1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,240 Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host, Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my team 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:14,340 and I produce content that's informative, positive, fun and uplifting. This podcast 3 00:00:14,340 --> 00:00:18,480 is created and produced with the help of students from the International Community School of 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:25,400 Bangkok. In today's episode, we'll be focusing on the topic of design. Much like our marketing 5 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:30,760 101 episode, consider this episode a free class about the topic of design. And this 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:35,640 episode is sponsored by the Makers' Fair. The Makers' Fair is a local two-day event 7 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:41,360 that showcases wonderful creations made by our very own creative community members. From 8 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:46,440 food to written books, pottery and handicrafts, there's something for everyone. Come support 9 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:54,260 our local creators on December 11th and 12th from 2 to 5 p.m. at ICS. Thanks for your sponsorship. 10 00:00:54,260 --> 00:00:58,700 Now moving on, in this segment one of this episode, I'm joined by student designers 11 00:00:58,700 --> 00:01:03,560 Micah and Esther. Then for our second segment, I'll be joined by Mr. Darwin, a designer 12 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:09,200 by trade. Stay tuned for this very informative episode about the topic of design. But first, 13 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:13,640 Esther will be delivering our quote of the day and Micah will be sharing some headline 14 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:19,440 design news. Our quote of the day comes from Neville Brody, a British type designer, graphic 15 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:24,440 designer and the former art director of Face magazine. He's quoted to have said, design 16 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,920 is more than just a few tricks to the eye, it's a few tricks to the brain. This quote 17 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:33,760 seems to emphasize that design goes beyond surface level aesthetics. It's about engaging 18 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,440 the mind on a deeper level. Brody suggests that effective design isn't just visually 19 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:45,080 appealing but is crafted to communicate ideas, evoke emotions and shape perceptions. Design 20 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:50,640 can influence the way people think, feel or interpret a message. Good design uses visual 21 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:56,920 elements such as color, layout and typography, not only to attract attention but to create 22 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:02,240 meaning, guide viewers responses and leave a lasting impact. Good design is a powerful 23 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:06,880 tool that impacts perception and emotion, making it more than just decoration. It's 24 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:11,640 a strategic form of visual communication. That's our quote of the day. Now on to some 25 00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:13,400 headline news. 26 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:18,640 Now moving on to some not so funny design news. Our first story is about the Tropicana 27 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:24,040 the redesign disaster. According to Ad Age and Business Insider, Tropicana boldly decided 28 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:29,600 to completely redesign its classic orange juice packaging in 2009. The original design, 29 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:34,000 featuring a straw stuck into a juicy orange, was replaced by a minimalistic look with a 30 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:39,960 simple glass of orange juice and a different logo. Unfortunately, the redesign was a disaster 31 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,320 for the brand. It failed to resonate with customers who found it unrecognizable and 32 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:49,880 uninspiring. Sales reportedly dropped by 20% in just a few months and Tropicana ultimately 33 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,760 reverted to its original packaging design after losing around $30 million. This redesign 34 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,900 is now a classic example of the importance of brand identity and customer familiarity 35 00:02:58,900 --> 00:03:05,480 in packaging design. Our next story has to deal with the 2012 London Olympics logo. Criticized 36 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:10,680 and reported on by the BBC and The Guardian, the logo for the 2012 London Olympics became 37 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:17,800 infamous for all the wrong reasons. The logo, designed by Wolf Oland, cost around £400,000 38 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:22,820 and was intended to symbolize the energy and spirit of the games. However, the abstract 39 00:03:22,820 --> 00:03:28,320 jagged design, featuring the numbers 2012 in bright pink and yellow, was widely criticized 40 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:33,320 for being confusing and unattractive. Some even claimed it resembled other controversial 41 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,720 or inappropriate symbols. The backlash was swift, with many calling it one of the worst 42 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:42,520 logos in Olympic history, proving that even the best intentions in modern, edgy design 43 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:47,840 can sometimes fall flat with the public. For our final news story, it takes us to the aerial 44 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:53,720 font confusion. According to Massey B, who wrote a critique called Practical Typography, 45 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:58,700 the design choice of the aerial typeface has one particularly frustrating flaw, the identical 46 00:03:58,700 --> 00:04:04,720 appearance of the lowercase L and the uppercase I. In most typefaces, designers aim to make 47 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:10,840 characters visually distinct, improving readability. However, ARIO's L and I look so similar that 48 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:15,840 readers often mistake one for the other. This leads to miscommunication, especially in contexts 49 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:21,080 that require precision. This issue has fueled ongoing criticism from designers and typographers 50 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:25,560 who argue that ARIO's lack of clarity makes it unfit for professional use despite its 51 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:30,480 widespread adoption in digital and print settings. And there's your Not So Funny Design News 52 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:42,400 for this episode. 53 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:46,480 Thank you for the quote and headline news. I'm joined by Micah and Esther for this first 54 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:50,880 segment and we'll be covering the principles and elements of design. And there are seven 55 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:56,020 of each. We can't do a deep dive in each principle or element, but we will share some 56 00:04:56,020 --> 00:05:00,520 definitions and add some extra commentary. Before we get into the seven principles and 57 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:05,920 seven elements, we will share some core concepts about the topic of design. These concepts 58 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:12,020 are not industry or discipline specific, meaning these concepts are universally applicable in 59 00:05:12,020 --> 00:05:17,180 all design disciplines. Micah and Esther will share about what some of these design discipline 60 00:05:17,180 --> 00:05:20,520 categories are. So go ahead first, Micah. 61 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:24,840 Like Mr. Jason said, the core concepts we'll share first can be applied uniformly to the 62 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:29,160 following design disciplines. And the first discipline category would be visual communication 63 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:34,500 design. This design discipline category would include graphic design, typography, illustration, 64 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:39,200 brand design, and UI design, which stands for user interface design. Esther has our 65 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:41,380 next category. 66 00:05:41,380 --> 00:05:45,980 Another design discipline category would be product and industrial design. This broad 67 00:05:45,980 --> 00:05:51,440 category would include design disciplines such as industrial design, furniture design, 68 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:56,480 packaging design, automotive design, and toy design. 69 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:01,400 Another broad design discipline category is spatial and environmental design. This category 70 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:06,400 would include such design disciplines as interior design, architectural design, urban design, 71 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,160 landscape design, and exhibition design. 72 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:15,280 And onto our next broad design discipline category. It is digital and interactive design. 73 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:21,520 This category would include UX design, which stands for user experience design, web design, 74 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:29,320 game design, motion graphic design, and design involving AR, also augmented reality, and 75 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:31,080 VR, virtual reality. 76 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:36,340 All right. Thanks for giving us some insight into the broad field of design disciplines. 77 00:06:36,340 --> 00:06:41,360 There are actually a few more categories such as fashion and textile design, industrial 78 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:46,840 process and engineering design, service design, and some miscellaneous categories such as 79 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:51,640 film and set and food design, and last but not least, information design. 80 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,760 So with that in mind, here are some basic core concepts that can be applied to any of 81 00:06:55,760 --> 00:07:00,920 these broad design discipline categories. Micah, go ahead and give us our first core 82 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:01,920 concept. 83 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:07,440 All righty then. Our first core concept states that design is fundamentally a craft that 84 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:12,180 involves intentional arrangement of elements to achieve a specific purpose. To take this 85 00:07:12,180 --> 00:07:16,600 a step further, design combines art and industry to create visually appealing and functional 86 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:22,120 solutions that effectively communicate a message. Design produces that has both form and function, 87 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,400 which takes us to our next core concept. 88 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,520 Our second core concept is that form should reflect and support a function, which in turn 89 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:33,920 produces harmonious and effective solutions. The aesthetics of a thing should enhance the 90 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,720 function of that thing. Neither should hinder the other. 91 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:42,760 Another core concept involves intent. Intent refers to purpose or goal behind a particular 92 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:47,620 action. Intent defines the question of why something is done or made. Intent is the driving 93 00:07:47,620 --> 00:07:52,240 force behind design. A clearly defined intent informs every decision made throughout the 94 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:57,040 design process, ensuring that the final outcome fulfills its purpose. Intent and design are 95 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,760 inseparable, working together to fulfill a purpose. 96 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:06,600 Our fourth and final core concept of design relates to the human mind. And to better understand 97 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:11,600 this concept, you'll need to study the Gestalt Principles, which could be its own podcast 98 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:17,120 episode in and of itself, but in short, the Gestalt Principles explain how people perceive 99 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:22,800 and interpret visual information as a whole rather than as individual elements. These 100 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:28,360 principles guide designers in creating work that is visually cohesive, intuitive, and 101 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:34,440 impactful. Some examples include the principle of closure, proximity, and similarity. These 102 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:39,200 can be applied to group elements which guide the viewer's eyes and enhance the overall 103 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:40,200 experience. 104 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:44,240 Alright, thank you for sharing those four core concepts of design. It's important that 105 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,660 we share these core concepts first, which I think helps create a foundation for our 106 00:08:48,660 --> 00:08:53,700 next conversation, which is the principles and elements of design. In my book, Navigating 107 00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:58,920 Design, I cover all seven principles and all seven elements, while including very simple 108 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:03,720 and basic illustrations for each. Because this is an audio-only podcast, we'll attempt 109 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:08,400 to explain each with simple and clear words to hopefully allow for your mind's eye to 110 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,840 visualize what we are talking about. 111 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:16,060 Alright, let's start with the seven principles of design. Principles of design are defined 112 00:09:16,060 --> 00:09:20,640 as fundamental guidelines for organizing and arranging the elements in order to create 113 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:26,540 a visually appealing, functional, and cohesive work. Mike could go ahead and start us off 114 00:09:26,540 --> 00:09:30,720 with our first principle of design, and then we'll work through these quickly since we 115 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,120 have seven of them. 116 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:37,200 Pattern is our first principle. Pattern is defined as a repetition of visual elements 117 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:41,920 like shapes, lines, or colors. An example of this principle can be seen in wallpaper 118 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:48,240 design, which often includes a repeated image or motif which adds to the aesthetic or room. 119 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:52,560 Emphasis is our second principle. Contrast is the juxtaposition of different elements 120 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:58,240 to highlight their individual properties and create visual interest. A simple example of 121 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:03,720 this is black text on a white background. This creates strong contrast, making the text 122 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:05,340 easy to read. 123 00:10:05,340 --> 00:10:09,360 Emphasis is our third principle. Emphasis is defined as drawing attention to specific 124 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:14,720 elements by using techniques like size, placement, or contrast. An example of this principle 125 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:19,920 could be a bright orange button or a muted gray webpage. This draws attention and emphasizes 126 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,960 it as a primary call to action. 127 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:27,800 Balance is our fourth principle. Balance is defined as the distribution of elements to 128 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:33,920 create visual stability and harmony. There are three types of balance, symmetric, asymmetric, 129 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:39,200 and circular. An example of this could be a magazine layout with a large image on one 130 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:45,200 page balanced by text of equal visual weight on the opposite page. 131 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,080 Proportion and scale is our fifth principle. Proportion and scale can be defined as the 132 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:54,080 relative size and relationship between elements within a design. An example of this principle 133 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:58,680 can be seen in old cathedrals where the large towering columns are proportionally scaled 134 00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:03,100 to the vast height of the ceiling, emphasizing the grandeur of the space and creating a sense 135 00:11:03,100 --> 00:11:04,720 of awe. 136 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:09,560 Harmony is our sixth principle. Harmony can be defined as the overall sense of unity and 137 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:14,920 coherence in a design which is achieved through the balance application of design principles. 138 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:20,080 An example of this could be a set of kitchen appliances like a toaster, kettle, and blender 139 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:25,400 designed with similar shapes, colors, and materials, which creates a harmony by ensuring 140 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:30,840 the product looks like they go together when placed together on a countertop. 141 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,920 Movement and Rhythm is our seventh principle. Movement and Rhythm can be defined as a pass 142 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:39,320 a viewer's eye takes through a design, guided by elements that create a sense of flow or 143 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:44,160 the direction of visual or movement flow. An example of this principle can be seen in 144 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:49,280 a garden party that gently curves with alternating plantings of flowers and shrubs. This creates 145 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:53,280 movement and rhythm by guiding the eye along the path and offering a visual flow through 146 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:54,280 the space. 147 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:59,720 Okay, now moving on, we'll share the seven elements of design. Thank you guys. Unlike 148 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:04,180 principles which can be applied to anything, the elements of design are actually things 149 00:12:04,180 --> 00:12:09,140 that can be used in design. In order to not make this too long, we won't go in depth 150 00:12:09,140 --> 00:12:15,160 on each one like we haven't on the principles, so as they are self-explanatory by their name. 151 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,720 Micah go ahead and share the first element of design. 152 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:22,640 Alright, so line is our first element. Line is a mark that connects two points that can 153 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,160 vary in width, direction, or style. 154 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:31,540 Shape is our next element. Shape can be defined as a two-dimensional area enclosed by a line. 155 00:12:31,540 --> 00:12:34,480 Shape can be geometric or organic. 156 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:38,200 Form is our third element. Form is defined as a three-dimensional shape that has volume 157 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:42,560 and depth. A square becomes a cube, a circle becomes a cylinder, and a triangle becomes 158 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:43,640 a cone. 159 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:48,680 Color is our fourth element. Color is defined as the visual property of objects perceived 160 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:54,880 by the eye, characterized by hue, saturation, and brightness. The traditional color wheel 161 00:12:54,880 --> 00:13:00,080 includes primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Primary colors are not mixed, and 162 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:05,040 there are three of them, which are red, blue, and yellow. Secondary colors are mixed created 163 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:11,280 by mixing two primary colors together, and tertiary colors are created by mixing one 164 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,160 primary color with one secondary color. 165 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:18,040 Textures are our fifth element. Texture is defined as the surface quality of an object 166 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:22,840 that can be visual or tactile. Rough, smooth, slippery, or sticky are just some of the words 167 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:26,960 that can describe the element of texture, depending on how it looks or feels. 168 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:32,040 Space is our sixth element. Space can be defined as the area between or around objects 169 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:37,520 in a design, including both positive and negative space. Yes, there is such a thing as negative 170 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,600 and positive space, and both are very important. 171 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:45,240 Last but not least, we have value, which is our seventh element. Value is defined as the 172 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:49,560 degree of lightness or darkness in a color or shade. The element of value can be used 173 00:13:49,560 --> 00:13:54,360 to create the illusion that the 2D object is 3D in appearance. Gradients and shading 174 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:59,080 use value, and can give the appearance of depth and create more interest to an object. 175 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:02,480 And there you have it. Thank you, Mike and Esther, for sharing some core concepts and 176 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,800 the principles and elements of design. Our hope is that more and more people will have 177 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:11,800 a better appreciation and understanding about the topic of design and how it affects just 178 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:15,320 about every aspect of our lives, whether we realize it or not. 179 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:20,040 All right, stay tuned for our second segment with special guest Mr. Darwin right after 180 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,480 this short PSA. 181 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:31,040 Hey, Students Incorporated listeners, I want to invite you out to the Makers' Fair coming 182 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:39,360 December 11th and 12th of this year. We are going to be having handmade goods, food, live 183 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:44,320 music, all kinds of fun stuff happening in the high school secondary courtyard from two 184 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:48,960 to five both days. We're excited about this event because it represents our community 185 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:54,320 and all of the creativity here. We've got amazing students, staff and parents all involved 186 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:58,720 in this event. If you didn't catch the details, it's coming up soon, December 11th and 12th 187 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:05,180 from two to five p.m. in a secondary courtyard. You can follow us online at ICS Makers' Fair. 188 00:15:05,180 --> 00:15:12,280 And if you have any questions, you can get in touch with me, Mrs. Asia. See you there. 189 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:17,560 And we are back with our second segment and I have Mr. Darwin, our local residential multimedia 190 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:23,240 designer in the studio. Chances are if there's a poster, a sign or an announcement of some 191 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:28,400 sort you have seen around school, Mr. Darwin has had a hand in designing it. 192 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:33,580 All right, to kick off this segment, I want to talk about some design no-nos first. These 193 00:15:33,580 --> 00:15:38,640 would be things that designers cringe about when they hear or see them. Then Mr. Darwin 194 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:44,000 and I will present some best practices for design. And these are mainly for those of 195 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:49,000 you who are not trained designers by trade, but want to learn and grow in this area. But 196 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:54,960 first, let's get started with our first design no-no discussion question. So the question 197 00:15:54,960 --> 00:16:02,080 is this, what are some common design no-nos that instantly make a project look unprofessional? 198 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:06,120 So go ahead, Mr. Darwin, let's get started with that one. 199 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:10,920 The first one is overcrowding with too many elements, whether it's your image, fonts 200 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:17,480 and colors. This creates visual chaos and confuses the audience. You are designing to 201 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:23,440 communicate or to inform. In order to do that, your design should not be overcrowded. But 202 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:28,640 don't be scared to explore your design process. So that's some good advice, overcrowding, 203 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:34,200 too many elements and visual chaos. So we got to be careful of that, right? 204 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:35,200 Yeah. 205 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:41,480 The next talking point, let's see, is using low quality images or assets. And this can 206 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:47,920 diminish the overall credibility of the design. So low quality image or assets. Maybe you 207 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,360 can give us some more insight into this. 208 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:56,200 Ignoring alignment and spacing, which makes the design look disorganized and amateurish. 209 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:01,600 This is something I am still perfecting and is very crucial, especially if you are designing 210 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:03,160 for a printed material. 211 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:08,600 For printed material, like Mr. Darwin was talking about, we have to understand the size, 212 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:13,680 the output size, right? So starting with the end in mind and trying to understand how will 213 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:20,360 this design, this piece be used. And then going backwards from there, it will help us 214 00:17:20,360 --> 00:17:27,200 understand what type of resolution or size should our images be. And sometimes staying 215 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:28,920 away from clip art, right? 216 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:29,920 Yeah. 217 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:36,640 So our next talking point would be why is choosing the wrong font a major design no-no 218 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,520 and how can designers avoid this mistake? 219 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:44,400 Well mismatched fonts can distract from the message, especially if you are using a Comic 220 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:49,440 Sans for a formal document. Some successful brands tend to use only one or two fonts in 221 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:50,680 older campaign. 222 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:55,160 So Comic Sans is probably a font we shouldn't put on a professional document. 223 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:56,160 That should be. 224 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:01,560 Yeah, Comic Sans is great, but it's very informal. It's okay to use it for maybe memes or other 225 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:07,800 things. But like Mr. Darwin said, the font should be chosen according to what is the 226 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:13,960 end result. Where is this document? Where is this design going to be shown? And kind 227 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:19,840 of what's the design or what's the tone of that document and that font should match. 228 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:26,640 Okay, moving on to our next design no-no. This no-no is stated as overusing trendy fonts 229 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:34,040 or overly decorative fonts because this may feel dated and may go out of style too quickly. 230 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:35,040 What are your thoughts on this? 231 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:40,680 Well to avoid this, designers should consider readability, context, and tone. A general 232 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:46,600 rule is to limit designs to two complimentary fonts. If you're going to add another one, 233 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:50,680 make sure it doesn't turn out to be a distraction from the main message. 234 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:55,160 Very good. So less is more when it comes to choosing font styles. 235 00:18:55,160 --> 00:19:02,600 Okay, moving on to our next no-no discussion question. How does neglecting mobile or responsive 236 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:09,240 design affect user experience and why is this a design no-no? What do you think? 237 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:15,960 Over 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. A design that doesn't adapt to smaller 238 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:22,240 screens frustrates users and can lead to lost opportunities or clients. Make sure your artboard 239 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,800 sizes are correct before you start designing. 240 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:32,800 So those who neglect the idea of responsive design usually will run into issues especially 241 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:38,240 with people who mainly look at design on their mobile device because it may not fit the screen. 242 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:45,120 So that's something to keep in mind is to not ignore that idea of responsive design 243 00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:50,240 especially within like the web design and application design field. 244 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:55,640 I want to take this a step further and mention that even static designs like a logo, other 245 00:19:55,640 --> 00:20:01,640 brand elements such as graphics, textures, shapes, or color need to be responsive. They 246 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:07,520 not only need to be responsive on the digital devices but also in the real physical world. 247 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:13,760 So a designer should create multiple versions of a logo, a vertical orientation and a horizontal 248 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:20,000 orientation with color and without color. Design should be responsive to the environment 249 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:26,320 they will be used on or in. I used to consult businesses to keep their branding flexible 250 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:32,000 and adaptable and not be too scripted in their brand style guides so as to miss opportunities 251 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,520 where they could be even more creative and innovative. 252 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:39,360 So what are your thoughts on some of those things Mr. Darwin? 253 00:20:39,360 --> 00:20:45,280 Those practices include testing on multiple devices and ensuring elements resize or reflow 254 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:51,040 intuitively. If you don't have the luxury of owning multiple devices send it to your 255 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:56,960 friends who have different types of devices and ask for their opinion on how it looks. 256 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:01,800 It's a good idea. I like that. Send it to your friends and usually your friends will 257 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:03,600 be honest with you. 258 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:09,480 Ok, so moving on to our next discussion question and it's similar to the fonts question we 259 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:16,080 talked about earlier. So it is why is using too many colors in a design considered a no 260 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:22,500 no and how can designers create a balanced color palette? What are your thoughts on that? 261 00:21:22,500 --> 00:21:27,960 For me too many colors can overwhelm the viewer, make design look cluttered and detract from 262 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:33,200 the overall message. Although if you're going to do a colorful design you should know how 263 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:34,920 to pull it off. 264 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:40,160 Very good. Know how to pull it off. So a lack of color harmony may also create a chaotic 265 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:48,240 or unprofessional feel. So that whole, there's a whole study and it's called color theory 266 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:56,280 and that's something that color can add so much to a design but if used inappropriately 267 00:21:56,280 --> 00:22:03,120 or the different type of colors are used it can invoke a feeling or emotion or tone that 268 00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:08,920 was not necessarily intended for that design. So Art do you have any more thoughts on that 269 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:10,520 Mr. Darwin? 270 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:15,560 Designers should stick to a cohesive color palette with two to four primary colors and 271 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:22,880 leverage tools like Adobe Color or coolers to select complementary schemes. Using consistent 272 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,120 brand colors help maintain visual identity. 273 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:31,040 Very good. I'm glad you brought that up because there are a lot of tools out there that can 274 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:35,960 help us. So if you're not an expert in this idea of like putting complementary colors 275 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:42,720 together primary, secondary or even knowing what different colors, what type of emotions 276 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:47,760 they can invoke there are great tools out there like Adobe Color. There's another one 277 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:52,100 called coolers. There's lots of books that give examples of how to put different colors 278 00:22:52,100 --> 00:22:56,800 together and how those can communicate different things. 279 00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:02,200 Okay moving on to our next question and it has to do with white space. So the question 280 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:09,600 is this. What makes neglecting white space or negative space a significant design mistake? 281 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:12,040 So what are your thoughts on that one? 282 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:16,800 This is somehow my pet peeve when it comes to designing. So filling every inch of design 283 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:22,920 makes it hard for the viewers to focus leading to cognitive overload or misunderstanding 284 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:27,400 the details of the information you want to convey. 285 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:33,240 I would agree this is a big pet peeve of mine too. Putting too many things together therefore 286 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:39,720 it clutters out the main message. So white space enhances readability, creates a breathing 287 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:45,520 space and draws attention to key elements. Your eyes just like you need to breathe air, 288 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:50,920 your brain your eyes need to breathe as well. So if we cram too much together in a poster 289 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:57,840 or some sort of design it actually works against the main message. So design with restraint 290 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:04,720 keep some space on there and yeah so do you have any more thoughts on that one Mr. Darlin? 291 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:10,920 Designers can avoid the mistake by prioritizing simplicity and actively leading margins, baddings 292 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:17,680 and clear areas around focal points. Think of white space as an essential design element 293 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:19,080 not wasted space. 294 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:24,480 Oh I like that. It is an essential design element. Even though it's negative there's 295 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:31,560 nothing there. Space can be used in a very positive way even though it's negative space. 296 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:38,200 Okay moving on to our next question. It is why is skipping user testing or feedback a 297 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,360 critical design no-no and how can this be avoided? 298 00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:48,360 The first one without testing designers might create something visually appealing but impractical 299 00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:50,920 or confusing to the end user. 300 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:59,720 Oh very good. So visually appealing or impactful or confusing to the end user. We need to get 301 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:06,640 the feedback of the people who will be using or looking at it. So solutions include prototyping, 302 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:13,320 gathering feedback early and iterating based on real user interactions. And this really 303 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:18,640 has to do heavily within the digital design or application design field. 304 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:23,240 And remember the sign is for the user not the designer's personal preferences. 305 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:28,840 Oh very good point. Very good point. It's not necessarily just about our own personal 306 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:34,720 preference or opinion which can be very subjective but we've got to think of that user. 307 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:40,280 Moving on from design no-no's we'd like to end with some design best practices. So Mr. 308 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:45,640 Darwin and I have condensed several different lists together into one general top 10 list 309 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:47,200 we both agree on right? 310 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:48,200 Yes. 311 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:52,600 Alright thank you. This list is focused toward the graphic or creative design fields like 312 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:58,840 graphic design, web design, UI design. However some of these best practices can be applied 313 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:03,400 to other disciplines such as architecture, interior design and product design. 314 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:09,160 I'll start with the first design best practice on our list and it is keep it simple. Okay 315 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:15,680 keep it simple. Avoid overcrowding your design with too many elements. Use white space effectively 316 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:22,380 like we talked about earlier and using white space effectively can communicate or give 317 00:26:22,380 --> 00:26:27,640 your content room to breathe. Alright next on our list what's number two Mr. Darwin? 318 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:34,120 The second one on our list is use a grid for alignment. Grids ensure proper alignment and 319 00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:38,440 spacing. Make your design look balanced and professional. 320 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:44,160 Yes grid and grids are essentially invisible to the user when they see it. 321 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:45,160 Yes. 322 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:50,600 But it is a really handy tool that we can use to plot things in the space and put them 323 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,560 appropriately so there is balance. 324 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:57,160 Moving on to our third item on the list and it's choose a consistent color palette. This 325 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:03,800 idea is to stick to two to three main primary colors and maybe a few accent colors. Use 326 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:09,760 tools like Adobe Color like we said earlier, coolers or to find harmonious color schemes. 327 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:13,400 Alright moving on to number four. What's number four Mr. Darwin? 328 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:19,640 The fourth design practice is stick to readable fonts. You should limit your designs to one 329 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:26,320 to two font families and prioritize readability. Pair a bold font for headlines with a simple 330 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,640 font for the body text. 331 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:33,400 I like that. Just like we were talking about design no-nos these are some best practices 332 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:39,560 when it comes to not only like the color choosing a color palette but like number four here is 333 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:42,960 focusing on finding one to two fonts. 334 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:50,240 Alright, on to our number five on the list of best practices. It's use high quality images 335 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:56,200 and graphics. So avoid pixelated or blurry images. Don't just copy something from Google 336 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:03,240 and then slap it in your you know page or on your design. Use free resources like Unsplash, 337 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:10,360 Google Pexels, Pixabay or Canva to professionally present good quality visuals. And I think 338 00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:14,760 this is another pet peeve of probably both of ours. Yes. Is when we see low resolution 339 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:20,920 pixelated clip art images just thrown on something. So do the hard work find a good image that 340 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:25,640 represents and that will add something to your design and don't cut quarters and just 341 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:29,680 find cheap clip art pieces out there on the internet right? 342 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:30,680 Correct. 343 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,880 Alright, so let's move on to number six. What's number six on our list? 344 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:40,760 Well before that I want to add there's also free resources with AI that can enhance your 345 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:47,240 pictures with a price of course. But moving on to number six. The number six design practice 346 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:54,560 is pay attention to contrast. If using text ensure it stands out from the background and 347 00:28:54,560 --> 00:29:01,600 is readable. Light text on a dark background or vice versa enhances readability. 348 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:06,680 So that's a good one. So contrast. I think some people forget about that as being a design 349 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:14,240 principle is using contrast to your benefit. Okay, moving on to our seventh design practice 350 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:22,000 which is maintain visual hierarchy. So guide the viewer's eye by prioritizing the most 351 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:28,160 important elements. Headlines, images, even bodies of text using size, color, or placement. 352 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:32,400 The most important thing should be at the top or be the one element that demands the 353 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:38,120 most attention. So use hierarchy where you put things, the size of things, and how they're 354 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:44,400 placed on your canvas or in your composition so that people know what's most important. 355 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:49,120 Alright, we're going to move on to number eight. What's number eight on our list? 356 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:55,200 Design best practice number eight is balance your design. Symmetry and balance make a design 357 00:29:55,200 --> 00:30:01,560 pleasing to the eye. Distribute elements evenly across the layout. The elements in the design 358 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:09,000 should not be competing for attention. Symmetry, right? So balance the design and 359 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:14,040 of course that goes back to white space and space and all that kind of stuff too. So balance 360 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:18,320 your design. That's number eight. Moving on to number nine and we're almost done with 361 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:24,880 our top 10 list. Number nine is be consistent with the branding. So if the design is for 362 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:32,560 a brand or like a company or somebody or something or an organization, use consistent logos, 363 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:38,080 fonts, and colors to create a cohesive look across all the materials. A brand is important 364 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:43,900 because those elements represent the identity of the business or company or organization 365 00:30:43,900 --> 00:30:48,600 that you're working with. And this brings us to number 10, our final design practice. 366 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:54,000 And it is, what is it Mr. Darwin? It's test your design. View your design on multiple 367 00:30:54,000 --> 00:31:00,000 devices in different formats to ensure it looks good everywhere. As I mentioned earlier 368 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:06,400 with multiple devices, ask a few trusted colleagues for their opinions. Alright, so that's number 369 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:12,520 10 test your design and that's our top 10 list of best practices that you can or we 370 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:19,760 can as people who want to create good design can follow. So and there you have it, some 371 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:25,040 best practices to remember when designing. Just another word of advice, design software 372 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:30,040 is a tool. So a design software does not make you a better designer. Design software is 373 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:35,040 a tool that we can use as designers. So like all tools, principles and best practices need 374 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:39,840 to be followed in order to use that tool effectively. And I hope this episode has provided some 375 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:44,600 guidance in doing so. So thank you again Mr. Darwin for being on the show. Any last words 376 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:51,620 of advice? Thank you for having me here and just keep on creating. Well, I like that. 377 00:31:51,620 --> 00:32:07,240 Keep on creating. Alright, thank you. As we end this episode, we'd like to thank our sponsor 378 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:12,120 again, The Maker's Fair, which will be held on December 11th and 12th from 2 to 5pm at 379 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:18,280 ICS. Stay tuned for our next episode as we take you on an actual field trip. I'll just 380 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:22,840 leave it at that for now. And as always, this podcast would not be possible without the 381 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:27,680 hard work and support of our international student production team. All music and sound 382 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:32,680 effects are courtesy of Pixabay.com, a vibrant community of creatives sharing copyright free 383 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:38,760 images, videos and music. And we are signing off until next time. We are Students Incorporated, 384 00:32:38,760 --> 00:33:03,920 because your voice matters.