Middy 1 Flashcards
Explain semiotics
§ A science which studies the role of signs as part of social life.
We shall call it semiology (from the Greek semeon, ‘sign’)
§ We will look at the literal (denotation) and suggestive,
emotive (connotative) meaning of symbols, objects etc..
Litteral to abstract
Picture of Dog-Bone-the word “Dog”
What are the benefits of sketching
§ quick
§ inexpensive
§ disposable
§ plentiful
§ appropriately detailed
It predates written language
§ Sketching can be a representation of what we see or what we think we want to see.
§ It can be a representation of reality or an abstract idea made manifest in real form
Finally it can help us with bringing ideas to life such as Thomas Edison’s lightbulb
What is brainstorming
Brainstorming is a method design teams use to generate ideas to solve clearly defined design problems.
Brainstorming is done primarily in the ‘ideation’ phase.
They produce a vast array of ideas and draw links between
them to find potential solutions.
It’s extremely popular for design teams because they can expand in all directions in a judgment-free atmosphere.
Although teams have rules and a facilitator to keep them on track, they are free to use out-of-the-box and lateral thinking to seek the most effective solutions to any design problem.
By brainstorming, they can take a vast number of approaches— the more, the better—instead of just exploring conventional means and running into the associated obstacles.
What are some popular brainstorming techniques
- Mindmaps- From your central idea or concept try to find as many connections as possible
- Identify interesting branches that can help evolve your idea further.
- You can generate sketches from generated connections/words - Visual Brain Dump-
- Start sketching everything down.
- Add Some Order
- Step away + Schedule Time to Come Back to It
- Action verbs- Action verb involves taking an initial idea and applying different verbs to it such as magnify, modify, substitute, and so on.
- Brand Matrix- 4 category grid to plot ideas/companies
- Forced connections- paining two abstract ideas that wouldn’t normally go together
What are the steps to the design/thinking process
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Often used out of order
What is empathy? And how do we achieve it?
Empathy is our ability to see the world through other people’s eyes — to see what they see, feel what they feel and experience things as they do.
Appreciate people’s emotional and physical needs.
Gain insight into the way people see, understand and interact with the world around them.
Realize how lives are impacted within the contexts being investigated.
Find out what people mean rather than just what they say — empathic research is inherently subjective and is concerned with motivations and thoughts, rather than facts.
We achieve this empathic state as we put aside our own preconceived ideas about the world and choose to understand the ideas, thoughts and needs of others instead.
What are the 4 qualities of empathy
- Perspective taking or recognize perspective as truth.
- Staying out of judgment.
- Recognizing emotion in another person.
- Communicating the understanding of another
person’s emotions.
What are empathetic research techniques
Interviews
Role playing
Day in the life
Cultural probes
What is a map
A map is a means of discovery. Sometimes a map is a way to get from A to B in terms of physical geography, but just as often a map muses on the terrain of the heart, distant memories, or the landscape of dreams.
Historically, maps, whether physical or experiential have had been formulated on data gathered from interviews. Some of the early explorers of North America did not have cameras to record their findings.
You can make a map of nearly any journey, place, or experience, however menial it may seem.
Maps can be intimate and personal, or grand and inclusive. They can be a ritual way to journal your day, or a permanent and elaborate illustration of your life’s journey.
What are the different types of maps
Political map- borders and regions
Topographical map- elevation
Abstract map- symbols about a day or journey
Board game- ex: life
Found object map- from a trip or expirience
Must include a legend and title
What is visual composition
Unity is seen in the ‘total impact’ of the design. In other words, there is a totality or coherency in the unified whole. Some view this as a harmonious agreement of the elements apparent to the eye..
Shot size and length- Close mid and long
Photographic principles
Camera angle- High, low, eye level (with subject)
What are photographic principles and what are the main ones
Point, line, plane, rhythm, scale, balance, rule of thirds, colour
Consider what to place and where to place the elements to emphasize a Center of Interest.
The order of importance or Hierarchy: Primary subject/object, secondary, tertiary, and more…
Visual hierarchy- the way things are presented implies an order of importance and how they should be read
Emphasis- can be created by using contrast dark vs light in a painting- object placed in centrer is the focus isolation does the same thing
Framing- emphasize the center of interest image
Symmetrical Balance- two sides of the images match perfectly if folded in half
Asymmetrical Balance- when the imagery is not mirrored so we can describe the composition as being dynamic or informal
Rule of thirds- dividing into 9 squares using the outside of the center square as hot spots for image subjects
Colour- placing a specific colour that stands out compared the the rest for the subject
Line- creating visual lines for the viewer to follow within image
Line of sight- where someone is looking
Rythm- repetition of same thing over and over again
Scale- when the subject is significantly bigger or smaller then the rest
What is hierarchy
Hierarchy helps rank the importance of design elements. What do you want someone to see first? It could be the title on a webpage or maybe a photo or illustration that gives more context.
§ Hierarchy is also conveyed visually, through variations in scale, value, colour, spacing, placement or alignment, and other signals.
Font, size and where you put information on a page is also very important
Contrasting weight (bold)
Contrasting colour
Alignment
Spatial intervals
Upper case and special intervals
Italic
What are some ways to create hierarchy
Scale
Contrast in value (lightness or darkness) or colour-putting white words on a red page or vice versa
White space- putting space between the rest of the image and what you want to emphasize
Curvilinear vs rectilinear
Social aspect
What does the alignment on a page do? What does lack of alignment do
•Create order and convey harmony •Organize page elements
•Group items
•Create visual connections
•Good alignment is invisible.
Lack of alignment creates a sloppy, unorganized look on the page or screen. Mixing too many alignments can have a similar effect.
