March 2001 — Features
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Creating Digital Graphics
The ever-increasing use of personal computers and the proliferation of Internet-based information delivery continue to shape the industrial and educational worlds in which we live. Because of this, we are finding that we are living in an increasingly descriptive graphic world, with a greater need than ever for effective graphic communication.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to work with Federal Data Corporation while participating in the Florida Sift Program (Summer Industrial Fellowship for Teachers). Federal Data, a subcontractor of Space Gateway Support, was hired to update the NASA Web site at Kennedy Space Center. Many of the pages that I was assigned to update included sections with suggestions from Web-surfers around the world as to how NASA could improve its site. Overwhelmingly, the favorite suggestion was to improve the quality and quantity of pictures and graphics.
Accordingly, much of my summer was spent creating new graphic images for each of the past Shuttle flights. As I worked to compose the graphics for the Shuttle Mission Archives, I began to discover many principles for creating digital images, which can be applied across the spectrum of graphics composition. It was with this in mind that I began to formulate ideas for teaching a unit on digital graphics design.
Rationale for Lesson:
- The continued explosion of Web-based delivery produces an ever-increasing demand for digital graphics.
- The desire for visual appeal is constantly growing.
- Continually increasing computer power begs to be utilized.
- Image composers on PCs allow anyone to generate graphics, but an understanding of good design d'es not necessarily follow.
Outcomes - The student will be able to:
1. Learn how to select images properly, based on quality and content.
2. Learn aspects of color and light: hue, saturation, contrast and brightness, as well as how to filter and enhance images for these aspects.
3. Learn how to crop images properly, in order to capture only the needed content.
4. Understand and use opacity to eliminate hard lines and blend the graphic properly.
5. Understand and use layering to achieve a three-dimensional look.
6. Understand and use the rule of thirds to achieve a balanced composition.
Choosing Graphics
The proper selection of graphics demonstrates the long-standing debate of form versus function. Function refers to the graphic's ability to communicate the intended message. Form deals with the graphic's visual appeal. Good graphics selection involves striking a balance between form and function.
As seen in the examples above, one photo d'es a very accurate job of portraying the astronauts (function), while the other photo is definitely more appealing (form). Which one would you select to use in a graphic?
Color and Light
Color and light can be used to bring out certain aspects of the photo that can blend easily with other photos to create harmony. Graphic composers and photo editors can be used to enhance or artificially create this desired effect. Images with the same color but different shades may be chosen or enhanced to form a composition. Likewise, images with complementary or contrasting colors may be selected or enhanced to go together. To the right are a few examples of imagery that has been enhanced:
