Tuesday, July 21, 2015

WHAT IS GRAPHIC DESIGN & THE HISTORY OF GRAPHIC DESIGN

Graphic design is the process of visual communication, and problem-solving through the use of type, space, image and color.
The field is considered a subset of visual communication and communication design, but sometimes the term "graphic design" is used interchangeably with these due to overlapping skills involved. Graphic designers use various methods to create and combine words, symbols, and images to create a visual representation of ideas and messages. A graphic designer may use a combination of typography,visual arts and page layout techniques to produce a final result. Graphic design often refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication is created and the products (designs) which are generated.
Common uses of graphic design include identity (logos and branding), publications (magazines, newspapers and books), print advertisements, posters, billboards, website graphics and elements, signs and product packaging. For example, a product package might include a logo or other artwork, organized text and pure design elements such as images, shapes and color which unify the piece.Composition is one of the most important features of graphic design, especially when using pre-existing materials or diverse elements.

History[edit]


Page from the Book of Kells: Folio 114v, Decorated text. Tunc dicit illis
While Graphic Design as a discipline has a relatively recent history, first coined by William Addison Dwiggins in 1922,[2] graphic design-like activities span the history of humankind: from the caves of Lascaux, to Rome's Trajan's Column to the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages, to the dazzling neons of Ginza. In both this lengthy history and in the relatively recent explosion of visual communication in the 20th and 21st centuries, there is sometimes a blurring distinction and overlapping of advertising art, graphic design and fine art. After all, they share many of the same elements, theories, principles, practices and languages, and sometimes the same benefactor or client. Inadvertising art the ultimate objective is the sale of goods and services. In graphic design, "the essence is to give order to information, form to ideas, expression and feeling to artifacts that document human experience."[3]

The advent of printing[edit]

Main article: History of printing
During the Tang Dynasty (618–907) between the 7th and 9th century AD, wood blocks were cut to print on textiles and later to reproduce Buddhist texts. A Buddhist scripture printed in 868 is the earliest known printed book. Beginning in the 11th century, longer scrolls and books were produced using movable type printing making books widely available during the Song dynasty (960–1279).[4] Sometime around 1450, Johann Gutenberg's printing press made books widely available in Europe. The book design of Aldus Manutius developed the book structure which would become the foundation of western publication design. This era of graphic design is called Humanist or Old Style.

Emergence of the design industry[edit]

In late 19th-century Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, the first official publication of a printed design was released which marked the separation of graphic design from fine art.
In 1849, Henry Cole became one of the major forces in design education in Great Britain, informing the government of the importance of design in his Journal of Design and Manufactures. He organized the Great Exhibition as a celebration of modern industrial technology and Victorian design.
From 1891 to 1896, William Morris' Kelmscott Press published books that are some of the most significant of the graphic design products of the Arts and Crafts movement, and made a very lucrative business of creating books of great stylistic refinement and selling them to the public. Morris created aMARKET for works of graphic design in their own right to create a profession for this new type of art for aspiring individuals who wish to earn a living through these skills. The work of the Kelmscott Press is characterized by its obsession with historical styles. This historicism was, however, important as it amounted to the first significant reaction to the stale state of nineteenth-century graphic design. Morris' work, along with the rest of the Private Press movement, directly influenced Art Nouveau and is indirectly responsible for developments in early twentieth century graphic design in general.[5]

Twentieth century design[edit]


A Boeing 747 aircraft with liverydesignating it as Air Force One. The cyan forms, the US flagpresidential seal and the Caslon lettering were all designed at different times, by different designers, for different purposes, and combined by designer Raymond Loewyin this one single aircraft exterior design.
The name "Graphic Design" first appeared in print in the 1922 essay "New Kind of Printing Calls for New Design" by William Addison Dwiggins, an American book designer in the early 20th century.[6]
Raffe's Graphic Design, published in 1927, is considered to be the first book to use "Graphic Design" in its title.[7]
The signage in the London Underground is a classic design example[8] of the modern era and used a typeface designed by Edward Johnston in 1916.
In the 1920s, Soviet constructivism applied 'intellectual production' in different spheres of production. The movement saw individualistic art as useless in revolutionary Russia and thus moved towards creating objects for utilitarian purposes. They designed buildings, theater sets, posters, fabrics, clothing, furniture, logos, menus, etc.[citation needed]
Jan Tschichold codified the principles of modern typography in his 1928 book, New Typography. He later repudiated the philosophy he espoused in this book as being fascistic, but it remained very influential.[citation needed] Tschichold, Bauhaus typographers such as Herbert Bayer and László Moholy-Nagy, and El Lissitzky have greatly influenced graphic design as we know it today. They pioneered production techniques[citation needed] and stylistic devices used throughout the twentieth century. The following years saw graphic design in the modern style gain widespread acceptance and application.[9] A booming post-World War II American economy established a greater need for graphic design, mainly advertising and packaging. The emigration of the German Bauhaus school of design to Chicago in 1937 brought a "mass-produced" minimalism to America; sparking a wild fire of "modern" architecture and design. Notable names in mid-century modern design include Adrian Frutiger, designer of the typefaces Univers and FrutigerPaul Rand, who, from the late 1930s until his death in 1996, took the principles of the Bauhaus and applied them to popular advertising and logo design, helping to create a uniquely American approach to European minimalism while becoming one of the principal pioneers of the subset of graphic design known ascorporate identity; and Josef Müller-Brockmann, who designed posters in a severe yet accessible manner typical of the 1950s and 1970s era.
The growth of the professional graphic design industry has grown in parallel with the rise of consumerism. This has raised some concerns and criticisms, notably from within the graphic design community with the First Things First manifesto. First launched by Ken Garland in 1964, it was re-published as the First Things First 2000 manifesto in 1999 in the magazine Emigre 51[10] stating "We propose a reversal of priorities in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication - a mindshift away from productMARKETING and toward the exploration and production of a new kind of meaning. The scope of debate is shrinking; it must expand. Consumerism is running uncontested; it must be challenged by other perspectives expressed, in part, through the visual languages and resources of design."[11] Both editions attracted signatures from respected design practitioners and thinkers, for example; Rudy VanderLansErik SpiekermannEllen Lupton and Rick Poynor. The 2000 manifesto was also notably published in Adbusters, known for its strong critiques of visual culture.

Applications[edit]

From road signs to technical schematics, from interoffice memorandums to reference manuals, graphic design enhances transfer ofknowledge and visual messages. Readability and legibility is enhanced by improving the visual presentation and layout of text.
Design can also aid in selling a product or idea through effective visual communication. It is applied to products and elements of company identity like logos, colors, packaging, and text. Together these are defined as branding (see also advertising). Branding has increasingly become important in the range of services offered by many graphic designers, alongside corporate identity. Whilst the terms are often used interchangeably, branding is more strictly related to the identifying mark orTRADE name for a product or service, whereas corporate identity can have a broader meaning relating to the structure and ethos of a company, as well as to the company's external image. Graphic designers will often form part of a team working on corporate identity and branding projects. Other members of that team can includeMARKETING professionals, communications consultants and commercial writers.
Textbooks are designed to present subjects such as geography, science, and math. These publications have layouts which illustratetheories and diagrams. A common example of graphics in use to educate is diagrams of human anatomy. Graphic design is also applied to layout and formatting of educational material to make the information more accessible and more readily understandable.
Graphic wayfinding signage systems have become important for large public spaces such as airports and convention centers. These systems often depend on graphic design to communicate information quickly and economically through a color or symbol that can be read and followed from a distance (as opposed to large amounts of text). Such environmental graphic design systems allow people to navigate unfamiliar spaces. The term "architectural graphics" was coined by Jane Davis Doggett, pioneer designer of airport wayfinding systems, but the term more commonly used in 2014 is environmental graphics.[12]
Graphic design is applied in the entertainment industry in decoration, scenery, and visual story telling. Other examples of design for entertainment purposes include novels, comic books, DVD covers, opening credits and closing credits in filmmaking, and programs and props on stage. This could also include artwork used for T-shirts and other items screenprinted for sale.
From scientific journals to news reporting, the presentation of opinion and facts is often improved with graphics and thoughtful compositions of visual information - known asinformation design. Newspapers, magazines, blogs, television and film documentaries may use graphic design to inform and entertain. With the advent of the web, information designers with experience in interactive tools such as Adobe Flash are increasingly being used to illustrate the background to news stories.

Skills[edit]

A graphic design project may involve the stylization and presentation of existing text and either preexisting imagery or images developed by the graphic designer. Artistic pieces can be incorporated in both traditional and digital form, which involves the use of visual arts, typography, and page layout techniques for publications and marketing. For example, a newspaper story begins with the journalists and photojournalists and then becomes the graphic designer's job to organize the page into a reasonable layout and determine if any other graphic elements should be required. In a magazine article or advertisement, often the graphic designer or art director will commission photographers or illustrators to create original pieces just to be incorporated into the design layout. Or the designer may utilizeSTOCK imagery or photography. Contemporary design practice has been extended to the modern computer, for example in the use of WYSIWYG user interfaces, often referred to as interactive design, or multimedia design. Another aspect of graphic design is to have good research skills, analyzing a work of art and simultaneously seeing it in new ways. Graphic Design need skills such as power to convince the audience and selling the design. Communication is a key part in graphic design. The process of graphic design include the "process school" which is an approach to the subject that is concerned with the actual process of communication; it especially highlights the channels and media through which messages are transmitted and by which senders and receivers encode and decode. Semiotic School on the other hand, is message as a construction of signs which through interaction with receivers, produces meaning; communication as an agent. The process school is like the way in which a message is brought out to society.

Visual arts design[edit]

Main article: Visual arts
Before any graphic elements may be applied to a design, the graphic elements must be originated by means of visual art skills. These graphics are often (but not always) developed by a graphic designer. Visual arts include works which are primarily visual in nature using anything from traditional media, to photography or digital art. Graphic design principles may be applied to each graphic art element individually as well as to the final composition.

Typography[edit]

Main article: Typography
Typography is the art, craft and techniques of type design, modifying type glyphs, and arranging type. Type glyphs (characters) are created and modified using a variety of illustration techniques. The arrangement of type is the selection of typefaces, point size, tracking (the space between all characters used), kerning (the space between two specific characters), and leading (line spacing).
Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic artists, art directors, and clerical workers. Until the Digital Age, typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users.

Page layout[edit]

Main article: Page layout

Golden section in book design
The page layout aspect of graphic design deals with the arrangement of elements (content) on a page, such as image placement, and text layout and style. Beginning from early illuminated pages in hand-copied books of the Middle Ages and proceeding down to intricate modern magazine and catalogue layouts, structured page design has long been a consideration in printed material and more recently in electronic displays such as web pages. Elements usually consist of type (text), images (pictures), and (with print media) occasionally place-holder graphics for elements that are not printed with ink such as die/laser cuttingfoil stamping or blind embossing.

Printmaking[edit]

Main article: Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing on paper and other materials or surfaces. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable of producing multiples of the same piece, which is called a print. Each piece is not a copy but an original since it is not a reproduction of another work of art and is technically known as an impression. Painting or drawing, on the other hand, creates a unique original piece of artwork. Prints are created from a single original surface, known technically as a matrix. Common types of matrices include: plates of metal, usually copper or zinc for engraving or etching; stone, used for lithography; blocks of wood for woodcuts, linoleum for linocuts and fabric plates for screen-printing. But there are many other kinds, discussed below. Works printed from a single plate create an edition, in modern times usually each signed and numbered to form a limited edition. Prints may also be published in book form, as artist's books. A single print could be the product of one or multiple techniques.

Tools[edit]


The pencil is one of the most basic graphic design tools.
The mind is an important graphic design tool. Aside from technology, graphic design requires judgment and creativity. Critical, observational, quantitative and analytic thinking are required for design layouts and rendering. If the executor is merely following a solution (e.g. sketch, script or instructions) provided by another designer (such as an art director), then the executor is not usually considered the designer.
The method of presentation (e.g. arrangement, style, medium) may be equally important to the design. The appropriate development and presentation tools can substantially change how an audience perceives a project. The image or layout is produced using externaltraditional media and guides, or digital image editing tools on computers. Tools in computer graphics often take on traditional names such as "scissors" or "pen". Some graphic design tools such as a grid are used in both traditional and digital form.
In the mid-1980s, the arrival of desktop publishing and graphic art software applications introduced a generation of designers to computer image manipulation and creation that had previously been manually executed. Computer graphic design enabled designers to instantly see the effects of layout or typographic changes, and to simulate the effects of traditional media without requiring a lot of space. However, traditional tools such as pencils ormarkers are useful even when computers are used for finalization; a designer or art director may hand sketch numerous concepts as part of the creative process. Some of these sketches may even be shown to a client for early stage approval, before the designer develops the idea further using a computer and graphic design software tools.
Computers are considered an indispensable tool in the graphic design industry. Computers and software applications are generally seen by creative professionals as more effective production tools than traditional methods. However, some designers continue to use manual and traditional tools for production, such as Milton Glaser.
New ideas can come by way of experimenting with tools and methods. Some designers explore ideas using pencil and paper.[14] Others use many different mark-making tools and resources from computers to sculpture as a means of inspiring creativity. One of the key features of graphic design is that it makes a tool out of appropriate image selection in order to possibly convey meaning.[15]

Computers and the creative process[edit]

There is some debate whether computers enhance the creative process of graphic design.[16] Rapid production from the computer allows many designers to explore multiple ideas quickly with more detail than what could be achieved by traditional hand-rendering or paste-up on paper, moving the designer through the creative process more quickly.[17]However, being faced with limitless choices does not help isolate the best design solution and can lead to endless iterations with no clear design outcome.
A graphic designer may use sketches to explore multiple or complex ideas quickly[18] without the distractions and complications of software.[citation needed] Hand-rendered compsare often used to get approval for an idea execution before a designerINVESTS time to produce finished visuals on a computer or in paste-up. The same thumbnail sketches or rough drafts on paper may be used to rapidly refine and produce the idea on the computer in a hybrid process. This hybrid process is especially useful in logo design[19] where a software learning curve may detract from a creative thought process. The traditional-design/computer-production hybrid process may be used for freeing one's creativity inpage layout or image development as well.[citation needed] In the early days of computer publishing, many "traditional" graphic designers relied on computer-savvy production artiststo produce their ideas from sketches, without needing to learn the computer skills themselves. However, this practice has been increasingly less common since the advent ofdesktop publishing over 30 years ago. The use of computers and graphics software is now taught in most graphic design courses.
Nearly all of the popular and "industry standard" software programs used for graphic design since the early 1990s are products of Adobe Systems Incorporated. They are Adobe Photoshop (a raster-based program for photo editing), Adobe Illustrator (a vector-based program for drawing), Adobe InDesign (a page layout program), and Adobe Dreamweaver (for Web page design). Another major page layout tool is QuarkXpress (a product of Quark, Inc., a separate company from Adobe). Both QuarkXpress and Adobe InDesign are often used in the final stage of the electronic design process. Raster images may have been edited in Adobe Photoshop, logos and illustrations in Adobe Illustrator, and the final product assembled in one of the major page layout programs. Most graphic designers entering the field since about 1990 are expected to be proficient in at least one or two of these programs.

Modern graphic design subfields[edit]

Interface design[edit]

Main article: User interface design
Since the advent of the World Wide Web and computer software development, many graphic designers have become involved in interface design, in an environment commonly referred to as a Graphical User Interface (GUI). This has included web design and software design, when end user interactivity is a design consideration of the layout or interface. Combining visual communication skills with the interactive communication skills of user interaction and online branding, graphic designers often work with software developersand web developers to create both the look and feel of a web site or software application and enhance the interactive experience of the user or web site visitor. An important aspect of interface design is icon design.

User experience design[edit]

Main article: User experience design
User experience design considers how a user interacts with and responds to an interface, service or product and adjusts it accordingly.

Experiential graphic design[edit]

Experiential graphic design is the application of communication skills to the build environment. This area of graphic design requires practitioners to possess knowledge of creating large scale physical installations which have to be manufactured and withstand the same sort of environmental conditions as buildings. As such, it is a cross-disciplinary collaborative process involving designers, fabricators, city planners, architects, manufacturers and large project building teams.
Experiential graphic designers try to solve problems that people encounter while interacting with buildings and space. Examples of practice areas for environmental graphic designers are wayfindingplacemaking, branded environments, exhibitions and museum displays, public installations and digital environments.

Occupations[edit]

Graphic design career paths cover all ends of the creative spectrum and often overlap. Employment within Graphic Design involves workers performing specialized tasks, such as design services, publishing, advertising, and public relations, while receiving a median pay of $44,150.00 per year. The main job responsibility of a Graphic Designer is the arrangement of visual elements in some type of media. The main job titles within the industry can vary and are often country specific. They can include graphic designer, art director, creative directoranimator and the entry level production artist. Depending on the industry served, the responsibilities may have different titles such as "DTP Associate" or "Graphic Artist", but despite changes in title, graphic design principles remain consistent. The responsibilities may come from, or lead to, specialized skills such as illustration,photographyanimation or interactive design. Today's graduating graphic design students are normally exposed to all of these areas of graphic design and urged to become familiar with all of them as well in order to be competitive. Graphic designers will face strong competition when applying for positions, in which organizations are looking for candidates with convincing talents and a college-level education; field requirements consist of having strong portfolio and a Bachelor’s degree. Due to the increase in technology, employment rates within computer systems design are expecting a 35% increase, while traditional designs, such as publications, are facing slower rates of 16% or less.
Graphic designers can work in a variety of environments. Whilst many will work within companies devoted specifically to the industry, such as design consultancies or branding agencies, others may work within publishing,MARKETING or other communications companies. Increasingly, especially since the introduction of personal computers to the industry, many graphic designers have found themselves working within non-design oriented organizations, as in-house designers. Graphic designers may also work as free-lance designers, working on their own terms, prices, ideas, etc.
A graphic designer reports to the art directorcreative director or senior media creative. As a designer becomes more senior, they may spend less time designing media and more time leading and directing other designers on broader creative activities, such as brand development and corporate identity development. They are often expected to interact more directly with clients, for example taking and interpreting briefs.

10 PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES TO DESIGN WITH

10 PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES TO DESIGN WITH


Design is most effective when executed with knowledge of psychology. Knowing how people react to visual stimuli allows the crafting of an effective design, with out psychology you are guessing. Psychology itself is a vastly fluctuating and massive subject, but that doesn’t mean you need a PhD to use it in your design. There are simple psychological principles you can use to improve the effectiveness of your design even without knowing the theory behind it.
While there are hundreds of relevant principles, the following ten can be used to improve the aesthetic quality, usability and comprehension of your designs.

1. Visceral Reactions

Visceral Reactions
The first emotional reactions originate in the central nervous system. These reactions influence our behavior on a subconscious level, meaning we don't realize they are influencing our behavior.
You may consider yourself self-aware and in complete control… well I’ve got news for you, you’re not. For centuries cognition has tricked on humans into believing their actions are completely thought-out and preplanned. Modern psychology says otherwise. Much of human behavior is still rooted and influenced by our “old brain,” the part of our mind controlling the survival instincts that kept our ancestors alive (Weinschenk, Nuero Web Design, 2009.) The old brain reacts much faster than conscious thought and is triggered anytime we’re exposed to a representation of food, shelter, danger or reproduction. These reactions are called “visceral reactions” as they originate from the central nervous system (Norman, Emotional Design, 2005.)
Not only are old brain signals faster than conscious thought, they influence us with out our knowledge (ie: visceral reactions are subconscious.) Ever love a design  but have a hard time explaining why? Chances are you had a visceral reaction and your old brain reacted to the visuals positively. Because visceral reactions are rooted in our genetic makeup, the responses are fairly consistent across all cultures, genders and demographics. As a result, visceral design produces very predictable reactions.
Visceral design is broad enough that it could (and probably will) have a blog post dedicated to it. To keep things short I recommend using design elements that could represent any of the old brain triggers. Specifically use elements that could represent survival, threat or reproductive opportunities (sex sells.) For example, you could use an aqua blue that is similar to fresh water, bright colors that are reminiscent of fruit or a clean open design similar to a safe environment.

2. Cost-Benefit Analysis

Form Fatigue
Form fatigue is a common example of the cost-benefit problem. The energy cost in filling out a long form often outweighs the perceived benefit of doing so.
Related to visceral reactions is the cost-benefit principle which surmises behavior is regulated by the perceived difficulty of a task in relation to the perceived reward (The Journal of Neuroscience, 8 April 2009, 29(14): 4531-4541.) Basic human behavior can be summed up in two patterns: opportunity seeking and threat avoidance. For example, your body is hardwired to seek out energy dense food, which is why calorie dense foods like french fries and chocolate are harder to resist than lettuce. Because the fuel for energy (food) used to be a scarce resource and took energy to obtain, we have developed an uncanny drive to conserve energy where possible. Our ancestors survived by limiting their energy usage to activities that would provide high benefit.
Despite the centuries of evolution between our nomadic relatives we exhibit much of the same behavior. Subconsciously we are always evaluating the potential energy expenditure for a given activity and our perception of the reward of doing so. On the web this means if a task appears to have a high energy cost, users are unlikely to complete it unless the reward is of high value. The most common example of this is form fatigue. Long forms take a notable amount of energy to complete. Users who will receive something valuable in return for filling out the form are more likely to go through with the task. If the user is just looking to get information about a product or service they will likely abandon the process and find a website that requires less effort.
Remember that energy expenditure is not limited to physical activity. Mental activity can be just as taxing (although in a different form.) Requiring frequent decisions, hunting, memorizing, learning or contemplation will slowly drain the user’s energy until the cost of proceeding outweighs the benefit of completing their task.

3. Hick’s Law

I originally covered Hick’s law in my post about 10 Laws to Design By. Simply put, the law states that more option one is exposed to the longer it takes to make a decision (Hick, On the rate of gain of information. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 4:11-26, 1952.). Many claim they would like more options in a decision-making scenario, but their behavior illustrates the contrary. The difficult in making a decision actually increases with additional options and in extreme cases it’s so hard we’ll opt not to decide at all.
The classic example is a study that tested the effect of jam options at a busy grocery store. The study used a jam tasting display with two configurations. One with 24 different jams and the other with only six.  They found with the 24 option display, 60% of people passing tried the jam and  3% of them purchased. With the six jam display, a lesser 40% of people stopped but almost 30% purchased (Iyengar, Shena S. and Mark R. Lepper 2000. When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing?. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.79:995-1006). When faced with 24 different jams, the nuances between them all made it too difficult to select. With six jams it was easy to determine which one tasted best and more purchased as a result.
Hick’s Law directly relates to the cost-benefit principle. The more options a user must pick from — be it navigation, products or images to look at — the more energy it takes to make a decision. Eventually the energy required to make the decision becomes so large the benefit of making it doesn’t seem worthwhile.
On the web, Hick’s Law tells us to keep options to a minimum. This applies for everything, including content on the page, navigational elements, images, etc… Anything that on the page gives the user another option of something to read, focus on or click. Removing everything unessential reduces the amount of unnecessary options and makes user decisions easier.

4. Gestalt Psychology

It only takes a little exploration into cognitive psychology to smash the illusion that we have a strong grasp of the world around us. It seems our brain loves to take shortcuts and make assumptions all the while reassuring ourselves that everything has been well thought out. The most nefarious of examples are the Gestalt Principles. Developed by german psychologists in the 1920s, the principles describe the ways that our brain assumes unification or relatedness to visuals based on proximity and whitespace. For example, visuals in close proximity are perceived as related when not necessarily be the case. Another example is that of similarity, where elements that look similar are considered to be related and elements that look different unrelated  (Humphrey, G. (1924). The psychology of the gestalt. Journal of Educational Psychology.)
Elements grouped in close proximity are seen as related.
Elements grouped in close proximity are seen as related.
Beyond proximity and grouping, the principles include similarity, continuance and figure ground perceptions. Gestalt principles are complex enough where I could write a post about them specifically (and probably will,) so if you want to know more it’s time to do some research on your own. Otherwise just know that people will make assumptions about what they see and find meaning in visuals that might not be there. Ultimately it’s critical to be intentional about what appears on the page and how it’s treated.

5. Pattern Matching

Despite the low detail, most will recognize this shape as a dancer. The form is matched to preexisting patterns of what dancers look like.
Pattern matching (or pattern recognition) is the way we process everything we see from people’s faces to the written word. When visual stimuli enters our eye it immediately starts a chain reaction in the brain. We subconsciously hunt  hunting for anything similar to the current stimuli that we have experienced in the past. If the stimuli is matched to a preexisting pattern we recognize what we are seeing, otherwise the stimuli is perceived as being new. This process goes beyond recognizing forms and colors, it also triggers any cognitive associations with the pattern being matched.
Look to the figure on the right, how do you know the silhouette is a dancer? Despite the lack of detail the shape fits a pattern matching dancers you have previously experienced. Now reflect on your thought process upon seeing the image, did your mind wander to previous experiences, encounters and feelings surrounding dancers? This is the pattern matching system at work.
Pattern matching also influences how familiar something feels. The more often you see something the more patterns you have stored and easier related patterns are  to identify. When patterns are easily matched they feel familiar or  “normal.” Unmatchable or difficult to match stimuli feels foreign and can even be unsettling. While drastically different these new visuals are actually more memorable, at least at first. Like anything else, repeated exposure dulls the “shock” value of the stimuli eventually making it feel ordinary as well.

6. Facial Recognition

One of the most active form of pattern matching that occurs is facial recognition. There is no pattern that we recognize that has the impact of the human face. We are a socially driven race, well demonstrated by the rise of social networks and the role of social organization in human evolution. But before there were computers, smart phones and text messages most interactions occurred faced to face.
Human interactions are just as likely to bad as good. As a result, we evolved with a semi-conscious ability to read  faces. This technique is only effective because many facial expressions are involuntary. While you can put on a smile despite being sad, there are tiny muscles in your face that reveal your true feelings. There was a time where predicting the intentions of others was the difference between avoiding a threat and walking into danger.
People are instinctively drawn to the human face for two reasons. First to first identify another human. Second, to read the persons facial expressions to determine if they are friend or foe. The more aggressive the facial expression the more attention it receives, demonstrated by a study where participants eyes were typically drawn to unhappy faces in a sea of people (Facial Expressions of Emotion: Are Angry Faces Detected More Efficiently? Cogn Emot. 2000 January 1; 14(1): 61–92.).
Not only are we drawn to peoples faces, we read their expression and interpret their mood. We are most adept at recognizing angry faces as they represent a potential threat.
Related to web design, the use of faces can draw attention or set a mood. People will naturally identify with images of people over objects, landscapes or abstractions ( Neilsen, Eye Tracking Usability, 2010.) Furthermore the expression of the depicted person will influence how the user feels about the website. Someone happy and smiling will convey a sense of welcome where a picture of sad, starving children will convey sorrow and desperation. The more authentic the photo, the more effective it will be… this means drop the stock photography and be very intentional about what photos you take. Users will pick up on the emotions of those depicted, so avoid photos of people looking uncomfortable at all costs. This requires effort as the average person feels self-conscious when being photographed.

7. Social Influence

The influence of others extends far beyond facial expressions, there are specific actions that have predictable influences on human behavior.There was a time where being able to work together provided greater avoidance of threats and more opportunities for food and reproduction. As a result, the basic “systems” of human interaction still exist in our DNA. In the article Persuasion in Design, author UX Designer Elisa del Galdo references the six universal principles of social influence. These principles are hardwired into the human psyche, developed as a necessity to human survival.
As described in her article, the six principles are:
  • Reciprocation: We are compelled to return favors, often in greater value than the original.
  • Authority: We trust experts and those of high status or power.
  • Commitment/Consistency: We want to act consistently with our commitments and values.
  • Scarcity: The less available a resource, the more we want it.
  • Liking: The more we like people, the more we want to say yes to them.
  • Social Proof: We look to others to guide our behavior.
Smart designers can use these concepts to influence users toward desired actions. Giving away free information or tools can be used to persuade users to volunteer their contact information via the reciprocity principle. Signs of authority or expertise can increase perceived trust. Low inventory numbers might indicate scarcity and move someone to purchase sooner than they would otherwise. It doesn’t take too much creativity to identify powerful ways to design using social influence.

8. Selective Disregard & Change Blindness

You see and notice everything that happens around you, right? Well you might be surprised. Our brain does a surprisingly good job of tricking us into thinking we absorb everything we see, but we often miss things that happen right in front of us. This phenomenon is called Selective Disregard and happens out of necessity as it’s impractical (and arguably impossible) to process every visual in our peripheral vision (Nielsen, Eye Tracking Usability, 2010.)
Just walking down the street you are exposed to millions of visuals that could demand your attention, but unless they are necessary your mind filters them out as if you never saw them. If you are looking for Main Street any street sign will catch your attention and be processed. If you know where you are going the signs will enter your field of vision only to be ignored because they are unnecessary. This phenomenon is known as selective disregard, the process where your mind proactively ignores anything deemed irrelevant.
This most obvious example of selective disregard is banner blindness, where users have become so accustom to ignoring online advertising they couldn’t tell you if the website they surfed five minutes prior had ads or not. Selective disregard applies to more than just advertising, users often gloss over anything that doesn’t appear related to their task at hand. Sometimes users will miss key elements because designers have strayed from convention. Because the search form doesn’t look like a search form the mind ignores it and continues on. For usability sake, all elements should be clearly labeled and follow conventions matching the users expectations.
The more extreme brand of selective disregard is change blindness. Change blindness occurs when the state causes blindness of large and obvious changes. As discussed regarding the cost-benefit principle, our mind does all it can to conserve energy. One way it conserves energy is assuming nothing has changed unless it’s there is a clear indicator otherwise. There are a few really funny and interesting demonstrations of Change Blindness on YouTube.
In the javascript laden, non-refreshing web of today change blindness is a thorn in any designers side. If something changes on your page you better make it obvious, less you brave the scorn of frustrated users. Always remember that small loading GIFs and flashing content might not be enough and when in doubt, make changes painfully obvious.

9. Progress Disclosure

Ever get the feeling that learning increases in difficulty with age? Think again, learning is difficult regardless of age. Storing information is a high energy, high focus process.  The process in which we convert stimuli into stored memories is complex, influenced by hundreds of factors. You don’t need to fully understand learning theory to be a great designer, you just need to know that to conserve energy, people prefer to recognize information rather than store and recall it (ie: learn it.) Furthermore, when learning is required, most people have a limit to the information that can be absorbed in one sitting. This means if you overwhelm someone with too much information their eyes are likely to glaze over and their attention diverted elsewhere. Remember that sinking feeling in your stomach when you visit a website with a seeming endless page length? That’s the overwhelm I speak of.
This doesn’t mean you should opt to reduce the amount of information on a website, after all… content is king, right? Rather you should present information in such a way that it’s easier to absorb. Progressive disclosure is a presentational method that does just that. It’s technique where information is given to the user in small bites with the option to learn (or disclose) more if desired. This prevents information overwhelm and ultimately leads to more effective websites.
Some argue against more clicks citing the infamous “Three clicks rule,” but pay no mind as Neilsen debunked it ages ago (Neilsen, Prioritizing Web Usability, 2006.) Instead focus on small digestible chunks of content with a strong scent towards more information (where necessary.)

10. Dual-Coding Theory

Instructional design is rarely mentioned amongst discussions of web design despite its overarching relevance. With the rise of web applications, web designers often find themselves as stand-in instructional designers. But even outside of direct instructional design, there is value to be learned from the study. One of the most relevant (in my opinion) is Dual-Coding Theory. Published in 1986, the theory explores the relationship between memory and learning through verbal and non-verbal channels. The theory stipulates two cognitive systems, one that deals with verbal stimuli (words, spoken language, etc…) and another for processing imagery.
Which is easier to process? The all text version or the combination of visuals and text?
The key takeaway is that people learn and remember best when presented with both forms of stimuli, verbal and image based. As explored in a previous post on mental processing, most people can comprehend image based messaging faster than verbal. When imagery and verbal communication is combined, the greatest level of retention is achieved. In today’s text-heavy web Dual-Coding means a shift in design methodology. Rather than simply designing the layout and “framing” the content, designers need to start contributing to the design of content itself. Whether you are including diagrams, videos, infographics or relevant photos, clients need assistance in providing the second channel of content.

In Summary

There is no better approach for improving your design than gaining a better understanding of the people you are designing for. There is little practicality in dissecting every psychological principle relevant to design, but understanding a handful of key concepts can be a powerful gateway into designing with psychology in mind. The concepts listed in this post should be enough to keep you in the right mindset when designing and (hopefully) motivate you to learn more.

Stop Child Labour





Wednesday, July 15, 2015

The 3 Most Important Things to Consider Before Starting a Design

This topic doesn’t necessarily need a long explanation of the three main points, so I’ll just list some factors for consideration by way of an “infographic” (or at least, my own pathetic attempt at one).
I think these three areas are arguably the most important to consider when preparing for a new design. I stress that these are pre-design considerations.
The 3 Most Important Things to Consider Before Starting a Design
  1. Audience (accessibility, progressive enhancement, usability)
  2. Content (structure, navigation)
  3. Conversions (visual hierarchy, call-to-action)

What do You Consider Before Starting a Design?

So much could be said about each of the points and sub-points listed above. Are there any other important factors to consider when preparing to design something new? Feel free to give your feedback.

Creative Logo Design