The purpose of this document is to provide the user with the basic vocabulary needed to develop design projects as well as a checklist of the key elements necessary to complete a project. It will also provide a guide to the ethics and protocol of design and content sourcing which will include the issues of copyright restrictions and giving due credit.
[no-glossary]
AIFF (Audio Exchange File): This is an audio file format which was developed by Apple primarily for storing sound files on Macintosh computers. It is a larger file of higher quality than a compressed file such as an MP3.
ASCENDER: This is the part of a letter character that extends above the baseline.
BITRATE: A ‘bit’ is a small unit of data and ‘bitrate’ is the amount of bits processed during a given period of time. It can also be written as ‘bit rate.’
The internet is a wealth of resources for any designer. There is so much information online that it can be overwhelming when searching for something in particular. A selection of links has been provided to serve most of your basic design and tutorial needs. This list is not conclusive so feel free to also do your own independent searches.
Lynda.com http://www.lynda.com/home/ViewCourses.aspx?lpk3=true
Tutorial Index http://tutorial-index.com/
Never before has the public had such easy access to media components such as images and audio files. It is a common misconception that files found on the internet are there for general use. Certainly, some are put there by generous donors but many are copyright protected and are only for your viewing or listening purposes. Appropriating these files for your personal use would be a breach of copyright law and can result in prosecution.
Video content is a well established media form. It combines motion or still graphics with sound. Its uses are unlimited, from instructional online tutorials to interactive DVDs. The same principles of working with sound and images apply in this medium. For example, always work with a high quality master file and compress only at the end when you are outputting your final file. Similarly, there are different factors to be aware of when creating video for web and for DVD.
Podcasts have become a very popular trend in web technology. They are inexpensive and easy to distribute and you don’t need to be a sound expert to create your own. You can develop your own custom podcasts and upload them to your website for your audience to download and listen. Follow the simple steps below to create and upload your own podcast.
Recording equipment: a microphone, headphones, digital recorder or digital camera, a computer with an internet connection and audio editing software. Audacity is a popular free software program for creating podcasts and can be downloaded at:
Before final art is sent away to be professionally printed, there are certain steps that must be taken. It is important to follow these carefully and double check everything. If not, you risk having it come back from the printer with a request to do it properly, or worse still, receiving an imperfect final product.
DO proof-read everything carefully. Check the spelling, punctuation and layout. Have someone else look it over. Sometimes having worked for a long period on a layout, we can become blind to the little errors in the document.
Typography is the art of working with type. Used effectively, it will engage and inform your audience. Type also has aesthetic value and can be a strong graphical and architectural element of a design.
Good design always has carefully considered typographic elements. The type is never used arbitrarily or as a last minute thought. This doesn’t mean that it is rigid. Type can be a hugely creative and artistic element and still remain effective so long as the designer remains aware of the fundamentals of the art.
Used effectively, colour can be one of your most powerful design tools. It can convey mood and emotion and successfully engage your viewer. Your colour choice can create an environment of warmth and serenity or one of clinical coldness.
While you have freedom to develop your own project colour scheme, there are some basic rules guiding the formation and use of colour.
DO familiarize yourself with the colour wheel. This is a basic colour tool designed to help the user make successful colour combinations. The most common wheel uses 12 RGB colours.
The primary colours provide the building blocks for all other colours. These are:
The secondary colours are a combination of the primary colours. These are:
The tertiary colours are a combination of each secondary colour with its corresponding primary colour. These are:
DO learn the basics of colour combination. Within the colour wheel, there are warm colours and cold colours. Warm colours evoke life and energy while cold colours are calming. Staying within one palette is a safe choice. You may use different colours within that warm or cold palette,
You may also achieve more subtle results by working with different tints and shades of the same colour.
There are also established colour harmonies. Some are shown in the diagrams below.
Complementary Colours: These are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel. They tend to create vibrant colour combinations and are effective if you want an element of your design to stand out.
Analogous colours: These colours are found directly next to each other on the colour wheel and usually create a calming, harmonious effect. Make sure that there is enough contrast between the colours when using analogous colours.
These are just two of the established colour schemes. Try not become too preoccupied with technicalities as it is also important to have fun and experiment with your colour schemes. Bear in mind that your choice of colour, as with images and type, must always support your content and help convey your message. When using colour with type, make sure it doesn’t detract from its legibility. Consider your audience and their experience. The aim is always to enhance the communication and not make it more difficult.