Topic 3- Design Principles

Topic 3- Design Principles

1. Design Principles

   • -Composition, -Consistency, -Usability and accessibility,- Legal/ ethical behaviour

2. Colour, shape, line, balance & contrast in digital composition

   • Colour- Colour can determine who will use your product such as male and female associated colours. You need a consistent house-style and most of the time a gender neutral palette to attract all target audiences.
   • Shape- Shapes can create certain moods and determine how people view things. For example having something in a square will make it seem sharp, having something in a circle will make it seem balanced and round. People with poor eyesight may struggle to see with the use of certain shapes so you should consider this.
   • Line- Use lines to make sure viewers know where to look, converging lines give people a sense of perspective drawing you into the image. You should find a clear focal point.
   • Balance- An image or digital product should be balanced, you shouldn't just have something in the middle, use rule of thirds to balance out things.
   • Contrast- contrasting colours are important for those with poor eyesight as it can change the usability of the product. Having contrasting directions of lines, colours and shapes will make the product more appealing and interesting to the target audience and viewers.

3. Visual hierarchy and rule of thirds-

   • Visual hierarchy-the presentation/ arrangement of elements in a way that implies importance. Visual hierarchy influences the order in which the human eye perceives what it sees. This order is created by the visual contrast between forms in a field of perception.
   • Rule of thirds- The rule of thirds is applied by aligning a subject with the guide lines and their intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, or allowing linear features in the image to flow from section to section.

4. Consistency-

   • By using common elements such as logos and the same use of colours/housestyle, you will create consistency which is important to the overall layout and the brand.

5. Font styles & sizes

   • Fonts- Avoid using serif fonts with flicks as these are difficult to read these include Times Roman. Use SANS serif fonts such as Arial as these do not have flicks and so are easier to read. Make sure your text size is large enough for those with poor eyesight.

6. User control/ interactivity

   • The product most of the time is in the hands of the user and so has to be interactive so that they can control it. For example you need a working navigation system.

7. Timings and transistions

   • Timing- The timing should not be too long as it will make people bored and uniterested yet image for example should be on long enough so that people can read it.
   • Transitions should run smoothly without any bumps to make it look more professional.

8. Data Entry Forms

   • Fields (purpose is for people to enter big passages of texts/ reviews) , buttons (can be used for yes or no options for games, another way of interacting), menus ((menu's organise the digital product helping with composition), banners (banners are a good way to display important information)
   • Impact on the experience of the user by making things more interactive and consistent.
   • Disadvantages include making it difficult for those who struggle with functionality and aren't very good at using a computer etc.)

9. Accessibility features

   • Alt text, resizable fonts, support for screen readers, adjustable fonts, 'listen to this page' are all accessibility features.
   • Accessibility standards and guidelines- You must consider using design elements such as movement, Flash and multimedia, keyboard access, images and colour. You must cater to the accessibility needs of some disabled user groups and so should create or repurpose content so that it will become more inclusive to a wider audience.
   • The Disability Discrimination Act ensures that websites are accessible to blind and disabled users. It makes it unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a disabled person by refusing to provide any service which it provides to members of the public.