Design Principles
Landa, Gonnella and Anderson (2000) challenged artists and designers to go beyond two dimensional, generic flatness and homogenous graphics to move into creating the illusion of three-dimensional space. As well, they suggested that creators "blur the line between fine art and design. Every time you create a design, you could be creating an object d'art. Be aware of the potential plasticity of your medium" (p. 15). They thoughtfully sum up by writing that all artists should keep in mind that they are currently creating the artifacts of our time, the early twenty-first century. Poynor (1998) shared a similar view, pointing out that in the late 1990s art and design began a transitional phase to move closer together, that design was beginning to take on many of the characteristics of art. This was made possible because of the way art changed, with the "convergence of technology, subject matter and techniques of representation" (p.16).
Carter (2000) recommended that artists take time to view and absorb the techniques and compositions of other artists and designers, in all sorts of mediums and contexts: books, web sites, menus, music CDs, packaging, illustration, media advertisements and so on. Poynor (1998) wrote about the importance of paying attention to scholarly criticisms and theories related to design. He acknowledged the swift changes that have occurred in the visual design world with the advent of new media, and urged artisans to stay abreast of these changes, welcoming the new flexibility and options into their design repertoire. This has strong implications for designers of educational materials. "Some of the most challenging new design is being forged at the controversial interface of theory and practice, education and the profession. Design fuels reflection and the process of research and reflection, in turn, feeds back into design" (p. 27-28).
Paying attention to the critical positions and theories of researchers and scholars can afford critical insight and judgement to artists. Designing visual as well as multimedia materials, incorporating words, sounds and images takes great sensitivity and skill. It is necessary to learn to design materials that will serve and appeal to diverse groups, using visual language that they will both understand and relate to. Designers need to recognize and work within the context of their audience. Visual design for this era should be inclusive and multicultural yet adhere to the highest aesthetic, conceptual and technical standards.
Gatto, Porter and Selleck (1987) advised that designers needed to think about the purpose, function, interrelatedness of the different symbols and parts and the intended effect for a visual design. Craig and Barton (1987) stressed that graphic designers should embrace their heritage. These authors dispute the popular notion that graphic design is a twentieth century innovation. "Graphic design - or visual communication - began in prehistoric times and has been practiced over the centuries by artisans, printers, commercial artists, and even fine artists" (p. 9). They further define graphic design as images that represent people's attempts to express or communicate a message visually.
Prehistoric images often served a pragmatic function, such as religious, movements of the celestial bodies, migration maps or symbolic representations of historical, significant events in the form of mnemonic pictographs. Berryman (1990) explained how a variety of stylish periods contributed significantly to graphic design evolution, including the Art Noveau, Cubism and Futurism movements at the beginning of the twentieth century, surrealism in the 1920s to 1930s and Abstract expressionism, pop art, op art and the psychedelic waves from the 1940s to 1960s. Of course, the introduction of computer graphic design beginning in the late 1980s added a whole new dimension to the world of artistic expression.
Berryman (1990) introduced Gestalt visual principles that helped designers to evaluate the finished visual product: figure/ground, equilibrium, isomorphic correspondence, closure, proximity, continuation, and similarity. "Gestalt psychologists have set forth a number of visual grouping laws that describe visual perception of groups of figures. By understanding the way people see and interpret visual information, artists, architects, and designers can be more successful in bringing meaning to compositions and forms" (Wallschlaeger & Busic-Snyder, 1992, p.420).
References
Berryman, G. (1990). Notes on graphic design and visual communication. Menlo Park,
CA: Crisp Publications.
Carter, D. (ed.) (2000). The big book of design ideas. Hong Kong: Everbest.
Craig, J. & Barton, B. (1987). Thirty centuries of graphic design: An illustrated
survey. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications.
Gatto, J. A., Porter, A. W. & Selleck, J. (1987). Exploring visual design. 2nd ed.
Worcester, MA: Davis, Publications, Inc.
Landa, R., Gonnella, R. & Anderson, D. M. (2000). Creative jolt: Jump starts for solving
graphic design problems. Cincinnati, OH: North Light Books.
Poynor, R. (1998). Design without boundaries: Visual communication in transition.
London, UK: Booth-Clibborn.
Wallschlaeger, C. & Busic-Snyder, C. (1992). Basic visual concepts and principles for
artists, architects and designers. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown Publishers.
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