The Page Layout

Surviving with style

Safe rules: keep it simpleuse a gridno backgroundsno more than 2 fontsalways use Helvetica; etc

Copying othersGo with a system (tables, etc)Consider focus of attentionAvoid arbitrary gesturesConvey multiple messagesFlirt with the rulesPlay with metaphorLook for and listen to your criticsConsider scale and sizeConsider usabilityConsider your audienceConsider trendsIncremental design and improvement...

Colour and Contrast

Structuralism

Difference

Opposition

Engagement, a coherent narrative of oppositions

Contrast (perception)

Red

Green

Blue

Blue

Black

White

Cyan

Magenta

Yellow

Red

Green

Red

YellowGreen

Cyan

Blue Magenta

1. Contrast of hue 2. Light-dark contrast3. Cold-warm contrast 4. Complementary contrasts 5. Simultaneous contrast 6. Contrast of saturation 7. Contrast of extension

Itten, J. (1970). The Elements of Colour: A Treatise on the Colour System of Johannes Itten based on his book The Art of Colour (E. Van Hagen, Trans.). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

5. Simultaneous contrast

http://www.deviantart.com/view/1380989/

http://www.deviantart.com/view/1380989/

The frame

Digital Media

Design

Architecture

Edinburgh

Lack of control of contrastAttention drawn to the unimportant bits (eg edge)Faces looking the wrong wayArbitrary use of symmetry and other formalismsBusy and distracting backgroundFear of white spacesFancy fontsFailure to capitalise on subtle humour/irony/incongruity

(When a layout is so bad the viewerfocuses on the inaccuracies.)

Digital MediaDesign

Architecture

Edinburgh

Digital Media

Design

ArchitectureEdinburgh

Digital MediaDesign ArchitectureEdinburgh

Digital MediaDesign

Architecture

Edinburgh

http://ddm.caad.ed.ac.uk/

“Anti-compositional” approaches ...(balance, harmony, discord ...)

Catalogues/collections/ledgers ...MultiplesSystemMethodContent is everythingCommunication

What do you want to achieve/say?Optimising legibilityFunctionalityBeing historicalWhat does the medium want to do?

...

On being self-evident

“Welcome to my poster …”

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

http://www.circolocheguevara.it/images/che%20guevara.jpg

On drawing a horse

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

http://www.show.me.uk/dbimages/chunked_image/2005_5315.JPG

http://www.interfield-design.com/

http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/turnerprize/history/hirst.htm

A page can pass all the tests of usability but still not fulfil design ambitions.

It can be boring, uncool, old fashioned, lack nuance, lack humour, be naïve, quaint, convey the “wrong” message ...