ah teaches information design (Structuring Content lecture)
Structuring Content
Lecture outline
Thinking about layout and structure to direct movement through content. Lecture slides will be made available on the day of the lecture (January 15).
Class business
- Office hours
- Reading reflections
- February 5 reading will be changed
Office hours
All office hours have now been posted to 235.ah1.ca/office_hours. Please let us know in advance if you plan on dropping by.
- Mondays from 3-4pm on the mezzanine (with Andrew)
- Wednesdays from 1-2pm online (with Andrew)
- Thursdays from 5-6pm online (with Nafira)
- Fridays from 10-11am online (with Alfredo)
Reading reflections
Just a couple of thoughts to share from evaluating the first reflections:
- Please be careful about answering the question given.
- Please explain your thoughts or thinking.
- Do read the reading.
February 5th reading change
The Khoi Vinh reading from "Ordering Disorder" will be replaced by a reading from "Wireframing for Everyone" (Angeles, Barnard & Carlson, 2023). Just a heads up in case you are really keen.
Lecture recordings
Recordings of the lecture content will be made available day-of or the next day. They are linked on Canvas and within lectures.
How we structure content
Designing structure is a non-linear process. In this process we will:
- Define the problem
- Research context
- Generate ideas
- Choose ideas
- Implement ideas
Generating ideas
We are looking to suggest and explore, not to confirm our ideas. Our sketches should be:
- Quick
- Plentiful
- Appropriately detailed
- Disposable
How we structure content
Today we will worry about:
- Define the problem
- Research context
- Generate ideas
- Choose ideas
- Implement ideas
How to choose ideas
Getting good at picking ideas to further refine requires an understanding of the purpose of the design, the principles that define good content structure, and critique.
Critique
Critique is a communication skill. Effective critique requires reading/listening, responding, and practice.
Bias
"[Our] perspectives are coloured by our habits, beliefs, and attitudes."Erika Hall
Effective critique is...
- Purposeful: Has a clear statement or goal.
- Specific: Identifies a particular strength/weakness (not speaking in generalities).
- Language appropriate: Uses language understood by the audience.
- Practical/action-oriented: There is something to do or think about.
- Timely: The type of feedback given makes sense for the stage of work.
Why critique matters
Effective critique can:
- Motivate and inspire
- Reinforce existing strengths
- Keep goal-oriented behaviour on track
- Modify and/or improve skills
- Remedy errors
- Help reflection and learning
Ineffective critique is...
- Absolute: Providing no potential direction for solving the problem.
- Not contextualized: Speaking your own opinion without stating so.
- Not clarified: Talks to work without understanding what it is about.
- Uninvited: Given without being requested or expected.
- Needlessly vulgar: Swearing unnecessarily.
Critique context
Before giving critique, it is always important that you understand what the project is, and where it is at. This helps ensure your feedback will be timely and purposeful.
Today's critique
A reminder that we are looking for our critique to:
- Have a clear statement or goal.
- Identify a particular strength/weakness (not speaking in generalities).
- Offer something to do or think about.
- Is appropriate for the work we are looking at.
Today's critique
Our approach
We will be taking the 'I like/I wish' approach for today's critique: Please start each critique with either 'I like' or 'I wish'.
Good content structure
Good content structure helps direct and guide a viewer through the content actively. We are going to recap a number of design fundamentals that help us build better structures.
Sequence of cognition
A simplified overview for the purposes of our class:
First is shape.
Second is colour.
We will skip this one for now as no colour is used in the first project.
Third is form.
Gestalt
Next in our order of cognition
A psychological theory that our minds self-organize disparate elements into a unified whole. Can you see the 'shape' in this picture?
Building Relationships
Gestalt theory offers us tools for building meaningful visual relationships.
Figure & Ground
Gestalt theory
Proximity
Gestalt theory
Things that are closer are more related.
Space
Helps to clarify relationships and direct attention.
Similarity
Gestalt theory
Things that are similar are more related.
Harmony and unity
Things that appear similar will help give us a sense of cohesion to a visual language.
Scale and hierarchy
Helps to build an understanding of relationships.
Continuance
Gestalt theory
We will build relationships between things that track along an expected line.
Order of cognition continued
- Basics: colour, depth, form
- Grouping: Gestalt
- Memory: connections
- Recognition: connections applied and understood
Connections and Humans
We're lazy, er, or efficient
"...users have time to read [on average] 20% of words on a page."Nielson-Norman Group
Sketching P1
Part 2
P1 Critique
We have a generous volunteer who is up for having their final P1 designs critiqued. Let's review the project and then take a look.
Sketching images
For labs...
For this week's lab time, please come ready with your project deliverables to critique.
Next week's lecture
Understanding Context
The importance of research to help understand context in a design process. Recorded lectures and slides will typically become available the day after the lecture.