Day: November 5, 2018

Link: My final design (Downloadable PDF) for Module 4:Mod 4 CBELL

MEMO:

To: Professor Lizardi & IDT 507 Class

From: Charles Bell

Date: 11/3/2018

Re: Module 4: Computing Project

For this module, I decided to tackle the topic of Interface design, and how it has affected the everyday life of most computer users. In this memo, I will discuss my experiences in creating the design for module four, and how I arrived at a final design.

Audience:

My goal is to reach the everyday users of the technology that I am discussing in my infographic. This demographic is broad, and could range anywhere from teenagers to older adults or anyone who is interested in how technology has affected their lives. I intended to touch upon the household user, the computer gamer, and also the users in the worlds of business and graphic design.

Message:

For each example, I have intended to describe a short history of some of the major interfaces that have been adopted for use by the public. Overall, I intend to create a message that illustrates the wide variety of interfaces available, and how they have affected the lives of their users. Additionally, I describe the concept of web 1.0 and web 2.0 and how this transition has met the needs of the users, and created an new atmosphere of sharing, collaboration and participation online.

Platform:

This poster was completed using vector graphics that were manipulated in Adobe Illustrator and the page layout and text elements were constructed in Adobe Indesign. WordPress, a content management system was used as a way to host my writings and artwork online, in an easy to access way, that is available to anyone, and at anytime. Because my intended profession is that of graphic design, it is most important for me to gain further experience designing with the software which I will use the most in my professional life. These platforms are the ones I have chosen to work with, in order to further my skillset.

Design Considerations:

My intention for this design project was to create artwork that has a very modern and contemporary feel and look. The color palette and font choices needed to have a more clean, technological look, one that would be appealing to any age group, or type of person. I chose a sleek and modern looking san-serif font that is easy to read. I also wanted to create a hierarchy with the font family that would create order and consistency in the piece. By dividing the information into bite sized chunks, I intended to hold the interest and attention of the viewer. This is most evident in the upper portion, where each icon points to its related information.

Design Challenges:

I decided to use a larger sized document than in my previous module projects, and to use a larger sized image or icon as a focal point in the poster. This posed some issues with the layout, causing the text to be somewhat smaller than I had anticipated. Overall, I feel the issues I experienced were overcome and, in an artistic way, the focal point works to draw the viewer in, while still having text that is legible and easy to read.

In summary, I feel that this project has a been a very positive experience, and has given me the opportunity to create a design that is modern and engaging. Using the Adobe design software with the WordPress content management system has been very valuable to me, and an experience that I will use to benefit my career in the future. On a purely visual level, I feel the design relates well to the subject matter, and is pleasing to the eye. On an intellectual level, I feel that I have applied the ideas of affordance theory to interface design and the lives of its users in a way that educates and informs and provides concrete examples of how their lives have been changed by the technology that they have encountered.