Connecting/Synthesizing/Transforming
This month’s course required an understanding of what constitutes an effective design solution and the ways in which its efficacy can be uncovered. For these purposes, Ken and Jennifer O’Grady’s Design Currency and A Designer’s Research Manual, along with
If a design solution is to be considered successful, it is required to satisfy a user’s basic needs (Lidwell et al., 2010). Ultimately, a design’s value corresponds to which level of the hierarchy of needs (Lidwell et al., 2010) it is able to reach, with creativity being at the top. Survey’s and questionnaires tools to uncover what user needs are being met and unmet through a design. A survey should be used to gain insight into the target audience’s opinions and beliefs, thus, providing information that should serve to appropriately direct design decisions (O’Grady & O’Grady, 2013). Further, these questionnaires and surveys can be used as a means of supporting, confirming, and understanding the overall effects of a creative solution (O’Grady & O’Grady, 2009).
While Lidwell et al. are concerned with the specific factors that determine the success level of a design solution, O’Grady & O’Grady provide us with suggestions as to how to measure these factors. While any successful design solution must meet at least the basic user needs to be considered successful, surveys and questionnaires can be crafted in a manner that reveals what level of the user needs hierarchy has been met.
This information revealed that before concerning oneself with innovation or creativity when developing solutions, one must establish the primary purpose of the project at hand and verify through audience testing that it functions in a manner that meets this goal. If one ignores this concept, they run the risk of sacrificing the overall objective of a project for aesthetic purposes.
These concepts and synthesis were applied in regard to a survey developed for BoxPark Sushi’s brand identity project. The goal of the survey was to gain feedback from the target audience in regard to the brand’s visuals, tone, and voice and whether or not it communicated the desired brand characteristics and core values. The results confirmed that BoxPark’s identity was strongly communicating its intended message. Since the survey was provided to a wide range of individuals, it was possible that all respondents may not have been from the target audience. However, demographic questions were also included to ensure that this was accounted for.
Problem Solving
The primary design problem that needed to be solved this month was conveying the results of the BoxPark Sushi brand identity survey in a manner that was both informative and visually engaging.
One potential solution to visualize this data was to use simple text to present the goals and summary of the survey, along with simple graphs and charts as a means of displaying the results (Pittenturf, 2021). However, Sheik says that using well-executed typography and graphic design in the form of an infographic serves to help make data look “more interesting” (2020) and is easier for viewers to digest than plain text and tables.
Since the goal of this survey was to uncover the success of visual communication, choosing a more visual medium to display the results was deemed appropriate. By choosing an infographic to present the outcomes, it was possible to simultaneously use BoxPark Sushi’s brand guidelines to deliver the message in a manner that was consistent with its voice, tone, and overall personality.
Innovative Thinking
The infographic developed for this month’s coursework is in line with industry standards in that is informative, efficient, and appealing (Pittenturf, 2021).
The innovative thinking portion of this project doesn’t stem from the use of an infographic itself, but from the application of BoxPark Sushi’s brand guidelines during the execution of it. Throughout the design process, multiple instances occurred in which the data could have been presented in a “fun” or “playful” manner, but these solutions had to be discarded as these are not characteristics associated with the brand’s identity.
In retrospect, the survey data could be conveyed using motion graphics to further engage the viewer. The use of traditional motion/animation techniques such as squash, stretch, anticipation, acceleration, and velocity would all allow for more dynamic storytelling and communication (Krasner, 2013).
Acquiring Competencies
1. Soft Values and Hard Values – Hard values are tangible, soft values are subjective. Communicating multiple values that can be achieved through a design serves to set a client’s mind at ease and give more credibility to the designer. (Occupational/Conceptual)
2. Surveys/Questionnaires – Early surveys/questionnaires and the willingness to make adjustments will ensure that the design decisions are communicating properly to the intended audience. Follow-up surveys/questionnaires can provide results that should be used to guide future design endeavors. (Occupational/Technical)
3. User Needs Hierarchy – Consists of 5 levels that ascend in value from functionality to reliability, usability, proficiency, and ultimately creativity. A designer should keep each category of user needs at the forefront of consideration and always attempt to reach the peak of creativity. (Occupational/Conceptual)
4. Crafting Survey Questions – A designer would be wise to spend ample time carefully crafting survey questions in a manner that will provide honest and insightful information and avoid wording them in a manner that simply elicits the desired response. In order to create the most value for the target audience, a designer should use survey and questionnaire results to determine their true values, motivations, and desires. (Occupational/Technical)
5. Effective Brand Identity – A designer should conduct research, including target audience surveys to gain insight into their response to the brand’s visual representation of its core values. A designer should also establish what kind of emotional connection the consumer currently has to the brand itself, not just the visuals, so as to understand what adjustments may need to be made to increase loyalty. (Occupational/Conceptual/Technical)
6. Improving Brand Perception – Brands should strive for consistency as an initial effort to create a positive brand perception. If there are any discrepancies between the customer’s response and the desires of the brand, immediate action should be taken to avoid any potential negative effects on brand perception. (Occupational/Conceptual)
7. Infographics – Infographics are used as a means to communicate data or copy in a visually engaging manner that commands an audience’s attention and strengthens their ability to grasp the information. (Occupational/Technical)
8. Data Visualization – Data visualization can be summed up as an attempt to transform information that exists in the form of text into an image. (Occupational/Technical)
9. Visual Information Flow – The principles of Gestalt can guide effective flow of visual information. However, the type of information being presented, the scope of the project, and the method of delivery should all be considered before settling on a layout of information. (Occupational/Conceptual/Technical)
10. Animated Infographics – There are instances in which animation/motion graphics can be used to create more appropriate and more compelling versions of static infographics. (Occupational/Technical)
11. Communicating Brand Attributes – If adequate attention isn’t paid to the essence, tangible, and intangible, a brand runs the risk of lower levels of brand loyalty. (Occupational/Conceptual)
12. Reducing Infographic Clutter – A designer should dedicate ample time to sift through the data and determine what information most relevant to the target audience to ensure that unnecessary information and visual communication don’t get included in the design solution. (Occupational/Technical)
Course Reflection
This month’s course, Measuring Design Effectiveness, has been invaluable for me as an aspiring media designer. It forced me to take a step back and truly understand the elements that confirm a successful design solution and resist the urge to place so much value on my personal opinion of the aesthetics. The research paper/case study of BoxPark’s brand identity further pushed me to honestly evaluate my solution and accept the fact that it probably hadn’t reached the highest level of the hierarchy of user needs.
The survey was an enlightening experience. Although I had expected that my visual solutions would efficiently communicate BoxPark’s characteristics to the audience, giving the respondents the “other” option with the ability to specify yielded a couple eye opening insights that would have never crossed my mind if the survey hadn’t been conducted. The information taken from this month will ensure that design decisions will be made with the hierarchy or user needs in mind at the forefront of any project. Another takeaway will be to gain feedback from the target audience in some capacity before settling on a final solution, as there could be unexpected responses to a visual choice that doesn’t support the goal of the project in any way. Ultimately, this course proved how important it is to keep the end user in consideration throughout all aspects of the design process.
References
Krasner, J. (2013). Motion graphic design (3rd ed.). Focal Press. https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/motion-graphic-design/9780240821139/
Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (2010). Universal principles of design. Rockport. https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/universal-principles-of/9781592535873/
O’Grady, J. V., & O’Grady, K. V. (2009). A designer’s research manual. Rockport. https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/a-designers-research/9781592535576/
O’Grady, J. V., & O’Grady, K. V. (2013). Design currency: Understand, define, and promote the value of your design work. New Riders. https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/design-currency-understand/9780133052862/
Pittenturf, C. (2021). What is data visualization and why is it important? CIO Review. Retrieved August 14, 2021, from https://data-visualization.cioreview.com/cxoinsight/what-is-data-visualization-and-why-is-it-important-nid-11806-cid-163.html
Sheikh, M. (2020, February 14). What is an infographic? (examples, tips and templates). Visme. Retrieved August 14, 2021, from https://visme.co/blog/what-is-an-infographic/