Introduction to Content and Form:

Problem solving and The Digital Process

Delivered by

Mohammad Zikky, M.TMultimedia Creative Department, EEPIS Surabaya

Visual Design Fundamentals:A Digital Approach, 3rd Edition

Authors: Alan Hashimoto and Mike Clayton

Wrap up This chapter will introduce you to the steps involved in

conceptualization and give basic information concerning digital tools and their use.

There are two primary concepts dealing with visual design: content and form. Content is the subject matter, concept, or solution to a design

problem.

Form is the actual physical visual created as a final finished object or image

Content and form is process. Process is the procedure and steps necessary for the creation of a visual.

Conceptual process is the “thinking” part of design content. While The production process deals with “doing.” It is the organization and implementation of the steps involved with the physical creation of the visual form

Conceptual Process (1)

Step 1: Research and Define the Problem The first step in the conceptual process is to ask

questions and gather as much information and research as possible about the design project.

After examining all this material, parameters and guidelines are created to make the design problem easier to define.

After the problem to be solved is clear, the process of focusing on a solution can begin

Conceptual Process (2) Step 2: Preliminary Solutions, Organized

List of Options, and Thumbnail Sketches Think about the specific reasons why one design

choice may be better than another A single problem may have an infinite number of solutions

The definition of design is planned organization. If a design is “planned,” then decisions concerning design choices should be clear If there are no specific reasons for that choice, it might not be the best pick.

After exploring all your preliminary alternatives, give them a visual representation by creating small, quick sketches called thumbnails.

Thumbnails should be concerned with only the most basic information.

They should be small and not detailed to allow for the maximum number of ideas in the least amount of time.

By quickly getting these visuals onto paper with a pencil or pen, thumbnails allow for more intuitive thinking and make it easier to quickly change direction to explore alternative views and approaches to visual problem solving

Well-executed thumbnails of people should convey simple characteristics and gestures that express the personality and nature of the subject. The sketches should not be too concerned about all the specifics that can be added later

These very simple preliminary drawings were created quickly, but they communicate clearly the basic characteristics of each figure or model. Notice the emotional quality of line and how drawing style can vary and reflect the personality of each character even at this preliminary stage

You do not need drawing experience to create thumbnails. Simple lines and shapes can represent objects and object placement. Details can be added later using other tools or software

Conceptual Process (3) Step 3: Roughs—Refined Preliminary Visual

Design Solutions and Alternatives Roughs are preliminary options of a design that

communicate in more detail than thumbnails. Roughs are placed side by side so they can be compared,

contrasted, and analyzed so that decisions concerning specific design options can be made.

Roughs help the designer focus on alternatives without having to commit to a final decisive solution. Roughs should clearly communicate problem-solving concepts, position and proportions of shapes and objects, value and color, and general composition.

Experimentation with new methods for creating the final project can be tested and developed at this stage if necessary

In Figure beside, the two designs located on the top row and the bottom-left design are examples of three rough alternatives for an advertising campaign dealing with education and the future.

The lower-right design is the final design that was selected

Conceptual Process (4) Step 4: Composites or Comps

Comps are the final preliminary step before the finished design is created. A final concept or concepts should be chosen, and all the elements involved should be put into position.

Tools and techniques should have been thoroughly tested and chosen by this point. The comp should be as similar to the final solution as time and resources permit.

If a final solution uses a dark background, using light-colored pencils on black board seems to duplicate the effects of the finish more accurately and efficiently without spending too much time. The time saved on the production aspect of a comp can be applied to the conceptual phase so more original and alternative ideas can be explored

Conceptual Process (5) Step 5: The Final Design or Finish

Last Step The final or finish is the result. The production process can now take place. Mass production processes such as printing will use the finish as a guide to compare the actual product or print with the finished design.

In animation/Game, textures, models, environments, and sound can now be edited together into the final video game or animation film

The final phase of the conceptual process as it relates to the projects in this book will lead to a 2D design created digitally as a print

The various steps involved in the conceptual process may seem time consuming, but they are very necessary to ensure that the design problem is thoroughly understood and researched beforehand, and the best solution is selected. In most cases, these steps will save time by avoiding misunderstandings, mistakes, and changes to finished designs

The conceptual process is used for all types of design. Two figures beside are two examples of digital

dimensional animated designs that use rough sketches, comps, or composite preliminary art, mockettes or clay sculptures, and basic untextured digital models to analyze the final form and eventually create the finished design

Production Process

The following is an introduction to the most basic digital concepts dealing with the production process: Computer Applications Used in Design

For the past few decades, designers have used computers to create digital imagery. Setting type became easier, color-correcting photographs became simpler, and the user was given a 3D space in which to work.

Different OSs often require a specific version of software. For instance, an application specifically written for Windows cannot be installed on a Macintosh and vice versa. But most major software developers create applications that are available for the PC and the Mac

Production Process Software Applications for Graphics

Software applications used to create images can be divided into two main categories: paint programs (bitmap) and object-oriented (vector) programs.

Each type of software is unique and has its own distinct purpose in creating and modifying visuals.

Paint programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, create a variety of bitmap (pixel-based) images, whereas object-oriented programs, such as Adobe Illustrator, create vector (mathematically based) images.

For bitmap images, the industry standard is Adobe Photoshop, and for vector graphics, the industry standard is Adobe Illustrator

Paint Programs: Bitmap Graphics If you look closely at a painting, you will see that every bit of

the canvas is covered with bright hues and tempered shadows

Each of those little squares of color is called a pixel (short for picture element). A bitmap is an image made up of dozens of millions of those little pixels.

The more pixels an image contains, the higher the image quality. This is called resolution, or a ratio of pixels per inch.

This smiley is made up of 256 pieces of information or bits A detail from the bitmap image reveals that the image is made up of many pixels

Images that are created to be viewed on the Internet are examples of low-resolution images. Because they are designed specifically to be seen on a computer screen, a high number of pixels is not required.

In magazines, newspapers, books, or anything printed, an image’s resolution is a different story. The quality of the image needs to be higher in printed works. Some magazines and high-end publications use images that have 2,400 pixels per inch (ppi). That’s a little less than 5.8 million pixels per square inch (ppi) or 5,760,000 pixels, to be exact.

Each pixel (or piece of information) takes up space. Images that have a high ppi tend to have very large file sizes and require a lot of disk space.

The computer rewrites the image as pixels, which allows you to take the image into a program such as Photoshop for image manipulation, color correction, compositing, and a variety of other uses.

After an image is created, the file can be saved in many formats for later use. Each format has its own unique qualities. A TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a cross-platform graphic that can be read on both PCs and Macs

Object-Oriented Programs: Vector Graphics Vector-based images are defined by mathematical equations Images are

drawn using the point-and-line system. To draw a straight line, all you need are two points and the line in between. You’ll use those points and lines to draw simple or complex images.

Vector drawings normally have small file sizes because they contain only mathematical data about the placement of the points and the angles of the curves. These files are size independent and can be scaled to size with no degradation of the image

The principle of point, curve, and line is demonstrated with these two circles. The circle on the left is made up of 64 points and 64 lines. The circle on the

right uses 4 points and 4 curved lines. These curved lines, called Bézier Curves, can be used to simplify the path and the objec

The image on the left is the vector illustration. On the right are the points and lines that it took to make the drawing

How to use design applications? Going to the book “Visual Design Fundamentals: A

Digital Approach” Page: 66 Try and understand the those concepts

.: That’s All about this chapter .: