Nick

If you are expecting to find my thoughts on outer space, I apologize. This post is actually in reference to space, positive/negative and format, and how it is used within art and photography.

Before we began this week, I always tended to pay more attention to focus and position [higher vs. lower], and had never actually heard of the terms positive space and negative space. Now; however, I would like to think that I will be paying more attention to how positive and negative space play a role within a site or graphic.

Well, the obvious challenge with ‘new media’ is that there is such a huge array of screen resolution sizes. Less obvious things to consider are users’ Internet connections and different graphic cards.

In the past I have not considered negative space; however, as stated before, I do intend to use it in the future. Again, same for illusionary space; although, I had experimented some with drop shadows. And yes, I absolutely intend on using both in the future.

No, I do not know any artists, off hand, that are ‘masters’ of space. I do have to admit, though, that I am not much into art nor photography. However, I do have ambitions to begin looking a little more in depth into photography [both others and taking photos].

Nick

2. Positive space usually refers to the elements of a design that are understood to have implied volume, such as an object.

3. Negative space can be anything in a design that can be filled with objects that are in the background or that are less important than the main objects.

6. An object that is appears closer would normally be lower on the canvas.

7. Objects in the distance would appear darker when compared with objects in that are supposed to appear closer.

8. Yes, objects that are closer would appear to have a sharper focus than objects that appear further.

Nick

1. The information phase, the interaction phase and the presentation phase.

2. Defining the needs of the target audience makes the design process easier, and helps achieve the purpose of the project. This information will affect everything from the information presented to what the site will look like.

3. Does the specific content help achieve the goal? Can this information be presented in a way that is easily understood by the intended viewer?

4. ‘Make it easy’ – viewers/users should not be ‘working’ at trying to navigate a site. Keep the navigation controls the same [and in the same place] from page to page.

5. The entrance and exit are important because the (1) set the tone for how the site will be viewed and (2) set the final impression the user has on the site.

6. A layout is a way to consistently render information [from page to page] that allows for easy navigation and viewing of the site, that uses the right balance of functionality and ‘pizzaz’.

7. A prototype is the last step of the design process, and is a working example of the entire project.

Nick

Armed with with only his eyes [no camera, nor money to scan], I set off to find out which magazines were worthy of my attention. I will be breaking this post up into three paragraphs, with each one answering the following questions:

• Why are you drawn to this magazine?
• What are your thoughts on the use of the cover space?
  • The typography?
  • The photographs?
  • The color used?
  • The subject matter?
  • The overall design?
• Do you think this cover enhances the likelihood of an impulse sale at the newsstand?
• Do you think it is appealing beyond the expected reader demographic?

You may notice, if you look closely, that I merely found images of the magazines that grabbed my attention. Please excuse my frugalness.

The Wall Street Journal

What, this is not a magazine? No matter, it still got my attention. I was drawn to this particular newspaper because if its lack of photograph. Not only that, but any images that did appear, were merely hand sketched. The cover [page] was interested because it appeared as though it was trying to get as much text on the page as humanly possible. The typography was indeed easy to read, though. The color was typical of a regular newspaper; however, they did use shading to help distinguish between articles [or blocks of text]. The subject probably played the biggest motivator for me [especially on this one, and definitely for all of them], because I am very interested in Business and Wall Street. I believe that the cover only enhances the likelihood of an impulse buy if the reader is looking for a lot of content … on the same page. I do not believe that the paper is appealing to anyone beyond its audience [or demographic]. I would rate the overall design a 3 out of 5, because it does not do a good job appealing to people outside of their ‘demographic’.

BusinessWeek

BusinessWeek garnered my attention because of their use of a photograph of a well-known [and successful] person. The big title of the magazine also grabbed my attention. The typography was very pleasant on the eyes, which always make a read more enjoyable. The magazine did a great job of mixing the right about of news with accompanying photographs. The colors were very well done as well. They used bold colors where they were most effective, and lighter colors in the sections where one focuses on the words. The subject matter, again, is what drew me to it. I love to read about successful business people and the tips that they give. I also just plain-old love hearing a good success story [as I hope to one day be very, very [, very, very, very] successful. I think the magazine might appeal to impulse buyers; however, they could do a better job of my next ‘pet-peeve’. The magazine does a decent job of appealing to people outside of their demographic. They definitely over-emphasize the ‘main’ story; however, they do mention a few of the other ‘bigger’ articles. Overall, I would rate this magazine a 4 out of 5, because it is a good read, but the cover could use some tweaks.

Forbes

Ultimately, I was drawn to Forbes because I knew was beneath the cover. On this trip I had a sort of ‘tunnel vision’ that made it hard to be a non-bias judge of the other magazines. My inner most interests clouded my head, and I found my attention meandered over to the ‘familiar territory’.

I think this magazine did a great job of using its ‘cover real-estate’. They have a great dimension to their text [both size and boldness] and they also introduce many articles that one will find inside. The typography, as previously mentioned, was handled very well. The photographs [which, on my example magazine does a superb job of doing] could help grab ones attention. By introducing familiar faces, a feel that it is naturally human tendency to try to figure out who they are. The colors were great. They used a perfect balance, which helped to emphasize [<em> :p] the important information. The subject matter [almost all of which is business-related] was presented just as one would expect. I, personally, feel that Forbes does a good job of trying to entice all walks of life. Although they are typically referred to as a Business magazine, they do try to entice readers by presenting interesting photographs and article titles. I think this magazine does appeal to beyond their demographic because of previously stated reason. And, because of those reasons, I will rate it a 5 out of 5.

Nick