Basic Visual Design Principles

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Basic Visual Design Principles

• Karen Ferneding
• CI 335

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What is Visual Literacy?Educational Purposes

• Critical Thinking
• - Heightened awareness of hyper-mediated visual
  culture (media literacy)
• Communication
• - Support effective teaching and learning

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Learning Instruction

• Connection between visual imagery, sound, memory
  perception
• Theories about how memory works
• Information processing theory
• Dual-coding theory

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Information Processing Theory
Sensory Working
Visual Auditory
Short Term Memory
Selecting Organizing
Long Term Memory
Visual Language
Integration
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Dual-Coding Theory

• Separate memory systems for different types of
  information
• Verbal language systems (auditory/speech)
• Imaginal (picture, sound, taste, nonverbal
  thoughts imagination)
• Concrete (cat) vs. Abstract ideas/emotions
  (fickle) which is easiest to remember?

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Learning Instruction

• Design visuals to support cognitive processes of
  selection, organization integration
• Choose colors, typefaces visual symbols
• Use visual design principles of figure/ground,
  hierarchy gestalt

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Three Principles

• Hierarchy Helping learners organize information
• Figure/Ground Helping learners select important
  information
• Gestalt Helping learners integrate information

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Principles of Visual Design
Principles of Perception Visual Design

• Hierarchy The perception principle that
  communicates the relative importance of elements
  in a display
• Chunking groups of related information using
  visual cues
• Imaginary vertical, horizontal diagonal planes
• Visually stratify layers of information

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Types of Symbols
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Rule of Thirds
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Graphs Visualization of Data
Napoleons March on Moscow (1812-1813)
Charles Joseph Minard
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Principles of Perception Visual Design

• Figure/Ground The perception principle that
  describes how the mind seeks figure and ground
  distinctions
• Figure Information that stands out
• Ground Information that recedes or supports

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Figure
Ground
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Labyrinths

• Labyrinths, usually in the form of a circle, have
  a meandering but purposeful path, from the edge
  to the center and back out again, large enough to
  be walked into.
• Each has only one path, and once we make the
  choice to enter it, the path becomes a metaphor
  for our journey through life.

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Labyrinths
Labyrinths, usually in the form of a circle, have
a meandering but purposeful path, from the edge
to the center and back out again, large enough to
be walked into. Each has only one path, and once
we make the choice to enter it, the path becomes
a metaphor for our journey through life.
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Labyrinths
Labyrinths, usually in the form of a circle, have
a meandering but purposeful path, from the edge
to the center and back out again, large enough to
be walked into. Each has only one path, and once
we make the choice to enter it, the path becomes
a metaphor for our journey through life.
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Principles of Perception Visual Design

• GestaltThe whole (a total learning environment)
  is greater than the sum of its parts (successful
  design and integration of all visual/instructional
  elements)
• A/symmetry, balance, proximity, similarity,
  contrast contiguity
• Closure minds tendency to seek completion

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Contrast and Proximity
Hare
CONtrast
Hare
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Three Types of Balance
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Color Schemes
Grey scale Black, grey, white Monochromatic
different tints (added white) or shades (added
black) of same color Complementary directly
opposite on color wheel (e.g. red-green,
yellow,-violet, orange-blue) Primary red, blue,
yellow Secondary purple, green, orange
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How to Choose Colors

• Be inspired by art and nature
• Explore color palettes of templates
• Use psychological associations (color and
  mood/meaning)
• Red passion, bloodshed, power, zeal
• Blue serenity, tranquility
• Green growth, hope, disease, terror

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Color Contrast and Legibility
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Example of a Color Schema
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Typeface as an Expressive Form
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(No Transcript)
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Process of Visual Design(Unique Thematic Visual
Schema)

• Elements selection and assemblage of text/visual
  elements
• Pattern determine underlying pattern (harmony or
  gestalt) for consistency
• Arrangement how individual elements arranged
  within the underlying pattern

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Eport Visual Schema
Theme -- idea/topic Metaphor
symbol/simile Icon image/sign
Telling a Story
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Imaging Technology
Professional Electronic Portfolio Jenny Sweetwater
CV Transcripts Philosophy Teaching Standards
Educational Links
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Patterns
Professional Electronic portfolio CV
Transcripts Philosophy Teaching Standards
Educational Links
Jennifer Sweetwater
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Jenny Sweetwater Professional Electronic
Portfolio
CV Transcripts Teaching Standards Philosophy
Statement Educational Links
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EPortfolio Examples

• http//students.ed.uiuc.edu/jlin/ePort/homepage.ht
  ml
• http//students.ed.uiuc.edu/kariott/eport/index.ht
  m
• http//students.ed.uiuc.edu/blackstn/eport/index.h
  tm
• http//students.ed.uiuc.edu/jbruton/eport/eporthom
  epage.htm
• http//students.ed.uiuc.edu/rklawson/eport

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Bibliography

• Lohr, Linda (2003). Creating Graphics for
  Learning and Performance. Upper Saddle River,
  NJ Merrill Prentice Hall.
• Smaldino, S. E., Russell, J. D., Heinich, R.
  Molenda, M. (2005). Instructional Technology and
  Media for Learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ
  Merrill Prentice Hall.