C.R.A.P

This week in BDC192 we learned about CRAP, an acronym to the rules of design.

C- contrast
R- repetition
A- alignment
P- proximity

This is a helpful way to remember the important components to have in design. Using these rules, it will help me to make an excellent poster for our first assignment. I went online to find many different pictures that incorporate the design rules. Here is what I found!

                                                                                                                                                           

Contrast

Contrast is when two elements on the page are different and help make the picture stand out. Contrast is used well in this iPod advertisement because of how the colors work together. The green background helps make the silhouette stand out. And the silhouette helps make the white iPod stand out. This picture focuses the viewers’ attention on the most important part of the picture, which is the iPod

Repetition

Repetition is to repeat a design throughout the page. This Andy Warhol style picture repeats Marilyn Monroe’s face but with different colors in each section. This is useful because it is attention grabbing. It allows the viewer to see the different moods of Marilyn Monroe through the colors. It also has contrast because of how the colors help the main subject stand out.

This is a picture of alignment. Alignment is when everything on the page is visually connected. It is important not confuse the viewer and have the elements in the picture all over the place. It’s important to have a balance between positive and negative space. This picture is a perfect example of using positive space. The text is aligned from top to bottom and the viewer isn’t lost reading it.  It is easy to follow because the writing stays consistently in the middle.  The picture is also aligned because it has the characters on the right and left side.

Proximity

Proximity is having elements related to each other close together. In this picture there are headings and then subheadings underneath. This makes it more visually appealing because it is organized.  By organizing it in subheadings the reader can access the information easily.  

C.R.A.P is a valuable design principle to follow and a way to know if what you are making is visually appealing to the viewer.

Google Never Forgets

       In our second digital media lecture, we discussed our digital footprint. A digital footprint is the tracing we leave online when we visit websites, log in and out of our emails accounts, and leave comments and chat messages on sites such as Facebook. Online personal information that we think is private or shared with only people whom we choose is really public. Even information that friends post online about you contributes to your digital footprint and identity.  Our digital footprint is also permanent. Once information about us goes online, it is there forever.

       Our digital footprint can be traced by strangers, who may judge you based on your online profile. Picture this. You go for a job interview, and you feel as if you made an excellent impression on the employer. You leave the interview feeling secure that you will be offered the job. That night you go to a party with your friends and get wasted. Someone takes a picture of your wild night, posts it on Facebook, and tags you in the picture. Later that week you receive an email from the prospective employer saying that you did not get the job. The employer searched your name online and found many pictures of you passed out drunk and concluded you would not be a desirable employee. This is one example of a negative footprint that can ruin an individual’s future opportunities.

       Fortunately, my digital footprint is positive. When I googled myself, I only found some of my profile pictures from Facebook.  I also went on the website called spezify.com and searched my name. I saw a few of my tweets about my favorite television shows, but nothing that I wrote was inappropriate. Based on my digital footprint alone, people would know that I am a teenage girl who loves listening to pop music, watching television, and spending time with friends.

      

       Because I do not have a common name, it is easy for people to find information about me on the internet. For this reason, I make sure that I only post information and pictures on Facebook that show my interests and are appropriate. I am very aware that people might have access to my account, which is why I am careful about what I post. I have made all my settings on Facebook private. After this lecture, I have considered changing my twitter setting to private because the whole word doesn’t need to see my tweets. I will also be more conscious as to what I post online.

       In my opinion, it is important to have a balance between what you share online and what you keep to yourself. I do believe that, if you are careful about what you post online, there are a lot of advantages to having an online identity. It is connects people who have similar interests. It allows others to learn more about our personality. It also allows us to share opinions on current events and issues. You shouldn’t post anything online that you might regret later, such as pictures of you being drunk or or comments that are rude or hurtful to other people. You don’t want to post information that would risk your safety or the safety of others. For example, you should not post personal identifying information such as your phone number or address.  As long as you have a balance, then having an online identity can be a good thing.

Just remember, Google never forgets, so be careful what you post online! 

Las Vegas

Made a postcard in my digital media lab!

What is Digital Media?

Before attending my first digital media lecture, my idea of digital media was simply communicating a message through technology, such as phones, computers and iPods.  At the beginning of the lecture, I learned that my impression was correct but that there was a lot more to it than I thought. Digital media is more than just communicating a message through technology. It is also about the impact that technology has on us. The media world is constantly changing, and it affects how we access information and share it with others.  For example, the television show “LOST”, which we discussed in class, used transmedia storytelling to give the audience interactive online experiences with the show. Viewers were able to feel as though they were a part of  “LOST” and thus formed a stronger connection to the show  and its characters.

It is important for RTA students to take a course on digital media because we will have careers in fields where we will not only use but create new forms of digital media.  It is important for us to be current about new forms of technology and ways to share it.  It is important to for us to understand how to create these different ways of communication through the use of Photoshop and After Effects.   

I believe Marshall McLuhan was right when he said “the medium is the message”. Technology has changed and shaped the way we think, act and communicate with others. Through technology we can feel connected to people who live across the world. In the past, if we wanted to get in contact with someone who lived in France it would take weeks to send a letter through the mail. Now we are able to use social networking sites such as Facebook which takes seconds to connect with someone anywhere in the world.