Information Graphics: Design Hierarchy

With exactly two weeks before my year-end evaluation I have been given the task of designing an infographic, or information graphic. The purpose of these graphics are to create a visual representation of information, data, or knowledge, and do it in a creative way that presents complex information quickly and clearly. A sign, for example, could be considered a simple infographic because it presents information to a reader through the use of a single symbol. 

The design of information graphics is complex because the designer must take the information that is to presented to an audience and arrange it within a certain hierarchy. They must ask themselves, what information needs to be presented first? What is the most important? What should the reader walk away knowing? 

Not only does the designer have the task of arranging this information in a way that presents all of the important information to the reader quickly and clearly, but they are also expected to do it in a way that is creative and visually appealing. How can this information be arranged to make people come up and read it in the first place? Perhaps it is through the use of a strange headline, or a grotesque photograph, whatever it might be it needs to draw attention.

The following are some examples I have come across recently that I felt demonstrated multiple ways of executing this specific type of design.

The Importance and Anatomy of a Good Product Shot

Over the past year I have begun to understand the importance of a good product shot, however, I have also managed to understand the difficulty of taking one.

To get a better understanding of what I mean imagine walking into a store with the lights off. Everything around you is completely dark, and you can hardly see. How would you find what you were looking for?

Then imagine a similar scenario with an online store or catalog. Would you purchase something from a photograph that was dark and out of focus? No, of course not! Which is exactly why a good product shot is essential.

Product shots are a very crucial aspect of advertising and sales and having a good product shot can have a positive effect on sales. In other words, a product shot is a direct reflection of the company's values. If the photograph is well-rounded, or is visually capable of communicating to the consumer its important aspects such as true colour and detail, then it shows that the company is committed to excellence.

There are a few things that need to be taken into consideration in the making of a good product shot.

1.) Camera Mode

The camera mode will change depending on your confidence as a photographer. It can be set to manual mode for more experienced shooters or to automatic for those who are just starting out. (Manual settings will provide you with more options and a greater depth of field) Portrait lenses and macro settings will help to capture details.

2.) Lighting/Flash

For product shots, the most ideal lighting is natural light because it will present the product in colours that are closest to reality. Do make sure, however, that you do not have direct sunlight on the product because it may cause hot spots or reflections depending on the object. If you are shooting your product in a studio situation, make sure to light the product from numerous angles to reduce shadows. Make sure to use a hot shoe for synchronized flash, an auto white balance and a 100 ISO. Adjust shutter speed and aperture to suit your lighting temperatures.

3.) Camera Angle

Use multiple camera angles to experience different photographic results, you may end up liking a specific angle of the product you didn't think that you would. Make sure that you to not present the product in a way that seems skewed or hard to understand, and always have a head-on shot of the entire product so that the customer understands exactly what they are getting upon purchase.

4.) Background

A full white background is very all-purpose and always looks clean and professional. If you are going to choose a colour or patterned fabric to shoot your product on make sure to choose something that enhances the product. There must be enough contrast between the product and the background, and it must suit the theme.

5.) Props

Props, and even models are a great way to accentuate the product being shot. Showing the product in use, or even in a particular setting can have great effects. The consumer can then see the product in relation to its surroundings and have an even better understanding of its size and appearance.

The following product shot was taken to demonstrate how a these two rings may be advertised for an online store or within a store catalog. A Canon T1I and studio lighting were used.

Typography, Paper, and Hand-Craft Objects!

Yulia Brodskaya, a Russian-born artist, has managed to bring together all of the things she loves most in her beautiful and very colourful creations. After acquiring her degree in art with a master of art in graphics communication from the University of Hertfordshire, she has continued to experiment with marrying typography, paper, and elaborate hand-made craft objects. Her colour choices, details, and ability to capture movement with paper, have landed her numerous projects that can be seen below. For more information on Yulia and her work visit her website:

http://www.artyulia.com/

“Typography is my second love, after paper and I’m really happy that I’ve found a way of combining the two. Having said that, I don’t want to exclude non-typobased designs, I’d like to work on different projects.” Yulia for Computer Arts

Dining of the Future: Interactive?

Inamo Restaurant in Soho London England has introduced a new way of dining! The hip new restaurant is equipped with e-tables, interactive dining tables that allow customers to view, choose, and send their orders directly to the kitchen. While the orders are being processed, diners have the ability to entertain themselves by picking table themes, playing games, and even searching other local hot spots. Danny Potter and Noel Hunwick are the masterminds behind the superior design of Inamo. The concept for the e-tables was developed when the two designers were dining out and having trouble getting the attention of the waitress. Just goes to show you that inspiration can stem from anywhere!

Beautiful Restaurant Rebrand by Jordan Gray

While doing some research for a current café rebrand I came across a branding solution by Jordan Michael Gray for Julian Restaurant. Not only is his design solution beautiful but it also creates a brand identity and voice for the new neighbourhood restaurant. The name pulls from the chef’s biggest cooking influences, Julia Childs and her father Julian.

Anti-Valentine's Day

In an effort to rebel against the dreadful holiday for singles, Valentine's Day, I decided to create an anti-Valentine's Day greeting card.

These Streets Will Make You Feel Brand New

For the past five days I’ve had the privilege of traveling around the one-and-only New York City. It was my second time visiting the Big Apple, yet this time around was a much different experience than my first. During this visit to the city I was pleased that I was able to pay much more attention to the artistic culture.

The architecture in particular was something that seemed to hold my interest. I was completely fascinated with the idea that buildings, which are over 200-years-old, have become intermixed with the new and modern-looking skyscrapers of the city. The juxtaposition of the two, however, works seamlessly together.

For example, the architecture of The New York Public Library on 5th Avenue is absolutely breathtaking. The library’s massive stone columns, as well as the two famous lion statues, “Patience” and “Fortitude”, give the building a presence that cannot be ignored. To give you a better understanding of the library’s context, 5th Avenue was ranked as the most expensive street in the world as of 2008, being home to retail stores such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, and Prada. Although some of these stores are housed within buildings with similar 19th century architecture, there are also buildings that have a very modern touch. The Apple Store, in particular, is the fifth most photographed building within New York. The store is contained completely underground and is accessed by a stairway or elevator from the street’s glass cube!

Please Use these links to view photos of The New York Public Library and The Apple Store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York:

http://www.nypl.org

http://www.apple.com/retail/fifthavenue

I Heart Doublenaut Designs

After waking up under the weather this morning it took me a little longer than usual to get into “design mode”. I decided to do a bit of lingering around the web before diving into a project that is in much need of some attention.

With the artist Feist as my current inspiration, I began researching album covers and gig posters. Silk-screen and letterpress designs have always seemed to grab my attention first. Their vibrant colours, and layers of inks on the page give the print an absolutely spectacular texture and hand-made feel, something that is certainly lacking in my current design wing.

In an effort to see more of these beautiful designs I began scrolling through numerous blogs and was surprised to come across a Canadian pair that did some excellent work. Andrew and Matt McCracken, a brother duo based out of Toronto, Ontario, are currently operating a design and illustration studio (Doublenaut) with some pretty neat clients. The two have managed to design posters for bands such as Billy Talent, Dave Mathews Band and Flight of the Concords. Myspace Canada, Warner Music Group and Wired are just a few of the other clients on their list.

Check out Andrew and Matt’s designs and illustration below, and definitely take note of their unbelievable talent to create visually pleasing geometric designs!

http://www.doublenaut.com/about/

I thank God for the Catfish...

With school back in full swing again I found myself in a very common position. It is an action put forth only by myself, however it is one that I cannot help. Most of the time it will stay for only a few hours… but if I’m lucky enough it can last for a few days. It is the joy and stress of procrastination! So, with this lovely urge to delay absolutely all of my seven projects, I decided to watch movies and boy I’m glad I did.

I want to share with you today, a film that was brought to my attention by friend. This film is called Catfish. A very strange title I know… but trust me there is a meaning behind it. I have attached the trailer for you to view:

So as you can see, the main storyline of the film consists of Nev and his relationship with “the Facebook family”. Nev is a photographer who lives in New York City, and one day he received a painting of one of his photographs in the mail. The painting came from eight-year-old Abby in Ishpeming, Michigan. Nev continued to send Abby photos to paint and soon found himself intertwined within her virtual family. Through a series of events, Nev came to the conclusion that his “Facebook family” was not completely how he had perceived it to be. His friend Abby and mother Angela were indeed real people, however, they did not look the same and Abby was not a painter. Unfortunately, Abby’s mother Angela was the one doing all the paintings, and she was also the voice of the sixteen individuals from Nev’s so-called “Facebook family”, including Abby’s older sister Megan who Nev had a relationship with! Angela was able to construct an imaginary network of friends and family for Abby by stealing entire collections of user’s photos.

Social networking has become such a staple of today’s young society that Nev was able to have a relationship with a make-believe network of people for a total of nine months. Although many of us treat social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace as primary means of communication we have to remind ourselves that nothing compares to face time. We mustn’t dive too deep into the waters of uncertainty, or if we do lets hope they’re filled with Catfish.

Vince (Abby’s Father)

“They used to take cod from Alaska all the way to China and they used to keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the Codfish reached China the flesh was mush and tasteless. So, this guy came up with the idea that if you put the Cod in these big vats and put some Catfish in with them the Catfish would keep the Cod agile. There are those people who are Catfish in life, and they keep you on your toes, they keep you guessing, they keep you fresh, and I thank God for the catfish.”

as i live and breathe design

Recently over the Christmas holiday I was relaxing in my favourite armchair sipping wine with my mom, while my dad and the two boys from next door played with Legos in front of the fireplace. I began to wonder about how the activities we engaged in, and the toys we played with as children, shape the people that we grow up to be.

I never really played with many toys as a child because they could never hold my attention long enough for me to be satisfied. There were, however, a few staple items that always remained. The toys that always seemed to keep my interest were Legos, crayons, and puzzles. Interestingly enough, all these items seem to have very similar traits, they are toys that require construction, or a sense of imagination. So the question becomes, was it these toys that lead me to an education in design?

Throughout my life I have continually asked myself if people thought and visualized the same way I did. For example, did they notice that the marble pattern in the wallpaper looked like a lamb? Or, did they see the small cat crossing the ditch while scanning the landscape along the highway? Did they too assign specific colours to the letters of the alphabet in their mind? After years of wonder I have come to the conclusion that this isn’t the way everyone thinks. At first I began to panic, why am I so weird? Why do I do this? Why can’t I just be like the rest of my friends?

After almost six years of an education in media and design I have come to terms with the way I think, visualize, and create. I no longer want to be “just like the rest of my friends,” I want to be completely different. So whether or not it was these toys that directed me toward an education design, I find myself in a place where I can put these characteristics to use. I can use these special ways of thinking and visualizing to create and communicate… how cool is that?