ACQUIRING COMPETENCIES
Font Families
A font family is a set of fonts that have something in common with their design. The fonts do however differ in some qualities, such as italics, boldness, and lightness. One usually wants to work within two to three type families max when working on a design. Because of the surplus of font families and considering that some font families could have up to fifty different fonts in them, a designer can still choose multiple fonts for a design from only one font family.
Expressive Typography
Expressive typography merges the use of type with visual communication. All types have the potential to be expressive. Often when a person thinks of expressive typography, the picture that comes to mind is of fun fonts that use shapes or objects to create letters. No fonts are excluded when it comes to expressive typography.
Differentiation
Differentiation is a marketing strategy to tell the difference between a company and its competition. Where one product may shine through the product design, another similar product may win out due to pricing. Just as well, distributing and packaging play a significant role in differentiation. Designers play a significant role in those last two elements, with some arguing that trust is more important than usability when it comes to design.
Art Vs. Design
Although art and design share some of the same fundamental visual principles, they are two entirely different processes. Art is a free-form design created by the artist to evoke feelings or emotions, whereas design is a research-driven process created for someone else for a specific reason. It can be argued that design is art and art is design; however, it is a very fine line and I believe, the word design must first be defined.
Design Decision
A design decision is an informed choice based on research and criteria given to the designer. This research may include, but not be limited to, demographic and psychographic reports, as well as other design projects. When it comes to criteria, these are usually given to a designer by the client and can range from using specific colors to a trademark shape or logo, and personas to create a design.
Selective Attention
Selective attention describes how a person focuses on certain elements around them more than others. For example, a person is more likely to tune into a conversation happening right next to them than one going on across the room. Selective attention is what allows people to multitask, concentrating on a few specific tasks at a time and filtering out the rest. There are both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to selective attention. Selective attention allows an individual to prioritize, improve concentration, and challenge the mind. On the other hand, an individual may be so focused on a single element that they miss the surrounding ones that are equally important.
Rhythm
Rhythm is the tempo, speed, or pace at which something occurs. The rhythm of something can define its emotion or mood. Rhythmic editing calls for the editor to rely heavily on instinct. If an editor keeps a shot too long, it could cause the pace to become boring, losing the audience’s attention. However, having a shot that is too short can cause confusion.
Pacing
Pacing describes the flow of a project. When editing, the pacing is performed to lengthen or shorten a shot, directing an audience’s response to a scene. Pacing can also be fostered by what camera angle is used, or the soundtrack playing in the background. Much like rhythm, editors must rely on instinct when it comes to successful pacing. The editor must know how to tell a story, place pauses where needed to create anticipation or tension, and add shots when necessary to build the action. Pacing should create patterns when done correctly and should help guide the audience through the story.
Three Categories of Sound
There are three categories of sound, which include human voice, sound effects, and music. Human voice is composed of character dialog or narration and can also include singing, or any sound heard on or off-screen. Sound effects are used to help set the scene and could be as simple as a knock on a door, or waves and seagulls in the background of a beach scene. Music enriches the scene and allows for interpretation by the audience.
Motion Graphics
Motion graphics is the movement or animation of graphic design elements, mostly text, and shapes. Also referred to as motion design, it is used to communicate and tell stories where the narration is absent. One of the disadvantages of motion graphics is that they can be a bit impersonal. While they relay vital information, motion graphics are short and to the point, often missing that personal quality some may look for. However, motion graphics can also be a great way for a company to boost branding, as they are memorable.
Difference Between Animation and Motion Graphics
While motion graphics are essentially a type of animation, they are usually associated with moving text and abstract graphics. Animation, however, focuses more on bringing characters to life and encompasses everything from anime to cartoons to Claymation. Motion graphics often convey information, while animation tells a story. One drawback is that it can be hard to differentiate between motion graphics and animation, especially since motion graphics is itself a form of animation. When trying to decide if something is a motion graphic or animation, keep in mind what the content of the piece is. Is it informative, or cinematic and entertaining? Also, as stated previously, a motion graphic is usually going to be much shorter than an animation. When in doubt, usually, if a video sets texts of shapes into motion, it is likely a motion graphic, whereas if the video shows a human character exhibiting emotion, it would be considered animation.
Three Languages of Motion Graphics
There are three languages of motion graphics: graphic design, the language of film, and language of animation. The graphic design consists of visual communication and elements. What text or typography was used, and the colors and imagery? The language of the film entails what shots or camera angles are used, and the editing of these elements. Lastly, the language of the film considers camera angles and edits, while also making its own rules. Each of the three languages of motion graphics builds and depends upon the other, while also being its own part. As the drive for technology has increased in the world, the press for motion graphics has only increased with it.
Defining Client Needs
Defining client needs is the most important part of the design process. It is a process in which multiple questions are asked to discover what the client wants created. The questions will range from the purpose of the design to color schemes, and even history and research about the business and client themselves. Sometimes a client may already have an idea in mind. Is it key to hear their ideas, but also lead them away from things that have not worked in the past. Therefore, it is also crucial to do research on the company or client that is doing the hiring.
Benefits vs. Features
To have successful copy writing, it is important to know the benefits and features of a product. The benefits of a product are what the product offers, it sells the product. In many cases, the benefits will make the user feel a certain way. The features are what a customer gets out of the product – the end result.
Personas
A persona is a personality that a designer makes that speaks for what a target audience wants out of a product. Made of personality traits, attitudes, and values, it enables the audience to connect with a company. The persona helps a designer to stay unbiased, focusing on the audience’s needs and wants instead of the designers own.
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Writing for Radio
Writing radio copy is similar to writing copy for an ad in that the designer must use a strong voice to get the message across. Since writing for radio does not include any graphics or pictures, the music, and sounds used are important. The ad may list benefits and features, or it may have a moment that is relatable to help the ad be memorable.
Brand Trust
Brand trust is the amount of confidence consumers have in a brand and its product. Brand trust shows loyalty to its customers, usually through advertising. Brand trust can make or break a brand depending on the brand’s authenticity. It can take years to rebuild a brand after that trust has been broken.
Taglines
Taglines, or slogans, are short, memorable, and catchy phrases that encompass what the brand is about. Taglines do not replace the headline but instead act on their own. For a tagline to be meaningful, the tagline needs to contain information about the brand. The tagline should motivate consumers to want to purchase a product. The tagline should also not be easily forgotten so consumers remember it after seeing or hearing an advertisement.
Public Service Announcement
A public service announcement is a free advertisement that non-profit organizations use on public broadcasting stations and social media to spread brand content. Told in the form of a story or testimonial, they are utilized as calls to action for a target audience. Public Service Announcements are a vital part of advertising for non-profit and larger companies alike, as more major brands are reviving the use of them. Powerful PSAs are targeted with a specific message to a particular audience. If the message comes across as weak, it becomes irrelevant, and the brand suffers.
Onlyness Statement
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For a brand to be successful in its market category, it needs to stand out among its competitors. One way to do this is to create an Onlyness Statement. The pupose of an onlyness statement is to briefly describe the brand as unique as possible to differentiate from competitors. When writing an onlyness statement, one should include the brand's features and benefits, define the brand's purpose, and identify the target audience. By accurately defining each component of the onlyness statement, a brand can be easily made unique and called apart from its competitors.