Understanding Visual Media and Information

Lesson Objectives

• At the end of the lesson, learners will be able to identify different types of visual content.
• Learners will be able to describe the purposes of visual media and information.
• Learners will be able to analyze the design principles and elements used in a given visual media.

Lesson Topics

• Visual information and visual media will be discussed.
• Common visual media types will be shown.
• Visual design elements.
• Visual design principles.

Visual Information

• Visual information is an artistic or creative representation or interpretation of an idea, concept, or emotion using different media.

Visual Media

• Visual media includes symbols, pictures, icons, signs and other elements that communicate with one's sense of sight.

Examples of Visual Media

• Photography.
• Video.
• Screenshots.
• Infographics.
• Data Visualization.
• Comic Strips or Cartoons .
• Memes.
• Visual/ Sketch Noting.

Common Visual Media File Types

• JPEG (also known as JPG) is an image file type ending in .jpg
• The Joint Photographic Experts Group created the standard.
• JPEG files feature images that have been compressed to store a lot of information in a small-size file.
• GIF is a file type ending in .gif
• GIFs use a Graphic Interchange Format.
• This format compresses images but, as different from JPEG, the compression is lossless (no detail is lost in the compression, but the file can't be made as small as a JPEG).
• GIFs also have an extremely limited color range suitable for the web but not for printing.
• PNG is a file type ending in .png
• Using a Portable Network Graphics.
• It was created as an open format to replace GIF, because the patent for GIF was owned by one company and nobody else wanted to pay licensing fees.
• PNG format also enables for a full range of color and better compression.
• It's used almost exclusively for web images, never for print images.

Visual Design Elements

• The building blocks or basic units in the construction of visual image.

Line

• A line connects two points and is the simplest element of design.
• Lines can be geometric and uniform.
• Lines can be organic and nonuniform.

Shape

• Shapes are self-contained areas, usually formed by lines.
• Shapes can be geometric.
• Shapes can be organic.

Value

• Value is the degree of light and dark in a design.

Texture

• Texture is the surface quality of an object.

Color

• Color is an element of light.

Color Theory

• This contains a quick reference sheet for CMYK subtractive colors.
• Additive RGB created with light method.
• Color meanings include Royalty Power Nobility, Wealth and Ambition.
• Examples of analogous colors.
• Complementary Colors.
• Triadic Colors.

Color Wheel

• Color wheel has the colors red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet, violet, and red-violet

Primary Colors

• The primary colors on the color wheel are red, yellow and blue.

Secondary Colors

• The secondary colors are orange, violet and green.
• They can be made from mixing two primary colors

Tertiary Colors

• The tertiary colors completes the color wheel to 12 basic colors.
• The 6 tertiary colors are created by mixing one primary color with an equal part adjacent, secondary color.

Tints, Tones and Shades

• Colors on the color wheel can also be described by tints, tones and shades depending on if you blend them with white, gray or black

Tints

• A tint is a hue blended with white.
• The combination results, which can vary.

Tones

• A color TONE is a hue blended with gray.
• The combination results, which can vary.

Shades

• A color SHADE is a that is hue blended with black.
• The combination results, which can vary.

Black and White

• Black is the complete absence of colors.
• White is the presence of all colors simultaneously.

Form

• Form is a figure having a volume or thickness.

Visual Design Principles

Consistency

• Consistency of margins, typeface, typestyle, and colors is necessary, especially in slide presentations or documents that are more than one page.

Center of Interest

• The center of interest attracts attention in a composition.
• It's important when compared to other objects or elements.
• This can be done by contrast of values, more colors, and placement in the format.

Balance

• Balance is a feeling of visual equality in shape, form, value, color, etc.
• Balance can be symmetrical and evenly balanced, or asymmetrical and un-evenly balanced.
• Objects, values, colors, textures, shapes, forms, etc. can be used in creating balance in a composition.

Symmetrical Balance

Asymmetrical Balance

Harmony

• Harmony brings together a composition with similar units.
• For example if you wanted your composition using wavy lines and organic shapes, you would stay with those types of lines and not put in just one geometric shape.

Contrast

• Contrast offers some change in value creating a visual discord in a composition.
• Contrast shows the difference between shapes and can be used as a background to bring objects out and forward in a design.
• It can also be used to create an area of emphasis.

Rhythm

• Rhythm is a movement in which some elements recur regularly.
• Like a dance, it will have a flow of objects that seem to be like the beat of music.

Perspective

• Perspective is created through the arrangement of objects in two-dimensional space to look like they appear in real life.
• Perspective is a learned meaning of the relationship between different objects seen in space.

Explore visual information and media, including symbols, pictures, and icons, used to communicate ideas and emotions. Learn about photography, video, infographics, and other visual formats. Analyze design principles and elements in visual media.