Online and mobile audiences are forcing graphic designers to focus on user experience and interactivity

Graphic design has become a diverse field with new media, making it an expanding field that touches more aspects of our everyday lives than just print.  

    Thanks to growing new media and technology, graphic designers now have a place in not only designing for print, but for anything from apps on your iphones to the Facebook page you log into on your lap top. With this changing and growing profession, it is important to realize that there are more skills that graphic designers need to acquire and be aware of. Interactivity is one of the main elements that one now needs to take into consideration when designing in newer media types. It has gotten to the point that now a days, it is nearly impossible to get hired as a graphic designer without some sort of experience in web design because it has become one of the most prevalent design professions and skills in the world.

Graphic design is something every person in American society is likely affected by on a daily basis.  Whether you look at a billboard on the highway, a poster on the street, or a website on your computer, it is likely you are being influenced by graphic design. It is something that can visually hold our attention or lose it within seconds. What used to be a field based in print, is now one that touches all sorts of media outlets.  In 1984 Apple Launched the Mac PC which cause a revolution in the graphic design field.  With the increasing development of the ease of use of PCs in the 80’s and 90’s, graphic designers became involved in what is called interface design.  Interface design is the design of computers, appliances, machines, mobile communication devices, software applications and websites which focus on the user’s experience and interaction.  It was not until during the 90’s and 00‘s when the internet, and smartphones began to expand tremendously, that it became commonplace for graphic designers to work their way into the new language that is designing for interface. 

Online and mobile audiences are forcing graphic design students to focus not only on learning about print design but about interactive design. 

When it comes to this changing field, it is vital for people who are interested in becoming graphic designers to take advantage of every opportunity they have to learn more about interface design. Quan Vu,  Director of Design and Publications at the Department of Resident Life at the University of Maryland says that while there "will always be a separate niche for web design and niche for print design," things are changing in terms of what students now need to be educated about before they enter the field. Vu explains his opinion about this matter when asked about the focus for the way design students will be taught in the future.  


Vu stresses that traditional print design is only one part of design now, and especially designing for mobile devices is extremely important to learn about. This skill of designing for multiple media outlets is what will give a designer an upper hand in terms of getting jobs. 

Usability and interactivity in design become ways of getting an audience engaged. 

Simple design and touchable buttons make for good interactive design

There are some unchanging aspects of design such as the basic principles of design which remain consistant no matter what the project is or what form of media it is. Alignment, proximity, effective color schemes, repetition are some of the constant things that graphic designers need to pay attention to. However when thinking of ipads, iphones, droids, or web in general there are different factors that become important in creating successful design.  Usability and interactivity are key elements of good design for interface. For example, when you think of ipads or or applications for touch screen phones, the designer must take into consideration that the user is using their fingers to interact with the device, rather than say a mouse. This means that design elements need to be user friendly with buttons and links which must be made large enough and appealing enough to be clicked on with a finger.  As these devices become even more popular, there will probably less traditional hyperlinks and more touchable buttons.  Another element of usability that is important to think of is the loading time of the page.  A designer who is creating something for the web or for a mobile device application must be educated on good principles of file sizes, page loading, optimization, etc. If these considerations are not made then the user will have to wait longer to access the content, which in turn will mean that they will likely leave the page and move on to something that they do not need to wait for.

Good graphic design for web/mobile media means that there is a smooth user experience.

There is a common misconception that in terms of interface design, graphic designers decorate things frivolously. However often this is because what designers do become invisible to users. In fact, a user is more likely to notice a bad design of an app or site than they are to notice good design. In this way, it is better when design is not noticed because that means that it is serving its function and has ease in its interactivity. This can be achieved by keeping pages short and to the point as well as considerations such as screen size, font sizes and page navigation, along with many others. This way the user will have the most optimal, smooth experience using whatever application or website they prefer. What does the average person think about design on their mobile devices and its impact on their usability?  

listen to ‘Bees opinion on the impact of graphic design on using apps/websites’ on Audioboo

New media changes the way graphic designers design and what they design.

Graphic design has become an open and diverse field with new media, making it an expanding field that touches more aspects of our everyday lives than just print.  

    Graphic design is something every person in American society is likely affected by on a daily basis.  Whether you look at a billboard on the highway, a poster on the street, or a website on your computer, it is likely you are being influenced by graphic design. It is something that can visually hold our attention or lose it within seconds. What used to be a field based in print, is now one that touches all sorts of media outlets.  Thanks to the growing new media and technology, designers now have a place in not only designing for print, but for anything from apps on your iphones to the Facebook page you log into on your lap top. With this changing and growing field, it is important to realize that there are more skills that graphic designers need to acquire and be aware of. Interactivity is one of the main elements that one now needs to take into consideration when designing in newer media types. It has gotten to the point that now a days, it is nearly impossible to get hired as a graphic designer without some sort of experience in web design because it has become one of the most prevalent design professions and skills in the world.

In 1984 Apple Launched the Mac PC which cause a revolution in the graphic design field.  With the increasing development of the ease of use of PCs in the 80’s and 90’s, graphic designers became involved in what is called interface design.  Interface design is design of computers, appliances, machines, mobile communication devices, software applications and websites which focus on the user’s experience and interaction.  Graphic design has had to respond and change with the changes that have occurred in the new digital media.  It was not until during the 90’s and 00‘s when the internet, and smartphones began to expand tremendously, that it became commonplace for graphic designers to work their way into the new language that is designing for interface. 

Graphic design affects which apps and websites you choose to use and get information from. 

Successfully designing in todays technologically savvy world means more thought through graphic design.  

Technology has changed the projects and skills that designers become involved in.  

Motion and interactivity in design become ways of getting an audience engaged. 

listen to ‘Bees opinion on the impact of graphic design on using apps/websites’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Bees opinion on what are well designed apps’ on Audioboo

Dove dares to be different in the huge world of beauty products

         

      Since 1957, Dove, which is a Unilevar branch company, has been creating an array of beauty products for women.  The well known name of Dove has a dependable reputation that was built ever since they created a beauty soap bar that was clinically proven to be milder for sensitive skin than other soaps.  The fact that this company has been around since 1957 proves that they have been doing something right in the world of beauty products.  But more importantly, the way Dove has become a master at marketing and advertising is a huge contributing factor to their success.  Through looking back at the commercials from their beginning days to more recent ads, it is evident that they have truly progressed in the way they market to their consumer and target audience of women.  

 Dove’s advertising focus in the 50’s was based upon the uniqueness of their product.  

One of Dove’s first commercials which is from 1957 features a model who is shown using the new Dove soap.  There is a narrator that is describing why Dove soap is unique because of its composition of having 1/4 cleansing cream that most leading soaps do not have.  It then shows the model using both regular soap and Dove soap and how the difference is that regular soap dries out her skin and Dove keeps it soft and moisturized.  This commercial focuses on introducing the product to the consumer by showing them why Dove is different and comparing their product to the inferior products that were out currently.  Using the phrase, “Creams while you wash”  they create a slogan which would hopefully stay in the mind of the consumer if they were to see Dove soap on the shelf at a store.  

In 2012, Dove wants sends out a positive message of celebrating every women's beauty to create a positive image for their company. 

In the start of the second ad which is from 2012, it is stated that “Dove discovered that only 4% of women globally consider themselves beautiful.”  Then it introduces an adorable 10 year old boy named Hal, who is a “real beauty campaigner.”  For the rest of the commercial, Hal travels around town and tells random women he finds that they look beautiful today.  You see these women’s days being made just from Hal’s simple compliment.  At the end of the commercial it simply shows Doves logo and says “Share it to make more women feel beautiful.”

The 1957 Ad sells the product and the 2012 ad sells an attitude associated with Dove. 

There is a definite progression in how these commercials market to their audience.  In the first ad, there is more of a focus on introducing the product of Dove soap and really selling it.  Because Dove was a new company at the time, this is what they had to do to get people to be familiar with what they produce and the quality of their product.  They used techniques such as featuring a pretty model and typical for the time, a man’s voice to sell the product. This along with the comparison to their competitor by describing the unique characteristic of their soap being that it “creams” skin makes for a pretty successful ad at the time.  While this sounds a bit odd and dated to us now, the phrase back then probably made more sense to people than saying something like “moisturize.” This commercial may seem a bit boring and safe to viewers now, but at the time it probably convinced many women that this is what they needed instead of regular soap.  When one looks at the commercial from present day, there are obvious differences between the current marketing goal and the one from 1957. 

      

Women now see Dove as the beauty company that makes products for “real” women.  

      Instead of focusing on making an appealing product, the creators of this commercial focused on selling and creating an attitude that they want to associate with the Dove products.  The current ad does not even mention what products they make.  This is because most consumers already know what Dove makes since they have been established for so many years.  Therefore, this commercial promotes an identity of celebrating the true beauty that all women have.  Along with other ads by  Dove, they use “real” women in them instead of just models.  In this way they have progressed from their 57’ ad.  Especially in this specific commercial they also appeal to people’s emotions in a way that the first commercial does not and instead is more logical.  The concept of promoting breaking down stereotypes of what beautiful means is something Dove wants the consumer to associate with their company and products.  It is a positive and unique idea that separates them from a lot of other companies in the beauty product market.  This is something that is subtly conveyed to the viewer of this commercial through its honest and heartfelt message.  Since 1957,  Dove has certainly stepped up their marketing game and become a company that not only offers reliable products, but a new way of appreciating and promoting women for who the naturally beautiful people they already are.  What consumer wouldn’t want to buy a product from a company that surrounds itself with such a positive message?

Television ratings and shares give insight on which shows and networks are hot and those which are not.

A company like Nielsen could be "watching" you as you watch television.  Nielsen ratings are measurement systems of audiences watching television.  These systems are created for determining the sizes of audiences and the composition of TV broadcasting.  Two things they measure are what are called ratings and shares. 

TV shares and ratings help us understand how many people are watching a show or network and when they are watching it.  

The main difference between a rating and a share is that a rating looks at how many people who have TVs are tuned into a specific program in the average minute.  This means that their television could be on or off.  A share on the other hand is a measure of how many people are tuned into a program or station who actually are watching TV at the time.  One of the ways ratings are measured is through a system using a meter which are small devices that are attached to TVs in certain homes.  These devices are able to transmit information nightly about the viewing habits of that home to Nielsen.  It allows them to see the exact moment a viewer changes the channel or turns their TV on.  

NBC is the place to be for primetime advertising on Mondays.  

As of 2010, there are 115.9 million households with television in the United States.  Last night the blind auditions on The Voice, got a rating of 4.5% adults from 18-49 years of age.  This number means that 4.5% of adults with televisions were tuned into the voice.  Last week this number was 2%.  Also on NBC, which is the channel the Voice airs on, there was a share rate of 10%.  So 10% of people who were watching TV at a given time were watching NBC.  These sort of statistics are highly important to not only the broadcasting companies but to the companies who are advertising on a specific network or television show.  In order to know which show they want their ads to appear on, they can access this information that Nielsen provides.  So for this week at least, the Voice would have been a decent option for advertisers to get their product across to a large number of viewers. 

People are more distracted during TV viewing, due to increasing cellphone usage in all ages.

An important side note that is affecting how one might look at these share and rating statistics is the fact that there is an increasing amount of viewers who are not only watching TV, but are also using their cellphones for engagement simultaneously.  People are using their cell phones for anything from keeping themselves engaged during commercials to seeing what other people are saying about the show online.  Whether its tweeting or texting,  this is becoming an increasing trend, especially in young viewers.  81% of cellphone owners from 18-24 years reported using their cells during a TV program in the past 30 days.  It is a trend that will likely mean that the current 52% of adults that are using cellphones during TV watching will probably increase greatly within the coming years.  Marketers now need to be aware of this fact, and possibly rethink the way they get someones attention during commercial breaks.

The movie industry has increased and improved its use of special effects since the 1920's

          Ever since the 1920s, the American film industry has grossed more money every year than that of any other country.  If you think about how many times you have been to the movies in the past year, or over your lifetime, this is probably not that surprising to read.  Even those people who are not huge movie goers, have probably have been to the theaters to see the most talked about movies.  If I asked the average college student if they have seen The Dark Knight, Bridesmaids, The Hangover, or a Harry Potter movie, the chances of someone having not seen any of those is slim.  However, the movie industry and Hollywood have changed dramatically since the 20’s to get to how it is today.  Much of the changes that have occurred have been due to the increasing progress in the technology that is used to produce films.  

         During the late 1920’s sound was just starting to be incorporated into movies.  The first film with synchronized voices was the Jazz Singer, released in 1927.  Between the late 1920’s and the early 1960’s is what is considered now to be the “golden age” of American film.   This era was filled with great classics like Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind and King Kong.  Another significant progression technologically for the industry was the introduction of color in movies.  With Eastman Kodak’s development of the monopack color, new life was given to cinema, along with other audio technology improvements, creating an overall improved movie experience for audiences.  Since then, there have been drastic advances in movie technology which have made for spell bounding clear visuals, crisp and life like sounds, and crazy special effects that movie makers in the 20’s and 30’s probably never thought would be possible.  Technology called CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) is what allows for movie makers to have anything from their imagination come to life. 

             Avatar, the highest grossing film of all time, (almost 3 billion dollars worldwide) is a prime example of the extremes that technology and especially CGI have been put to use to change the movie going experience.  Most people who have seen this movie, including myself, would agree that it is a unique movie which offers stunning visuals and affects which transport you to another world.  Even the director of Avatar James Cameron, has experienced the evolution of technology from the time he made his first Blockbuster, Terminator.  Back when he made that movie, they shot on film which they no longer do today, and for special affects  they used things called glass paintings and stop-motion animation.  This is in contrast to the now, strictly digital affects that were used to make most of Avatar.  

           While many would agree that these impressive technological capabilities we have today have done great things for the movie industry, its important to look at some possible negative effects they can have as well.  There are some movies out there that tend to focus more on effects than on the craft and art of making a good movie.  For example, although the Transformers movies offer many cool effects, there is not too much that the movie offers substance wise. This is one of the reasons why so many people who know good cinema will still say that the movies made between the 30’s and 60’s are still the best movies that have been made.  They did not have access to the technology that can often distract from the actual storyline and acting that makes quality movies. While they make for fascinating visual experiences, they can be lacking in emotional elements or depth. As long as movie makers can maintain some sort of balance between special effects and the craft of storytelling, I think some of them can be considered classics one day just as the ones from the golden age of film are. 

Digital Rights Management is Controlling How We Get Our Media

Digital Rights Management has to do with controlling piracy through Technology

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is an attempt to control what people can do with the media they have purchased with technology.  These technologies can be used by publishers, hardware manufacturers, copyright holders, etc.   It can be anything from not being able to copy a DVD that you bought onto a media player, or buying a smart phone and only being able to use certain applications or a certain service provider.  DRM is important to fight copyright infringement and to help protect people from getting viruses. In 1998 the Digital Millenium Copyright Act was passed in the United States to impose criminal penalties for those who make available certain technologies in order to get around the DRM technologies.  

Digital Rights Management has Multiple ways of Managing Copyrighted Media 

Digital Rights Management has three different ways to how it operates.  First, there is the establishment of the copyright for a piece of media.  Then there is the management of the distribution of the copyrighted content, and lastly DRM controls what a consumer is allowed to do with the media.  There are certain companies such as ContentGuard, and InterTrust which have services that enable copyright holders to enforce licenses.  Also these companies can let the copyright holders set “encryption modes” for the content or set access levels.  In addition, there are technologies that have web based permission in which when a user installs software, their computer needs permission from a license verification server in order for permission to install the program.  

Digital Rights Management Means we should all be aware of where and how we are getting our media from.  

Digital Rights Management means to me that I have to be more aware about the places I download music.  While most of the time I do buy my music, I think it is also good to know that some places which you might think seem legal, might not necessarily be.  I also think it’s helpful to be aware of the laws and circumstances that are in act if you are pirating media.  I think often people assume they will not get caught but everyone should be educated on what the circumstances are if they were to.  Learning about Digital Rights Management also gives me a better look into how media is protected through different technologies which I found to be interesting.