive feelings and result in risk taking and proactive behavior. The Expectation Effect The Exposure Effect Think branding. Summary
Lessons From Swiss Style Graphic Design Advertisement Also known as International Style, the Swiss Style does not simply describe a style of graphic design made in Switzerland. It became famous through the art of very talented Swiss graphic designers, but it emerged in Russia, Germany and Netherlands in the 1920’s. This style in art, architecture and culture became an ‘international’ style after 1950’s and it was produced by artists all around the globe. This progressive, radical movement in graphic design is not concerned with the graphic design in Switzerland, but rather with the new style that had been proposed, attacked and defended in the 1920s in Switzerland. Emerging from the modernist and constructivist ideals, the Swiss Style can be defined as an authentic pursue for simplicity – the beauty in the underlines of a purpose, not beauty as a purpose in itself. “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove.”Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Uniformity and geometry Elementary
Useful (Offline) Utensils and Toolkits for Designers | Tools Most web designers start new projects on their computer. There are hundreds of tools out there for creating wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and doing various other planning activities on your computer or online. But there are also tons of offline, paper-based tools that can speed up your development and design process. Why start completely from scratch when you can use one of these pre-made guides to save time and better direct your creative energies? Here are more useful designers toolkits articles you might want to check out: Downloads The tools below are all available for free download. Paper Browser A simple, printable browser window for wireframing. MBTI Sketching Paper for Ideation The MBTI Sketching Paper contains four distinct areas for coming up with ideas for the four specific buying modalities: competitive, spontaneous, methodical, and humanistic. Concept7 Sketching Paper This sketching paper provides a browser window with pre-made grid lines, plus a notes area on the side.
Teach Yourself Graphic Design: A Self-Study Course Outline Fortunately, it isn’t required to go to design school in order to be a graphic designer. A good foundation in graphic design history, theory, and practical application will help you hit the ground running. There are plenty of resources available in which you can learn graphic design on your own. Don’t set your expectations to high at first, as it will take enthusiastic study for years to become great. You can do it though! If you would like to learn graphic design from the ground up, through self directed study, then this article lists some great resources that will get you started with your design education. 1. There are a few graphic design principles that effect every project you’ll create. Shape, Spacing, and Rhythm I remember first learning these basic design principles , and they seamed so foreign at first. The Principles of Design by Joshua David McClurg-Genevese What is Graphic Design? Color, Texture, and Imagery Principles of Color Design by Wucius Wong Texture in Graphic Design 2.
Cognitive Dissonance: How Contradictory Ideas Affect Design | Va One hot summer’s day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. “Just the things to quench my thirst,” quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. The above story is an example of cognitive dissonance. This simple principle impacts design and marketing and it’s important to understand what it is and how people alleviate cognitive dissonance when confronted with it. Psychology and sociology impact both design and marketing. What is Cognitive Dissonance? Cognitive dissonance is a state of mental discomfort that occurs when a person’s attitudes, thoughts, ideas or beliefs conflict. The theory of cognitive dissonances suggests that people are motivated to reduce dissonance by either changing or rationalizing attitudes and beliefs. It is not a perfect and has its strengths and weaknesses. Ho Do People Alleviate Cognitive Dissonance? Design Marketing Summary
The Principles of Graphic Design The principles of design suggest how a designer can best arrange the various elements of a page layout in connection to the overall design and to each other. Generally, all the principles of design apply to any piece you may create. How you apply those principles determines how effective your design is in conveying the desired message and how attractive it appears. There is seldom only one correct way to apply each principle but check your documents to see how well you have applied each of these six principles of design. Balance Visual balance comes from arranging elements on the page so that no one section is heavier than the other. Proximity / Unity Do your designs have unity? In design, proximity or closeness creates a bond between people and between elements on a page. Alignment Alignment brings order to chaos. Repetition / Consistency Contrast Do you have good contrast among elements of your design? White Space
Cognitive Dissonance: How Contradictory Ideas Affect Design | Va One hot summer’s day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. “Just the things to quench my thirst,” quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: “I am sure they are sour.It is easy to despise what you cannot get. The above story is an example of cognitive dissonance. This simple principle impacts design and marketing and it’s important to understand what it is and how people alleviate cognitive dissonance when confronted with it. Psychology and sociology impact both design and marketing. What is Cognitive Dissonance? It is not a perfect and has its strengths and weaknesses. Ho Do People Alleviate Cognitive Dissonance? Design Marketing
White Space as Used in Page Layout Negative space is a positive design element. It's white space (shown in black in this image) | Design & Layout | Alpha Index of Full Glossary: A small image and minimal text within generous margins gives the impression of something special, elegant, or high class. Definition: One of the principles of design, white space is the absence of text and graphics. Designing With White Space "Achieve a balance of ink and white space using a mix of techniques... as appropriate to your design." — How to Add White Space to a Layout "The most prominent white space in a design is the margins all around the page." — Using Margins in Desktop Publishing "Is there such a thing as too much white space? "Avoiding pages of gray text usually involves injecting more white space and contrast into the text." — Gray Text Also Known As: air | breathing room | empty space
Gestalt – Grouping – Proximity, Similarity, and Closure « Lens, Light & Composition In physics, any two objects will cause a certain attraction force on each other. They call this gravity. A similar force exists in electromagnetic fields called magnetism. In Gestalt, the attraction force between shapes is Grouping. The different types of grouping are: proximity, similarity, continuity, closure and pragnanz. Consider that much of this topic of Gestalt may seem overly simplistic, but it helps to explain the actions of the unconscious mind during the act of viewing and you will see later how it supports the Principles of Art and Elements of Design. Proximity Proximity grouping is the influence objects within close proximity assert on each other. In the second image, we still have a grid of objects, but the brain accepts each set of double rows as being a single group of objects, though of the same shape. Proximity of shapes affects the visual relationships of shapes within a frame, but the illustration may be a bit too simplistic. Similarity Young Farmers. Image Source
This resource covers many of the topics asked for in our assignment this week- It has links about use of color and contrast, balance, harmony, etc, fonts, composition, etc! by dixiembeau Sep 4
This site is the smorgas-bord (spelling?) of visual design! It has resources in every aspect of graphic design organized by category! Cool! by dixiembeau Sep 3