Whether writing for print text or digital text, the goal is similar. You want to develop the writing to be accessible to the readers. It needs to be memorable to its readers, to get the point across. It needs to find an effective way to reach the intended audience.
In ‘good” design, you have to take into consideration how you plan to get the information across to its readers. How are you going to reach them? How are you going to make this piece of communication relevant and relate-able? These are important questions to ask whether you are communicating through print text or digital text.
One of the first decisions to make is what tone do you intend to use to convey the message. The word choice, font, images, even color contribute to this decision.
When considering your word choice, you have to think about who you are speaking to. You want to make the subject matter clear without talking down to your reader. The word choice needs to be engaging, and especially memorable. If not your efforts are a waste of time, because it didn’t achieve the goal set before you. Does the heading grab the readers attention and sum up the topic? Will it grab them enough to keep them reading?
Font plays a bigger role in tone than it is given credit for. A piece of text is easier on the eyes and easier to read if the type size is large enough and the font is clear and fitting to the subject. The layout and spacing determines if the audience will read on or give up. White space helps the eyes to move easily across the page.
The images you attach to your design can convey a message or topic as the reader scans the piece. The image can urge them to read on, to tell them what they are about to learn. An image can also set the mood and tone of the piece.
Color can be a tool that engages your audience without them knowing why. According to color psychology, every color represents a feeling or meaning. Black can represent power or elegance. However, it can even mean evil, death and fear. Blue is one of the most popular because it suggests peace. Red is for war and danger, passion and desire. One thing I never considered is the contradiction of the color pink. What it represents depends on the culture and context in which it is used. It has both positive and negative effects, depending on how it is represented. It could portray femininity, hope and optimism. On the other hand, its negative effect is weak, vulnerable and shallowness. As important as color is to the design, you also don’t want to go overboard and distract your reader.
Your choices in designing a readable and interactive piece takes a lot of thought and effort. These are just a few of the things to think about. How you design it, plays a part in the reader’s experience. It is your goal to make the information easily accessible to your intended audience. Does your design serve its purpose?
Interesting piece on color that you cite! Are you convinced by these associations? Do you have similar associations with each color? For instance, I never put hope and optimism together with pink. I wonder where they get these from? The stuff on black and blue make sense to me. But I wonder if this true of all of us? Do we all vary in our interactions with color, even within a similar culture? I think, too, of word connotations, as well, here. What do you think?
I don’t think we give enough thought to color. I have worked with children in a daycare/preschool setting, and I have worked in home remodeling/carpentry. Color plays a role in both of these fields and they couldn’t be more different. Shades of blue are popular for settings with children because it gives a calming effect. It also works well in bedrooms to produce a better night’s sleep. In home renovation, color also plays a big part in producing a specific style and/or replicating history. Pink was the color that I struggled with a bit. I do feel that it is a cultural thing. Unlike other cultures, we associate blue and pink with boy or girl. At first I didn’t think that pink represented hope or optimism. However, as I thought on it further, I would agree. Pink is big for breast cancer awareness. Their message is all about hope and maybe even optimism. It is also about femininity which makes sense. Again, this is probably a cultural thing. But I think that this train of thought could be a useful tool, along with other visual effects, to could help us produce a successful campaign piece that would grab someone’s attention.
I like how you connect all of this with color psychology. I do believe in this association because there are some studies that show wearing bright colors such as yellow and red when you are feeling down helps cheer you up. Flags are also designed with specific colors based on this association. However, the associations do vary according to places or cultural background. In Malaysia we see blue as the color of unity and yellow portrays royalty.
For me, I am attracted to a piece when they play with colors and utilize the colors to the images. Images play important roles in gaining people’s attention and conveying a message faster and in a less dull or boring way.
I agree that font does play a huge role in a piece of text. For example in ‘Redesign’, the examples with more slender font was more attractive compared to the bulky ones due to it having more whitespace.
I like how you connect all of this with color psychology. I do believe in this association because there are some studies that show wearing bright colors such as yellow and red when you are feeling down helps cheer you up. I would have to disagree with associating pink with weak, vulnerability and shallowness. When I see the color pink I feel very optimistic and I think it represents femininity the best. It is soft and yet it is vibrant. Flags are also designed with specific colors based on this association. However, the associations do vary according to places or cultural background as you mentioned. In Malaysia we see blue as the color of unity, red as courage and yellow portrays royalty.
For me, I am attracted to a piece when they play with colors and utilize the colors to the images. Images play important roles in gaining people’s attention and conveying a message faster and in a less dull or boring way.
I agree that font does play a huge role in a piece of text. For example in ‘Redesign’, the examples with more slender font was more attractive compared to the bulky ones due to it having more whitespace.
When talking about accessibility I found it interesting that you, and the articles, did not discuss color blindness. This is an accessibility issue that not many people think of when it comes to design. It is important to be mindful about the common colors that are affected by colorblindness- Red/Green, and Blue/ Yellow. Another thing to note is the power of contrast. When we look at that infographic of the drone strikes, the contrast of the black, red and white, added to the story that was being told. What would normally be an alarming and unsettling contrast, worked in the favor of the tragedy of the narrative. I think that had this infographic been translated into an accessible format, the impact of the information would be diminished. That truly speaks to the power that visuals carry, and the potential for miscommunication of messages with the use of accessibility tools. I like how you said “Font plays a bigger role in tone than it is given credit for”. Not only does the formatting of the font, line spacing, sizing etc. affect the tone but also the font itself. It can establish consistency and credibility—we trust the content of a Playbill because it has looked the same for decades. Font can also do a lot to distract from the message. Using comic sans for a research paper for example has the power to minimize the content and reduce trust in the author.