Design To Communicate

Presented at DIBI, Gateshead, April 2010

As designers, we manipulate all that is available to us, aiming to present ideas in a visually engaging form. But what are our motives, and why do we go in a particular direction? Why do great designers have the courage to do things a certain way, and succeed?

Simon will explore how web designers can improve their thought processes by stepping away from the browser, and in turn bring clearer, well-reasoned thinking back into their work. He’ll introduce established and new ways of thinking, and key points of influence that can assist with any web design process.

Transcript

1. DESIGN TO COMMUNICATE Simon Collison DIBI, Gateshead, April 2010 @simoncollison colly.com
2. This presentation is about starting points... DESIGN SQUARE ONE
3. This presentation is not about... HTML & CSS JQUERY PHOTOSHOP because these are just enablers
4. The screen brings with it different kinds of challenges for visual design, some of which occur exclusively in interactive media. It’s unrealistic to think our old methods can fill in all the gaps, but new interaction patterns and visual languages emerge everyday. These are the building blocks for our new design principles. JASON SANTA MARIA
5. VISUAL GRAMMAR
15. BALANCE COMPOSITION SYMMETRY MOVEMENT RHYTHM REPETITION PATTERNS
22. MENTAL MODELS
23. The models people have of themselves, others, the environment, and the things with which they interact. MENTAL MODELS
24. Environment Experience Others Me Instruction Interaction
25. MAPPING
26. The relationship between two things. Natural mapping leads to immediate understanding. MAPPING
27. Control Outcome
28. Understanding Control Outcome
29. SYSTEMS
30. We don’t design web pages. We design systems. ANDY CLARKE
32. MOTIVE
33. What are our motives, and why do we go in one particular direction? MOTIVE
34. NOSTALGIA
35. A longing for the past, or the ephemera of the olden days, and the sense that everything was better than it is today. NOSTALGIA
36. RHETORIC
37. The art of using language effectively in order to persuade. RHETORIC
38. VERNACULAR
39. The everyday language through which a group, community or regional area communicates. VERNACULAR
40. HUMOUR
41. The opportunity to present and exploit wit in order to communicate meaning. HUMOUR
42. SEMIOTICS
43. The study of signs offering an explanation of how people extract meaning from words, sounds and images. SEMIOTICS
44. Symbol Icon Index
45. TYPOGRAPHY
46. By using typography we give a written idea a visual form. TYPOGRAPHY
47. COLOUR
48. Colour can bring designs to life, inform hierarchies, create bonds between elements, add pace or emotion. COLOUR
49. 100% yellow 100% yellow 20% black 100% yellow 50% black 100% yellow 80% black 80% yellow 70% yellow 50% yellow
50. RESTRAINT & REDUCTION
51. Constructing immediate meaning through economy of use. RESTRAINT & REDUCTION
52. PLAY PERSONALITY SELF-EXPRESSION
53. COURAGE & CONVICTION
54. THANKS Simon Collison @simoncollison colly.com