Design is a subtle art which shapes a good majority of the things we see in a day. Everything from my planner to the white board in the front of the room I’m in was designed to enact a certain purpose. When you restrict your sample from things we see to things from which we gain information, the impact of design becomes even more profound. The effects of design may include what site you choose to get your news from, who you’re willing to follow on social media, and which companies get your business.
The realm in which people have needed to apply design has changed over the years. As computers have become people’s main source of information, design has evolved to incorporate rules and techniques to adjust to this change however many principles remain the same, such as the importance of white space. In a magazine or a letter head, print sources, white space should be used to maximize readability or to set focal points. The principle of white space still very much applies for website designs or articles which are found online. The same is true for typography and font size. Differences (or similarities) in these characteristics of text can be used to either create contrast or unification among bodies of text in a page or paper. Overall, a sort of MAYA like concept applies to design in that a designer wants their page to seem interesting and unique through the use of contrast and variation but also comfortable and manageable through organizational techniques such as headings and predictable reading patterns. This concept applies fundamentally to both print and digital sources. However, in addition to this, new techniques have also evolved within digital sources to accommodate the new style of presentation and the complications which may come with it including people who view web pages with a small screen or have certain features disabled due to poor bandwidth. Furthermore, the greater quantity of information that can be included presents a challenge for organization which can be solved through things such as headings and tables of contents.
I believe that “good” design is design with successful attention to accessibility and a design which decreases accessibility significantly is inherently bad. A designer should seek to find the happy medium where design maximizes interest without detracting from the accessibility for readers, especially with special cases in mind such as those reading on small screens or with other limitations. Furthermore, special care can be taken to account those cases in instances and reinstate accessibility where design may initially detract from accessibility.
Color as well should serve to improve accessibility not detract from it. Color which decreases accessibility such as overly bright colors or colors which create readability problems (as is often the problem in presentations where students use backgrounds to improve interest without considering the effects on the readability of the text) is poorly used color. Color should be used to create interest and possibly convey information or emotion only in instances where it does not detract from accessibility. Creating interest or inspiring emotion with color is useless if the reader cannot access the information being conveyed.
In conclusion, good design inherently takes accessibility into account since the purpose of design is to maximize the impact of a document or web page. Incorporation of other elements such as color or variety in other visual elements must be done in a way which predicts and tries to remedy the possible detraction from accessibility which may result.
Limac1103-
I loved reading your blog post. Not only was it particularly well written, but you offered some really interesting points about the articles. My favorite line was, “design is a subtle art which shapes a good majority of the things we see in a day”. The wording of it flows so well, and it is the perfect description and starting point to engage the reader.
Your second paragraph definitely caught my attention. One aspect I wish I incorporated in my blog post was defining the differences between technological design and print sources. This is a crucial point to the main idea of the blog post and I think you addressed it very effectively. It’s interesting how the two methods of design are so different but also very similar at the same time.
My favorite part of the post was the conclusion- you tied all three ideas perfectly together in a couple sentences to wrap it up. The idea that color and other techniques serve as a way to increase the accessibility of the design is absolutely true, and I think the main take away from all three of the articles. You definitely nailed breaking down the meaning of the articles, and I look forward to seeing how you incorporate this in the design of your campaign pieces!
You mentioned accessibility issues a bit in the first paragraph when talking about people who might be working from small screens or who have low bandwidth. I think we can use that to complicate your final (well-written and reasoned!) paragraph:
“In conclusion, good design inherently takes accessibility into account since the purpose of design is to maximize the impact of a document or web page. Incorporation of other elements such as color or variety in other visual elements must be done in a way which predicts and tries to remedy the possible detraction from accessibility which may result.”
What if you have a really great infographic. Great color, good use of spacing, really explains a complex concept that alphanumeric writing just can’t do as well. But it is kinda huge. And, on a small screen, you have to minimize it so much to see it as a whole that you can’t really read any of it. What do you do as a designer/writer to make sure your infographic is still accessible to as many people as possible (i.e., those with small screens, mobile viewing) while not sacrificing some of your spacing and imagery within the inforgraphic?
I think your general claim is true, but the complications can be interesting and important to wrestle with when considering specific cases (and we will do so on Tuesday!) because, ideally, we find alternatives that never sacrifice accessibility while still having some great design elements in our compositions.