Research:
During the first week of class, we were asked to find 3 articles that talked about “Good and Bad” Design, as we would be talking about it with our peers in the following week. Below are a couple of images that were included in the articles I found during my research process that described why each design was either good or bad.
“Bad Design” “Good Design”
What I learned about “Good” Design…
- Often appears invisible – it does not get in the way of the user
- Should be internally coherent to the user – should not require an external explanation
- First, understand what your users need, then design based on those needs and desires
What I learned about “Bad” Design…
- It is not useful for all people – such as someone who has a disability
- Can often be confusing – if something takes more time and focus than it should, then people will not buy or use it
- Does not serve its actual purpose, instead makes something harder
Exercise 1:
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- During this exercise, we were assigned to find 4 designs and place them in a one page document with a concise explanation for why we chose each design paired with its own label.
- Below are examples that were included in my submission for Exercise 1.
Photo 1: A “Good” Design
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- I think this design is “good” because of its ability to seem invisible. The user is only responsible for powering the fan ‘on’ and ‘off’, other than that it is able to do its job and not get in the way of the user. Another great aspect of this design is how economically friendly it is.
Photo 2: A “Bad” Design
- The design of this movie poster is “bad” because of the confusion that comes across the viewer during their first interaction with the poster. Although hierarchy is definitely prevalent in this design, I don’t think they used it in the best of ways as many viewers seem to get no useful information from this poster.
Photo 3: A “Good” Design…but in secret I do not like
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- The iPhone is a good design because it has been able to stay innovative but also keep up with the modern world. I do not care for the design because when I first became an Apple user, it seemed confusing and felt like I needed to have prior knowledge on how Apple products work as the simplicity of the layout can be frustrating at times.
Photo 4: A “Bad” Design…that I love
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- This is a bad design because it’s not useful once the tube is empty (or for many people, when they can’t push out anymore toothpaste). Once there’s nothing left, we throw it in the trash and open a fresh tube. I love this design because there is something so satisfying and aesthetically pleasing to me about finishing a tube of toothpaste and having that desire to find a new brand or type of toothpaste that is better or nicer.
Iterations:
During class we learned about Layout Basics and how the layout of something can change the way information is perceived by the viewer. We also learned the importance of presentation as the way one’s work is presented is just as important as the work that was made. A quote that was stated during class that really stuck out to me was…
“Designers don’t just design things, but they design the experience.”
60 Second Practice:
In just 60 seconds we were to create as many layouts that we could think of, to the left you will see the layouts I created during those 60 seconds.
The most difficult part about this activity was not being able to repeat the same organization. When I first started making these, it seemed pretty easy and I had many ideas flowing through my head, but as time slowly started running out, so did my ideas.
Notes on Layout:
To the right, you will see the notes that I took during class when we were discussing Proximity, Alignment, Consistency, and Hierarchy. All of these elements are crucial for how your work is perceived by the viewer.
I am a very visual learner so drawing out what each tool does and means, is a great way for me to remember the technique and implement it into my work. Also I have learned that keeping each term in an organized manner has been an easier way to visualize my thoughts, which is important throughout design.
Production:
First Draft:
Since my first draft, I’ve learned how much I like to talk. My draft of the About Me page was full of words and never ending sentences that were just not pleasing to the eye. Even when I looked at it, I hated the way it looked and made me not want to read any of it.
Final Draft:
After discussing with some of my classmates, it was obvious none of them cared for the long, fluffy paragraphs that I had written. I learned from them how to cut out the non-important information, as I often floated off into space in my sentences, and simply stick with the more straight forward sentences. That feedback helped me break down the paragraphs sentence by sentence and make sure I had a focused piece of work that was enjoyable to look at and read.
Final Project Thoughts:
- I’m proud of myself for digging in and putting my best effort into something that I have never done before. This process was frustrating and confusing, yet rewarding as I see the progress I’ve already made.
- I’m looking forward to getting more comfortable with this software and learning better tricks as to how I can organize my thoughts and information. I want my viewer to have a clear foundation for the work I am presenting to them, hopefully I can get better at that within the upcoming weeks.
Link to Portfolio Project: About