QR Codes and Visual Literacy

QR Codes and Multimedia Principle

This week I decided to discuss how QR codes are having an impact on the world of visual literacy.  Since I discovered QR codes I have been completely fascinated by the possibilities of these simple squares.  It seems they are ever changing and have the ability to provide more information in a simple step then we ever imagined.

QR codes are being placed on just about everything in today’s society.  These codes provide a plethora of information with just a simple click.  QR codes not only provide easy access to information, but are also quickly becoming part of the “green” initiative, eliminating the need for paper copies of certain materials (i.e. website listings, contact information, instruction manuals, etc.).

I, myself, am a very visual/hands-on learner, but even the images and text of simple directions can be difficult to comprehend.  To me it is more beneficial to see an example in real life as opposed to reading directions and seeing a black and white representation.

IKEA furniture is well known for the challenges that come with assembling their furniture.  In an attempt to ease the difficulties of this process a company called Howcast has designed a how-to video that plays when a QR code is scanned.

Check out this video from Mashable.com and see what you think.

http://mashable.com/2010/08/09/howcast-ikea/

Scan this code or go to the website directly to find more how-to videos.

www.howcast.com

The movies that are created on the Howcast website are perfect examples of the multimedia learning principle. “According to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (see figure above), meaningful learning occurs when learners engage in appropriate verbal and visuospatial thinking.”[1]  Just think off all the possible benefits that would ensue if QR codes can be placed on products with “some assembly required”.  The audio and visual narration would prove to be more helpful than current models (that is, watching a movie on how to assemble something step-by-step is much more beneficial than reading directions and trying to figure them out with the picture).      

Would a QR code on a product like this allow you to comprehend directions better?  Should companies invest time and money into creating videos and QR codes for their products?   

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[1]

Mayer, R. (2002). Cognitive theory and the design of multimedia instruction: an example of the two-way street between cognition and instruction. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 89(89), 61.

Free Autodesk Maya

 I didn't realize this, but now Autodesk offers their software FREE to students!  Very cool.  I opened a file I previously created and tweaked it using the free Maya software.  The rough model is at the top, and the smooth version of that model is the bottom one.

Catherine, Caitlin and Justin poster review

These are two of our working draft posters for Freshmen Parking. Feedback welcome! (They are smaller file sizes for purposes of uploading to blog)

Effective Poster and Brochure Design

Since we're going to begin working on our posters tonight, heres some relevant information to consider when designing something for print!


June Spring Multimedia Corp provides seven points for consideration when designing an effective poster:

1. Get attention: (using graphics )
2. Keep it simple: (limit text, and keep color scheme and graphic elements consistent)
3. Use great fonts: (Raleigh gave us a resource for some examples of these)
4. Think, "information consumption:"(Start the poster with the  most important piece of information)
5. Use colors carefuly: (Understand color theory, and if you don't, learn it; like what we did with the palette picker)
6. Think symmetry: (Keep the graphics and text on the poster balanced, use space wisely)
7. Break the rules: (Know these guidelines so you can know when to break them!)


Chapter five in our textbook "mini art school" expands on these concepts and includes further ones for consideration. Each of these are relevant when creating a poster or brochure, and should be considered in relation to one another throughout the design process.

Chapter 15 in our textbook, "fit to print" provides other information related to the preparation of document, attention to file size and type, and more, when preparing a poster or brochure for professional print. While some of us may only be concerned with the design of our media products for this course, it is important to remember who we are giving these deliverables to. Should our clients want to print what we create, they will (most likely) have no way to edit the file size/type, create bleeds for print, or understand what type of paper should be used to achieve the intended look of the poster or brochure. Part of our responsibility as designers is to consider the end goal as well, creating files that can easily be transferred, and made ready for print, should our client decide to use them.

Our local FedEx offers the following sizes for poster print: 18"x 24", 24" x 36", 35" x 48"; these are good examples of file sizes to begin working with for poster printing because you want to start with a large file size, rather than a small graphic that would need to be blown up.

Also, print bleeds are another important factor that should influence design, this means enough border must be left for cutting to size after print. If you have your graphics or text situated to close to the edges, it could be cut off when you go to print.

The link below will take you to TheNextWeb.com, and an article about 25 modern and beautiful poster designs. Take a look at these posters and respond about your opinion of their appropriateness for conveying their messages. Pay attention to use of letters, overlay, negative space, etc. Do you consider these designs modern? What makes them modern?


http://thenextweb.com/dd/2012/08/10/25-beautiful-modern-poster-designs-inspiration/













 

Weber, H. (2012). 25 beautiful and modern poster designs for your inspiration . Retrieved from http://thenextweb.com/dd/2012/08/10/25-beautiful-modern-poster-designs-inspiration/

June Springs Multimedia Corp. (2012). Guidelines to design a great effective poster. Retrieved from http://www.junespringmultimedia.com/blog/2012/09/04/guidelines-to-design-a-great-effective-poster/

Revised Logo

Logo for Peer Review

My client for this project is my aunt and uncle's company-which they took over from my grandpa a couple years ago, and the company is called Merit Marketing. It is sort of hard to describe the company itself but they work a lot with different ships in the military- for example, the USS Truman can order a bunch of ice cream, chips, and even embroidered shirts from them and Merit Marketing gets those items from bigger factories (say Edy's ice cream, etc.) and supplies that ship with whatever they order. Anyways, right now their "logo" is basically white lettering that says "Merit Marketing" on a dark navy blue background. I wanted to try and use just letters perhaps and here are some ideas I have come up with. They are pretty simple. but my aunt said they do not want anything too elaborate. My questions for you guys are, 1. Which one looks better (in terms of design features, etc.), 2. Are any/all TOO simple, 3. Should I try and go more elaborate, and 4. Do they remind you of any other design for another company you have seen? I tried to make them different from other companies. I welcome any and all criticisms so have at it! Thank you :)