FINAL PROJECT!!!

Design Rationale
   After reading the assignment we started brainstorming effective ways to tell a lot of information to someone without writing a paper. Since we could not do a mind map we ruled that out right away. While we were brainstorming we were thinking that we focused on some ideas and concept much more than other throughout the semester. We knew cognitive load, visual thinking, gestalt, and some other things were highly focused on during the class. Things like propaganda, hue and other concepts are still important, but were lesser focused on. After realizing that some things were focused on more than others, but the others are still important enough not to be left out we decided that a tag cloud would be a perfect way to represent this. A tag cloud is usually found on websites and is used as a “hit” counter. Every time a word is searched for or clicked on it appears larger in the tag cloud. We took this concept and decided that the things that were most important and focused on in the class would be the biggest, while the rest of the information were all different sizes, ranked on how much they were focused on. We thought this was a successful way to portray what was learned in this class to someone who hasn’t taken it because they will automatically get attracted to the larger words (like cognitive load and visual thinking) and then work their way around to the smaller words. The process they go through while looking at our tag cloud is like a summary of what we have learned the entire semester.
   While creating our design we had to think about who the viewer or audience of the visual was going to be.  We also had to figure out what the viewer would need to know.  We decided to try a few different things before we came to our final conclusion.  In our first iteration we had a white background with all of the words spread out, the most important ones being the largest font size.  This looked confusing even to us, so there was no way that the audience was going to understand what was going on.  Next, we decided that we would add color into the design and group similar words together by using the same color for words that fell under the same topic.  This helped to visualize our idea a little better, but we seemed to have too many colors and we wanted to decrease the cognitive load.  In order to decrease the cognitive load we turned to the four-color problem.  Although we have studied a lot more than four topics this semester, allowing ourselves only four colors enforced us to show the relationships the topics had with each other.  When the viewer looks at our graphic they will be able to tell which topics are the most important and how they are related to each other.
   In our design, we incorporated the Gestalt Principles of visual perception.  The fundamental principles we used in our visual are Similarity and Figure and Ground.  It has Similarity, features that look similar, such as color and font size.  We grouped the categories of the material by making the important terms, like Cognitive Load, a large font size, while the subcategories of concepts are a smaller font size. We used Figure and Ground which means that the contrast of similar elements and dissimilar elements creates the impression of a whole.  We mixed in all of the key concepts, placing the ones of contrasting color side by side to create an illusion that this visual is the material we learned in class as an entirety; in a way, it’s all connected to visual communication.  Visual perception principles we did not include in our design are Proximity, Continuity, Closure, and Symmetry.  We did not place concepts of the same category in close distance, because we already distinguished the related terms by color.  We did not incorporate good Closure in our visual, or make a definite end to the whole, to give the impression that the material we put on our visual is not the only material that you learn in Visual Communication; it’s just the important things we focused on.  We did not use good Continuity, we switched the positioning of the words (side way, upside down) because the viewer could try to make a connection to two different elements if there was smooth continuity.

Personal Paragrph:

This project was an interesting way of having a final. When doing the project it made us go back throughout the semester and bring back what we have learned since day one. I was shocked on how many things I have learned, and did not need to go back through my notes, or presentations to find again. There were definitely a few things that we forgot and had to look up, but for the most part we were able to come up with what we have learned fairly easily. I like the idea of doing a project like this much better than actually taking a sit down final. A final is just memorizing information and writing it on a sheet of paper. Projects like this actually let us apply what we have learned in the act of showing you what we have learned.

Extra Credit #2

When I first looked at this graphic i thought it did a pretty good job explaining a story. McDonalds is the power house of fast food and the size of the logo helps you realize that without even looking at the numbers. After further examining this graph i realized that there was a picture of Afghanistan. Although it might be good to compare how much McDonalds is really making, it just does not fit in with the rest of the graph. Everything else on the graph s in the food business so it is just to much information, increasing the cognitive load when the GDP of Afghanistan is thrown in.
If I were to make this graph better i would completely get rid of  the GDP of Afghanistan and maybe add something like Dunkin Donuts. since Starbuks is on the list i think it would be appropriate to add a very successful chain like Dunkin Donuts instead of the completely random GDP of Afghanistan.

Extra Credit #1

I am going to call this graphic a bad one. I think the idea of it is good but the style of chart they chose to display the data is not. This chart is showing the proportion of respondents who attribute "very great prestige" to the above professions. I have never really seen a graph like this but it is almost like the exploded pie graph, stacked on top of each other. I think it would have been better as a full pie graph, or a bar or column graph. It is difficult for the eye to compare the sizes of these 3d images. It is effective that the percentages are listed on the left, because you almost need them to be there to compare the data. i would like to see this compared to a normal pie graph and see how much more effective, and how it would reduce the cognitive load.

Multivariate Display

The hardest part of this assignment was to figure out what I was going to use for my display. Since I am into football and the Patriots destroyed the Jets last night i decided to do something about football. I remember during the game an announcer bringing up something about red zone converstion percentages. The Patriots are number 3 in the league in scoring when they make it to the red zone. Since this had to be a multivariate display I decided to compare the AFC east conference red zone statistics. What makes this multivariate is that I compared 4 different teams, and within the 4 teams i compared their stats within the last 3 weeks, the last week, 2010, 2009, playing at home and away. I think this tells a pretty good story. Out of the 4 teams in the AFC East it is clear that the Patriots convert the most red zone chances, and are therefore the best team in the AFC East (and in the NFL). Multivariate display allow you to condense several varibales that can be shown in several graphs, into one multivariate graph.

Storyboard

Scott McCloud's transitions: My first storyboard is a clear example of moment-to-moment transitions. They show actions but not complete actions. It shows the moment-to-moment actions of a soccer ball being kicked, then the wall reacting to the ball, then the ball going in the net. It is three different moments that tells the same story that a slide containing many more action-to-action clips can tell.

The second story board uses more of a scene-to-scene transition for each panel. The first scene is the man watching the news, the second is the sand storm and the third are the people caught in the sand storm.

It is interesting how when we have to use two of the pictures instead of one, it changes what type of transition we use. For me, when I only needed to use one picture, I was drawn to make an action to action story. When I had to pick two I used more of a scene to scene type of story. It is much harder to have a moment to moment or action to action type story when you have to relate to random pictures.

The storyboard project was a challenging but also fun project. The hardest part of this project was to come up with a story that had to do with the given pictures. For the first story, where I had to use one of the pictures, i chose the four kids in a soccer wall. Since I played soccer for much of my life I knew the situation these kids were in. I knew there was some sort of free kick, that is why the built the wall to try and block the ball. When looking at soccer pictures online i found one of a person kicking the ball and one of the ball going in the net. Right away i decided that although the kids mad a good wall, the kicker still managed to get the ball in the net.

The second part of this project was even more difficult. Choosing two pictures and making a story made it much more difficult to link them. After looking at them for a while i decided that the man with his hands up to his face had a sort of sad, and worried look to him. After realizing that I saw the four men in masks in the middle what i took top be a dust storm. I decided to relate them by having the worried man be watching the news, of a dusty storm hitting a spot where his best friend was.

This project was difficult but was a good exercise. It helped me link images which i was unfamiliar with, and build stories around them. This is in a way like some of the things Scott McCloud was talking about when he came to visit RWU. He said that it is common for an author to write a story, and give it to an artist that can then make a story based only on the pictures. This was similar to our project except we started with pictures and had to make a story.

Table and Charts

  Being a science major i have a lot of experience with excel. In almost every science class i have to use excel very often to create tables and graphs representing scientific and experimental data. During this project i chose to do the percentage of accepted RWU students according to GPA. Before I even began to experiment with different chart types I had a feeling the best way to represent the data would be though a pie chart. Although each of these charts represent the same data it is obvious that the last pie chart is the most successful. The only difference between the first pie chart and the last one is I decided to put in the percentage of students right into the chart. This helps because you are able to visualize the actual area each percent takes up and you can also see the statistical data to get a visual and statistical representation.
  After doing this experiment I learned that although every chart represents the same data, there are some that represent the data better than others. For example in my chart i experimented with three different types of charts: a bar chart, a donut chart and a pie chart. I posted them in order of success. The bar chart represents the data but it is not easy to compare the area of each part. The donut is better than the pie chart but the whole in the middle also makes it hard to compare data. The pie chart is most successful because each art is touching and you can actually visualize one are being different size than the other.

Flow Chart

 When doing a flow chart you have to plan ahead what all the steps are. For example in my flow chart about how to buy a book on amazon, i first went ahead and went through the whole process like I was actually buying a book on the site. Once I knew all the steps i began to create my flowchart. I tried to keep the chart as need and organized as possible so it was not hard for the mind to flow through. I decided to color code some of the symbols. Starting and end points are blue, descisions are green and processes are pink. I realized, and found it very useful, that i could re-use some of the steps in the flow chart. When a descision came out to be a "no", I would have two different branches. At one point the two branches can meet up again, for example when the descision of wanting the book new or used. Two different branches joined up in this one branch.
  Flow charting is a good way for a person to follow steps and learn how to do something. It is an easy step by step process that can be usedto epxplain many things. I think it is a very useful tool and should be used more often in explaining things like recipies and how to set something up. If a graphic were also involved with a flow chart it could make things like setting up a entertainment system much less of a headache.

Explanation Graphic

    In my explanation graphic I decided to use the life cycle of a butterfly. Being a science major I knew that a lot of life cycle graphics can be very confusing. When I typed in life cycle to google images this is one of the first pictures that I saw and right away I realized how confusing and unorganized it looked. 

    In my first iteration i started off with the beginning of the life cycle on the top (the egg stage) and moved in a downwards pattern from their. When i got to the bottom and realized that the last step connects back to the first step i realized i could make a better layout. Since it is a cycle and there is not necessarily a first and last stage. It is an on-going process. This made me think of the idea of an actual cycle image (left image above). This came out well and became my final draft.

   I think my image is more successful than the original because it is much more simple, and gives the audience the idea of a cycle before they even get into reading the text. I learned that a lot of aspects go into making visual graphics. The gestalt principle, cognitive load and working memory all come into account when trying to make a successful image. I used the gestalt principle when grouping together arrows with text and images for each step. I reduced the cognitive load and working memory of the audience by removing informational text that was not important in understanding the main idea. I removed some of the words describing color of the butterfly and replaced them with actual color images. This allows the audience to automatically know the colors and looks of each stage of the cycle without having to read anything.

  In conclusion this assignment allowed me to realize that simple is sometimes better, as long as the main point still get across.

How to Make a Pasta Dinner

  When doing this assignment i had to first take into account the steps that went into making a pasta dinner. I am not the greatest cook, nor the best artist so this was not the easiest thing for me to do. I started off with the ingredients and utensils needed  on the top left. I then went ahead and got into the steps of making the pasta. I started off with boiling the water, then added the pasta once it was boiling. After that I drew the pasta going through the strainer then pouring it back into the pot. I then drew the pot back on the stove to add sauce and heat the sauce up on the stove mixed in the pasta. The last step is pouring it onto the plate and enjoying.
  Do do this without any words was just as difficult as the lawn care assignment, and maybe more difficult. Their are a few steps that go into making a pasta dinner. I tried to draw it in as few steps as possible to reduce the cognitive load. I wanted to get it done in fewer steps that i ended up doing but I could not find a way to do this.
   While doing this project, and the lawn care project I learned that i had to keep things as simple as possible while still giving directions that are accurate and easy to follow. I also learned that this is not always easy to accomplish. Instead of just drawing each step out, you have to thing ahead and see if any steps can be added together in one drawing. I had the idea of doing an explanation all in one step/drawing. I got the idea after I saw how simple one of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich explanations was. It was very simple and easy to follow, and still got the directions done. I could not end up doing a pasta dinner in one step but i got as close as i could do.

Turf Seeding Directions

  

      I tried to keep directions as simple as possible. I broke it up into a grid. The left side is hot and above 90 degrees while the right side is below 90 degrees. The top is dry while the bottom is wet. This assignment made me realize that symbols for things are not always easy to think of. I had to keep in mind that the audience may not be able to read our language so i had to make images and symbols universal for everyone to understand. I am hoping that by making one side yellow and sunny people will know that it is hot, while the other side being less sunny and dark, people will realize it is cold. Also the rain on the bottom will allow people to know that the turf will be wet. I tried to use symbols that someone would be able to understand no matter what language they speak or what part of the world they are from.
     I found one part of this assignment pretty difficult. Since i knew i had to make it for an audience that did not necessarily speak English I began to think how they would be able to understand A-1 or B-2-2. These were the final steps for deciding which lawn care to use, but it is in English and i could not find a way around using them. I finally just hoped that whoever was reading the directions would see these things as symbols and would be able to recognize them.
    When trying to reduce the cognitive load for this assignment i originally tried to do one large picture of a grass field. From their I split up different parts of the field into the different areas, like having pests or not. This got way to confusing and hard to comprehend so i decided to go with this grid like direction panel. I think it is much more successful than my other strategy would have been.

Collage

Cold, action, orange, things that got my interest, action, water/ocean, no dead spots.

    After reading all the comments from fellow classmates I noticed that a lot of things they posted were on the list I had made. I did not chose a lot of bright colors just because they stand out, but instead i chose things that i was interested in like sports and the ocean. I found this interesting because with such a short time allowed to big out ads I would think that I would just pick things that stood out, like brighter colors. Without even realizing it I was searching for things that were interesting to me in life. That is one of the only patterns I notice when looking at my collage. What i also noticed is that one of the only bright/warm colors on the collage is centered in a position that is almost in a title position. It is like everyone who looks at the collage might start there because it draws attention, and then work their way out.

  After doing this collage I learned some ways to make a successful ad. I got to see what kind of things grabbed my attention, along with other classmates attention. The things that are on the collage's are advertisements that did a good job and get people attention.

Second Map: Geography Map

Geography Map
For my second map assignent I cose to do a geography map. You threw out the idea in class that you could do a map of the Bristol Fourth of July parade route. Being from Bristol, I thought this was a good idea. Knowing most of the streets in downtown bristol i decided to not only give the parade route but streets around it so people can see where to walk or drive on during the parade. I also thought it was a beneficial to locate some great places to eat in Bristol (my opinion). On my map i tried to keep in mind the four color problem. I used as few colors as possible, To show the roads the parade route is on i used blue and red.
When doing thin mind map i used Google earth to help me visualize downtown Bristol. I focused on most of the major roads but left out many smaller roads.

Mind Map

Mind Map #1.
for my first mind map i decided to explore possible options for when i graduate. I am a senior and it scares me to know, that i have no clue what I want to do when I graduate. All my options on the mind map focus around water and the ocean. One personal goal I set for myself is to be on or around the water. I love the ocean and the sun so working on it would make my career enjoyable. In the center of my mind map I chose the word work, because no matter what i decide i will have to be makeing some sort of income. When doing my mind map I found that i had plenty of options for what I want to do once the whole school thing is over. One big option for me was doing research. Being a Marine Biology major one of the best careers after graduating is doing some sort of research. Since I am intersted in many marine fields I thought that research was a good idea. another big possibilty for me was to take a year or two off and head to the British Virgin Islands. There are many opportunities for my down there, not for a full career, but for some work in the mean time. Having my scuba diving liscence and boating captains liscence i would find some sort of job down there. Cleaning boat bottoms or helping dive charters are both options. I also had some local career ideas so i can stay closer to family and home. I am still up in the air for what I am going to chose but Mind Mapping has certaintly helped and get me more focused on thinking.

Mind Map #2
For my second mind map i chose to explore the BVI's option from my first mind map. I was thinking that ounce I find a real career I will be doing it for the rest of my life. I am 21 and am not ready for that. I thought a year or two enjoying myself in tropical weather while still makeing some income was a very good option. In the middle of the mind map i wrote the word BVI and started from there. Time off, stress free, beautiful weather, sailing and everything i love were all coming to my mind.  Making this mind map had me really leaning towards moving down to the islands when i graduated. The time off would be a great break after 20 years of school. I also want to make some money while I am staying there so i was thinking of some job opportunities while living there. I could use my scuba license for something down there. Whether it be cleaning boat bottoms, running charters, are even fishing for lobster I know it would come and handy and be an option for me. Also having a captains license would allow me to be a mate on a vessel, or bigger sailboat. This would be great because I love sailing and would be getting paid for it. The BVI was a fun mind map to construct and led my mind to some great opportunity.

Conclusion: Mind mapping is not just an exercise I did because I had to for class. It really got me thinking about what I want to do after graduating college. The time is getting nearer and i am still up in the air. Mind mapping really intersted me and got my mind wonerding. Even though i did not decide 100% i now have some new ideas.