Fundamentals of Graphic Design

Accessibility

• Focuses on designing products and websites usable by everyone, including those with disabilities.
• Similar to providing ramps next to stairs, offering alternative paths to achieve a goal.

Alignment

• Arranging elements (text, images) on a page in a way they visually line up.
• Improved alignment creates a professional, organized look.

Balance

• Distributing design elements evenly (or unevenly) to achieve visual harmony.
• A seesaw analogy illustrates the concept of equilibrium.

Color Theory

• The study of how color affects perception and its uses in design.
• Involves color wheels, warm/cool colors, and creating pleasing color combinations.

Contrast

• Using differences to highlight elements.
• High contrast (black on white) and low contrast (similar shades) are both valid design options.

Hierarchy

• Arranging elements by importance to guide the user's eye.
• A clear example is a newspaper headline emphasized more than other text.

Human-Centered Design (HCD)

• Design process emphasizing the impact of design on all users.
• Considers the wider influence of a design, not just immediate users.

Information Architecture (IA)

• Organizing content on websites or apps for easy navigation and understanding.
• Example: How libraries structure sections and shelves aids finding information.

Interaction Design

• Designing how users interact with a product.
• Includes actions like clicking buttons or swiping on mobile devices.

Journey Map

• Visual illustration of a user's experience interacting with a product.
• Shows user steps, emotions, and pain points.

Negative Space

• Empty areas around design elements.
• Properly used negative space gives a design room to breathe and adds visual appeal.

Proportion

• The relationship between element sizes in a design.
• A contrasting size aspect between a large image and a small caption below is an illustration.

Prototype

• A basic model of a design idea.
• Can range from simple sketches to functioning software models, allowing cheap and quick testing.

Repetition

• Using repeating patterns or elements for consistency and unity.

Typography

• The art of selecting and arranging fonts for style and readability.

User Experience (UX)

• How a person feels during product use.
• UX considers emotions, ease of use, efficiency, and overall impression.

User Flow

• The path a user takes to complete a task on a website or app.
• Simulates actions like purchasing online items through steps.

User Persona

• Fictional representation of a typical product user.
• Helps designers anticipate user needs and behaviors.

User Research

• Understanding users' needs, behaviors, and challenges.

Usability Testing

• Observing real users interact with a design.
• To find usability issues and improve ease of use.

Wireframe

• A basic outline of a website or app's layout.
• Similar to a house blueprint, outlining structure before building.

Tools

• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign): Professional graphic design tools.
• Canva: User-friendly online design platform with templates.
• Color Wheel: Visual tool for understanding color combinations.
• Figma: Software for design, prototyping, and collaboration.
• Font Libraries: Resources for different fonts.
• Fluent 2: Microsoft's design system.
• Optimal Workshop: Suite for user research.
• Miro: Virtual whiteboard for collaboration.
• PowerPoint: Presentation software.
• Pen and Paper: Basic sketching for quick ideas.
• Sketch: Design software comparable to Figma.
• Whimsical: Online tool for wireframes and diagrams.

Models and Methodologies

• Agile UX: Adapting Agile to UX design with short cycles, feedback, and collaboration.
• Design Sprint: Time-boxed process (a week) for quickly tackling a design problem.
• Design Thinking: Human-centered problem-solving, comprising empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test phases.
• Heuristic Evaluation: Reviewing a design against usability principles.
• Lean UX: Quick cycles for building, measuring, and learning in UX design.
• Participatory Design: Including users as co-designers.
• Surveys: Questionnaires for gathering user insights.
• Tree Testing: Evaluating website or app information structure.
• User-Centered Design (UCD): Prioritizing user needs, behaviors, and goals in the design process.

This quiz covers essential concepts in graphic design including accessibility, alignment, balance, color theory, contrast, and hierarchy. Each topic explores how design principles can enhance usability and visual appeal. Test your understanding of these foundational elements!