|
|
Here are 14 tips that make you a better graphics developer
Posted On July 20, 2007 by Geeta Priya filed under Miscellaneous
I started my career way back in seventies with brush and paints, migrated to Apple Mac in late eighties, flirted with SGI in nineties, and settled with the PC in the fag of the last millennium and has been comfortable ever since.
When the editor of Developer IQ requested me to send an article on tips for graphics developer I wondered. There are so many tools out there and I can list hundred tips for each and still will miss a few. I explained in a detailed mail the pros and cons of writing an article titled tips for Graphics developer. The editor wrote back in a single liner 'Just make it general for all'.
Hence these are some tips I have collected over twenty years of being a digital artist. These are extremely general, and most of it you know already. But it is wise to revise once in a while.
Here goes...
1. On File sizes (Big for print, small for web)
The static graphics designer or developer needs to understand that if he is creating something for the print, he should create the heaviest possible file size for the best results. Hence TIFF is the preferred file format and the maximum dpi (300 at least) possible should be chosen. This ensures top print quality.
At the same time it is a balancing act for the web. File sizes should be minimum (JPEG for photographs, and GIF for other stuff), and should be kept as small as possible without distorting the image.
Check for safe web colors. There are actually 216 of them and the palette is available http://www.lynda.com/hex/
2. Read and Create
Every graphic must have a purpose--beyond covering a black hole--so before you design a graphic make sure you fully understand the story or the concept. Try reading the matter even if it is a bit complicated or beyond your comprehension. First possible graphics is graphics beyond meaning. Abstract art is no good unless you are Picasso!
3. The KISS always works
From engineering to art, the KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) factor works. A graphic designed to convey basic facts should be simple and clear. Many a time you try to create something fantastic that eventually falls flat on its face. Good art is always appreciated by the masses and not just by the classes.
4. Follow rules of science
A graphics developer should never forget the fundamentals of the world, while letting his or her imagination run wild. Simple facts like getting directions correct, getting numbers accurate are very important. For example in a map you should use a "locator" so viewers immediately know what they are looking at.
5. Use animations to denote change
This tip does not make sense for the print media specialist. Graphic designed to illustrate change or a process often benefits from animation. Anything moving captures the eye faster. Consider the example of some one getting a brain wave. You can always denote that with a glowing bulb near his head.
6. Too much graphics spoils the show
Avoid cramming graphics with too much information. Think of a graphic like a highway sign-it goes by so fast, the driver doesn't get a chance to study it. The information has to be easily absorbed. Ask: what is the one thing I want viewers to understand when they see this graphic? Make sure they can get it at a glance.
7. Show relationships between entities
Show relationships rather than raw information. Instead of listing the number of drivers versus mass transit users, create a chart that shows the relationship between the two. And compare rates, not raw numbers, whenever possible. Use graphs if necessary.
8. Maintain Uniformity in Graphics
Use common graphics screens wherever required. In a story comparing, say, two candidates' positions on an issue, put both on the same graphic screen so viewers can clearly see how they match up. This is quite important in the electronic media!
9. Timing should be perfect
A graphic can serve as a roadblock in a story if it comes up without warning. Lead the viewer in and out of the graphic by what you say in your track or storyboard. Make a clear transition from the moving video to the fact-based graphic. "As city budget records show…." "You can see how the budget has grown…"
10. Match words with the screen
In a presentation or a video you need to match words on the screen to the background narration. It is easier to adjust if it is a manual presentation for a presenter. But in case it is a broadcast on the Internet or the television if you have words in your graphics, be sure that the track (what you say) matches exactly. Write before the graphic is created, but revise if necessary before tracking so audio and video match.
11. Be Creative within the limits
Choose a visual element that fits the theme of your story. Instead of a plain bar chart showing how the budget has increased, for example, make each bar from a stack of dollar bills. Or create a money bag, and make it grow to a proportionally larger size. Create "base art" that also reinforces meaning, and superimpose information.
12. Show accuracy in animation
Graphics that build or disappear help to illustrate change over time. Be sure that you match the rate of growth on screen to the actual rate of growth. Too much movement, however, can be distracting to viewers and counter productive. Avoid movement just for the sake of movement.
13. Colors should match the mood
Colors used in the artwork should satisfy your targeted audience and not yourself. Use sober colors if it's a corporate brochure, bright if the target audience is younger, and get bolder if your statements match the mood.
14. Colors of the fonts...
...should be as contrasting as possible to the background screen. This is true for all media. Best combination black and white. But in the colorful world you can offer other combinations. Remember combinations such as brown fonts in black or dark backgrounds are no-no. The viewer must never squint his eyes to read something. Similarly light yellow fonts on white background may not make sense.
Arjun Ganguly, well known digital artist, lives and works in Amsterdam.
When the editor of Developer IQ requested me to send an article on tips for graphics developer I wondered. There are so many tools out there and I can list hundred tips for each and still will miss a few. I explained in a detailed mail the pros and cons of writing an article titled tips for Graphics developer. The editor wrote back in a single liner 'Just make it general for all'.
Hence these are some tips I have collected over twenty years of being a digital artist. These are extremely general, and most of it you know already. But it is wise to revise once in a while.
Here goes...
1. On File sizes (Big for print, small for web)
The static graphics designer or developer needs to understand that if he is creating something for the print, he should create the heaviest possible file size for the best results. Hence TIFF is the preferred file format and the maximum dpi (300 at least) possible should be chosen. This ensures top print quality.
At the same time it is a balancing act for the web. File sizes should be minimum (JPEG for photographs, and GIF for other stuff), and should be kept as small as possible without distorting the image.
Check for safe web colors. There are actually 216 of them and the palette is available http://www.lynda.com/hex/
2. Read and Create
Every graphic must have a purpose--beyond covering a black hole--so before you design a graphic make sure you fully understand the story or the concept. Try reading the matter even if it is a bit complicated or beyond your comprehension. First possible graphics is graphics beyond meaning. Abstract art is no good unless you are Picasso!
3. The KISS always works
From engineering to art, the KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) factor works. A graphic designed to convey basic facts should be simple and clear. Many a time you try to create something fantastic that eventually falls flat on its face. Good art is always appreciated by the masses and not just by the classes.
4. Follow rules of science
A graphics developer should never forget the fundamentals of the world, while letting his or her imagination run wild. Simple facts like getting directions correct, getting numbers accurate are very important. For example in a map you should use a "locator" so viewers immediately know what they are looking at.
5. Use animations to denote change
This tip does not make sense for the print media specialist. Graphic designed to illustrate change or a process often benefits from animation. Anything moving captures the eye faster. Consider the example of some one getting a brain wave. You can always denote that with a glowing bulb near his head.
6. Too much graphics spoils the show
Avoid cramming graphics with too much information. Think of a graphic like a highway sign-it goes by so fast, the driver doesn't get a chance to study it. The information has to be easily absorbed. Ask: what is the one thing I want viewers to understand when they see this graphic? Make sure they can get it at a glance.
7. Show relationships between entities
Show relationships rather than raw information. Instead of listing the number of drivers versus mass transit users, create a chart that shows the relationship between the two. And compare rates, not raw numbers, whenever possible. Use graphs if necessary.
8. Maintain Uniformity in Graphics
Use common graphics screens wherever required. In a story comparing, say, two candidates' positions on an issue, put both on the same graphic screen so viewers can clearly see how they match up. This is quite important in the electronic media!
9. Timing should be perfect
A graphic can serve as a roadblock in a story if it comes up without warning. Lead the viewer in and out of the graphic by what you say in your track or storyboard. Make a clear transition from the moving video to the fact-based graphic. "As city budget records show…." "You can see how the budget has grown…"
10. Match words with the screen
In a presentation or a video you need to match words on the screen to the background narration. It is easier to adjust if it is a manual presentation for a presenter. But in case it is a broadcast on the Internet or the television if you have words in your graphics, be sure that the track (what you say) matches exactly. Write before the graphic is created, but revise if necessary before tracking so audio and video match.
11. Be Creative within the limits
Choose a visual element that fits the theme of your story. Instead of a plain bar chart showing how the budget has increased, for example, make each bar from a stack of dollar bills. Or create a money bag, and make it grow to a proportionally larger size. Create "base art" that also reinforces meaning, and superimpose information.
12. Show accuracy in animation
Graphics that build or disappear help to illustrate change over time. Be sure that you match the rate of growth on screen to the actual rate of growth. Too much movement, however, can be distracting to viewers and counter productive. Avoid movement just for the sake of movement.
13. Colors should match the mood
Colors used in the artwork should satisfy your targeted audience and not yourself. Use sober colors if it's a corporate brochure, bright if the target audience is younger, and get bolder if your statements match the mood.
14. Colors of the fonts...
...should be as contrasting as possible to the background screen. This is true for all media. Best combination black and white. But in the colorful world you can offer other combinations. Remember combinations such as brown fonts in black or dark backgrounds are no-no. The viewer must never squint his eyes to read something. Similarly light yellow fonts on white background may not make sense.
Arjun Ganguly, well known digital artist, lives and works in Amsterdam.