Design Fundamentals An Introduction

Outline What is design? Designing web pages (later...see Chapter 6) Designing web sites (later) Your web site design (quarter-long evolution)

What is “Design”? Many elements around us are designed  Communities, buildings, landscapes, road systems, information systems, web pages, web sites, lectures… The word design can be a noun (check out my design) or a verb (I need to design my web site) So what does the term “design” mean? Ever take the riverboat tour of Chicago? What is it like? What did you learn?Chicago

Design Perspectives on the web “Design is about creating something with a purpose.” “Design is that area of human experience, skill and knowledge which is concerned with man’s ability to mould his environment to suit his material and spiritual needs.” “Design is more than just technology, it is a problem solving process in which the form of the final product must occupy a function. “

Is it possible to teach design? “While basic sciences rely on the scientific method and testing of hypothesis, and the arts depend primarily on intuition, design is somewhere in between; it borrows from both disciplines, developing methods and predispositions for acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes that respond to the complexity of real life situations.”

Design Talking Points Design is a process that produces some sort of solution. A design solution combines two things:  A perception of the environment held by the designer, e.g. who the audience is, how they will use your site, and  Features of the solution such as colors, page layout, fonts, animation, styles, etc. The designer’s goal is to match the features of the design to the environment.  Note, designers all perceive the environment differently!

Why we go through iterations of designs The quality of the design solution is a function of this fit between the environment and the design’s features. It is difficult for people to describe good design. It is MUCH easier for people (e.g. users) to detect examples of POOR fit. “The adequacy of a genuinely designed form can only be evaluated by noting its misfits with the context in which it is placed.” (Alexander, 1964.)

True or false Design can be taught. Different people can arrive at different solutions, all of which can be considered ‘good design’. Most DePaul students’ web sites will look similar as long as they follow good design principles.

Good Design Principles Alignment  Means that items on the page are lined up with each other. Key  Choose one alignment and use it on the entire page

Good Design Principles Proximity  The principle of proximity refers to the relationships that item develop when they are close together, in close proximity. When two items are close, they appear to have a relationship, to belong together When items that belongs together are grouped closer together, the information is much more organized and easier to read

Good Design Principles Repetition  The concept of repetition is that throughout a project you repeat certain elements that tie all the disparate parts together. Each page in the web site should look like it belongs to the same web site, the same company, the same concept – repetition makes it happen.

Good Design Principles Contrast  Contrast draws your eye into a page, it pulls you in.  Contrasting elements guide your eyes around the page, create a hierarchy of information, and enable you to skim through the vast of information and pick out what you need.  Colors, graphic signposts, or spatial arrangements  To be effective, contrast must be strong – don’t be a wimp Exceptions  No need for contrast when you want to present a continuous text, in a novel or article

Good Design Principles Contrast  Create a Focal Point On screen, package, paper, etc Dressing etc