Cigarette Warning Labels

Last fall, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed some changes to the ways that the risks of smoking would be advertised to consumers. The Center for Disease Control issued this PSA to inform consumers about the change.


The proposed images are to be used on all cigarette packaging and are meant to convey some very serious messages. To see all proposed images, go to this FDA warning label web page, and follow the links to each different message (BE PREPARED - SOME IMAGES MAY DISTURB YOU). Here are just a couple examples.

Some of the proposed images are graphic, others could be seen as saddening or scary. It is clear that, no matter what type of image is used, they are all meant to elicit some type of intense emotional response. Some people have been shocked by the images, and others, such as in this CBS cigarette label story, feel that they are not shocking enough.

Regardless of what you think of smoking, do you think that these new images will get the message across? Will people learn from these images? What do you think the FDA is trying to achieve through these proposed warning labels, and will they have the desired effect? How well do the message words and visuals work together?

Creating a Visual Resume

When creating a visual resume, being able to think visually is of vital importance. What do we mean by thinking visually? Visual thinking is defined as thinking in images or pictures. It is the process of using your imagination to translate verbal information into mental images.

While this isn't a difficult task for those with artistic training, it may pose a challenge for those of you who are used to thinking in words. Believe it or not, there are actually exercises you can do to improve your ability to think in pictures! Check out the Visual Thinking Art blog for ideas on how to improve your visual thinking skills.

Visual Metaphor: http://olliesaward.blogspot.com

As you work on your visual resume and begin to translate your professional and educational experience into images, consider ways to use visual metaphors to describe your experience. Some metaphors that have been used in visual resumes are the time line, the subway or bus station, a road map, or a movie. Some creative individuals have used presentations or slide shows to showcase their professional history. Remember, you don't necessarily have to have outstanding art making skills. You just need to know the elements of good design, page layout, and how to design with type. If you don't have the ability or time to create images yourself, consider using images from Flickr Creative Commons.

This blog describes the process a designer went through to create the pictograms for the 2012 Olympics. You will be going through a similar process this semester as you create your visual resume, logos, instructional posters, picture books, etc.

Malcolm Grear Designers specializes in the creation of graphic images for identity, information, branding, marketing, and education. Consider the two images below and the one for the Olympics at the top of the post (by Malcolm Grear). What verbal message is being communicated in each image. Are these effective graphic images? How could they be improved?

 

Welcome to our blog!

Our highly visual society uses many kinds of technologies to create images for advertising, communicating, and learning. Sometimes these images are effective and achieve their purpose, and other times they are not effective and create confusion on the part of the viewer. In this blog, we will be concerned with how to analyze, use, create, and evaluate effective instructional images. Please feel free to use images and links to examples in this blog. Since we are learning how to create effective images, it will be helpful to see examples!