Archive for Uncategorized

Google became the most-used search engine with their simple interface. Simple design. Focus on the task at hand.

They tried to extend this design solution to the Video arena, and stumbled. Why?

Just think about it a little. When you do a search, you have a term in mind. It may not be the correct term, but the responses you receive will normally help you refine your term if needed.

What do you do when you want to see a video? Do you know the name of what you want to see? Only if it’s a classic and you’re already familiar with it. Otherwise, you browse, either at the video store, on your cable system, using a Netflix catalog, etc.

I went to Google Video when it first opened, to take a look at it. It used the same interface as Google Search, with disastrous results. I couldn’t find anything I was interested in, except a few I Love Lucy shows. I left, unimpressed.

Next I took a look at iTunes Music Store. It’s interface is quite complex. It took me a while to find TV shows. But once I browsed to TV shows, I was shown an interesting sampling, and could also browse all the TV shows they carry.

So what? Well, as a web designer or client, there’s an important lesson to learn. Not simply that Google can make mistakes. Rather that you need to understand how your users will interact with your page/site. Simplicity for simplicity’s sake doesn’t always work. The iTunes Music Store is complex (and may become too complex as they add more items), but its current complexity allowed me to browse and find shows I never would have thought to use as search terms.

Search and browse are different activities. Know what activities your audience will be most comfortable doing, and design for that activity.

google video
search
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user interface

Stuart Pierce Glendinning
Originally uploaded by apg.

Farewell Little Stuart. You touched so many hearts in such a short time. Your brave struggle to live has been shared by your parents with an ever-growing community of people from around the world. We will all miss you terribly.

I cried along with many others on December 29, when your Dad posted the photo we see here on Flickr. I had been watching for your dad’s photos to appear from the day I learned you were born. Such a wonderful soul in such a tiny body.

I’ve wanted to say these things before now, but hesitated, until the newest post by your Dad. He says, “I struggled with whether or not I should share my pictures of Stuart publicly. I am so glad, now, that I did. I strongly believe that this was a large part of Stuart’s job here with us….” Amen.

happynewyear.jpg
Originally uploaded by mlangfeld.

What’s a textorized New Year? I’m not exactly sure, but I do know that textorizing is an SVG-based technique for converting an image into strings of text that define edges and outlines.

Max Froumentin developed the technique a while ago. I learned about it from Paul Downey, who runs the Textorized Group on Flicker. I’ve just begun to learn how to best use the technique and love the idea of text creaing images. Lots of possibilities!

So, I hope you’ll enjoy my exploration of textorizing this New Year!

Color is one the major tools of all the design arts: graphic design, web design, interior design, product design, architecture, etc. Designers spend countless hours working out color schemes for projects. I thought you might be interested in how this is done. Or at least in how I approach color selection.

How do designers choose colors?

Each project is different and each graphic designer approaches color individually. I’m beginning this series with the Media kit/poster for the Stop Tuberculosis Programme of the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization that was designed to accompany other kits that had already been developed.

I was given several constraints; I was asked to use brilliant, hot, bright colors and to use the same basic grid layout as had been used before.

Choosing the background color

The first choice I made was the background color: a brilliant red. This color choice was initially questioned, since it is often used in Chinese designs, while the kit would be used in many Asian countries, not only in China.

I was asked to use Chinese characters on the cover, so I thought it was appropriate to use Chinese red as well. My client and I discussed the issue (when I presented the design comps I had prepared). We came to an agreement that red would be a good choice for the overall color for the project.

Accent colors

After I selected the background red I experimented with accent colors. I didn’t consult any color scheme books or generators. That would not have worked for this particular project, since the client wanted all the colors used to be vibrant, which wouldn’t normally be shown in a color reference.

So I kept selecting colors and using them in my design program until I had a set of three that pleased me. I thought that red and violet would be interesting together, so I tried that combination. I had purchased the calligraphy and brush painting from the same Chinese calligrapher, and thought it would add interest to use the brush painting in the background as a pattern, as well as to do a reversed image in the left margin.

Once I was satisfied with those two colors together it was fairly simple to find a third color that worked with the first two. I needed that color that would sit above the background. Lime green worked; the calligraphy was pushed to the foreground as I intended.

Color chords

I find that colors work a little like chords in music compositions. When you play them together, they produce what I call a color chord (major, minor, etc). It’s my job to add colors to the mix until the color chord is just right for the project.

Color theory reference books

Many fine books have been written on color theory. If you would like detailed information about the theories of color, these books will provide an introduction to the subject.

Interaction of Color: Revised Edition by Josef Albers

The Elements of Color by Johannes Itten

The Art of Color: The Subjective Experience and Objective Rationale of Color by Johannes Itten

Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory

Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color by Leatrice Eiseman

Designer’s Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Color Theory and Application
by Tom Fraser, Adam Banks

Please let me know if you have a favorite book to add to this list.

Where do design ideas, concepts and inspiration come from?

I expect everyone has a slightly different answer to this question. Early on, one of my most influential mentors set out a formula for the creative process wrapped in a funky visual image. Believe it or not, the visual image we explored was that of a pregnant cow out in a field sunning herself and chewing her cud.

“What on earth does that have to do with the creative process?” you might wonder. First let me describe the phases she outlined to help me understand the creative process.

Input

When facing a creative challenge, I first research the topic or question. I let what I’ve found sink in, then do some more research. This is the input phase.

Reflection

Next comes a phase of reflection, where I put the topic out of my conscious mind.

Brainstorming

When ideas come bubbling up of their own accord out of my subconscious I move to the phase of brainstorming (either alone or in a team). No judgments, just ideas.

Synthesis

Next comes synthesis. I begin to sketch out or write out ideas, and to judge them. If I get stuck somewhere, I begin to layout anything I do have (sometimes an outline or headlines or a visual image). Whatever I have to work with. The process of working on any part of the project seems to allow my subconscious to continue to process and often results in new ideas. Ones that work.

So what about that pregnant cow?

Lynn, my mentor, had me visualize a pregnant cow in a field, no stress, no anxiety, chewing and rechewing (processing input), digesting and redigesting the results, while waiting for the pregnancy to inevitably result in birth (of ideas). So, when I do become frustrated or blocked, I remember that cow, and give my conscious process a rest, trusting myself to give birth to new ideas.

I’d love to hear your experiences with your creative process. Similar to mine? Totally different? Anyone else out there visualizing pregnant cows?

Lots of people ask me how I became a graphic designer.

Working in print shops

In my case, I began by working in a print shop or two, making negatives and plates, running small presses, typesetting and designing cards and other small projects, ordering paper and other supplies, etc.

Learning typesetting and graphic design

Next I worked in a typesetting studio while it transitioned into a design studio. So I was able to learn the basics of typesetting at first, then graphic production techniques and production management, and finally graphic design. I learned by doing, and by watching the owner and other designers create their designs.

Finishing a college degree

While working at the design studio I finished a college degree in liberal studies, focusing on graphic design, and opened my business. My first business project, actually my senior project, was a moon calendar poster. I designed it, finished the layout and presented it to my advisor, who then said, “You’ve got to get it printed.” When I protested about the cost, she actually loaned me the money for printing… and so propelled me into business. I produced and sold the calendar for three years. It was a wonderful experience.

Opening my studio

When a client who had left the studio six months before saw me selling my calendars, he asked me to work for him. He became my first client.

Reading all I could about graphic design

I learned a tremendous amount about type design, graphic design and design theory, photography, illustration, the history of printing and books, etc. by building a library of classics. Check out the resources on my site, where I’m adding new books and other resources all the time.

My secret

Here’s my secret for learning to design: choose any professionally designed visual communication you like, be it an ad, a brochure, a poster, a magazine spread, a web site, whatever. Try to figure out how it was created.

How were the colors chosen? What are the names of the typefaces used? How is space divided? How is empty space used? How was the photograph used taken, or the illustration created? How does your eye travel when it sees the design?

Next, try recreating the example design for yourself, but change something about it. Direct copying doesn’t encourage you to think creatively. At the same time, do try to learn from what you like.

Practice makes perfect

By doing this over and over, and then comparing your creations with top designs, you’ll begin to train your eye. The act of comparing is very important. Most people love what they create themselves, but few can create master designs. So, keep looking at what others are creating. That’s the best way I’ve found to train your eye.

One of the most confusing components of web design is accessibility. It refers to the process of making your web site able to be easily used by people with disabilities.

That sounds simple, but disabilities may include blindness, low vision, deafness, learning disabilities such as ADD and ADHD, loss of limb, etc. Solutions for one group may conflict with solutions for another.

Accessibility testing

The only way to really know if your site is accessible is to test it with disabled users, but that’s often difficult for individual site owners.

NCI accessibility testing and guidelines

Luckily, more and more information is becoming available on the web. I was recently referred to Guidelines for Accessible and Usable Web Sites (by an article at GUUUI: The Interaction Designer’s Coffee Break. The 31 guidelines listed derive from the results of extensive testing by the Communication Technologies Branch of the National Cancer Institute (US).

Since blind people are one of the largest groups with special requirements (since they use screen readers which turn text into spoken word), using these guidelines will go a long way towards making your site more accessible.

SEO, a side benefit

A side benefit of making your site more accessible is that search engine spiders will also be able to read it better. So you increase your page rank (SEO or search engine optimization) when you make your site more accessible.

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I was recently asked for information on print design competitions. I decided to investigate, so here’s what I found.

I can certainly state that the running of design competitions is a growth industry! In fact, every major design magazine and assocation seems to run competitons annually, and occasionally semi-annually. I’ve pulled together links to all the major design competions (please let me know if I’ve missed any).

Beginning with design and related associations offering yearly awards, we have: International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA), American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), Art Directors Clubs (ADC) in major US metropolitan areas, Society of Publication Designers (SPD), Society of Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD), Association Typographique Internationale (atypi), Australian Graphic Design Association, Design Council UK, Society of Typographic Aficionados, International Society of Typographic Designers.

Continuing with major design magazines, we see: Graphis, Communication Arts, Print, ID, eye, HOW, Folio sponsoring the Folio Show, CMYK Magazine, Graphic Design USA.

Moving along to industry associations, we find: Magazine Design Awards, Bookbuilders West, Bookbuilders of Boston, Western Publications Association, International Association of Business Communicators, Magazine Publishers Association, American Society of Magazine Editors, American Society of Business Publication Editors, Writing that Works Apex Awards.

I saved one of the best for last. One of the last resources I checked has one of the most complete set of contest listings: the Workbook resource calendar including advertising, photography, illustration as well as design.

Whew!

I’m welcoming 2005 with a newly expanded and redesigned web site for Langfeldesigns. I received so much positive response about this blog design that I extended it to my entire website, and changed a few things on the blog as well. In addition to purely cosmetic changes here, I added a navigation bar to the blog, so you can move more easily back and forth between web site and blog.

The web site now sports larger portfolio images (much requested by visitors), a section on services offered, and an expanded resources section.

I hope you like the 2005 version of Langfeldesigns.com!

As the holiday season approaches I turned my thoughts to holiday card designs and went searching for snowflakes, which I’ve always loved for their uniqueness and beauty.

Guess what I found? A wonderful webpage, Make-a-Flake, that let’s you design your own snowflake like we used to do as children, with scissors and paper. Only this time the scissors and paper are virtual (this is a Flash site, so be prepared).

So this is my gift to you all. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I have. And I wish you all a wonderful holiday season!