On 12/19/07, Andrei Herasimchuk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Practically speaking, anyone who designs interactive software or > digital products needs to be good at the core basics of graphic > design. No ands, ifs or buts about it. This is effectively type, > color and layout. (Layout meaning general composition and the grid.)
At first when I read this, I was prepared to dismiss it as half crap. But then as I began typing my response I realize that much of this is right. Layout. Yes, of course we need to understand the principles of layout (I never thought *this* was crap). We need to understand the spatial relationship of objects in a confined space, how objects can be positioned so they just look like they belong together, how to place the most important objects in the most important space, etc. Layout is something we do every day. Type. This one I was prepared to dismiss as complete crap, and then I went over the current wireframes that I'm doing. I use typography all the time, albeit at a very, very basic level. I design headers with larger type sizes and often bold. Subheaders are of a smaller type size, still bold. Body text is... just plain body text. This level of typography is incredibly important to IxD, as it is often what provides clues to users about what they need to manipulate in order to interact with the site. Color. I still think this is half crap. : ) I think we need to understand enough about color to say that "this thing here needs to stand out and look clickable." Personally, I can communicate that with black, white, and shades of gray, and I prefer to leave it to a graphic designer to make it aesthetically pleasing while remaining usable. So I'll give you this, Andrei: IxDs need to be moderately to highly competent in layout and basically competent in typography and color. : ) > Becoming reasonably competent with type, color and layout is -- to be > completely blunt -- quite easy. Mastering it to the likes of a Paul > Rand might take more, but general competency doesn't take massive > amounts of raw talent to achieve a core level of acceptable craft > with these elements. It really only takes a desire to understand how > those three design components work together and a lot of practice > using good graphic design principals every day and with every thing > you touch. This means every memo you write, every blog you design, > every design deliverable you create... all of it should be places > where you are practicing good graphic design to keep the design > muscle in constant use. As I think about it, the reason I was at first prepared to dismiss this is because I *do* do this stuff every day... to the point where I don't think about it. It's crucial to communication. In fact, if I reach back deep into the mists of time... I have actually taken classes in "document design" and the like when I was studying technical writing. It was these classes (and those Robin Williams [not the actor] books) that gave me those basic competencies. The fact that I run screaming from the label "visual designer" even though I do basic visual design every day tells me something. I'm not exactly sure what, though. : ) Is it that what I'm doing is basic communication and "visual design" is communication plus something else? Creating a mood, conveying an image, etc.? It sounds like an interesting question of definition. Sorry Dave. : ) - Fred ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
