#doc design

[docdesign]

I saw this on Twitter and had to save it. It's a flyer made by (and found at) The Alan Turig Institute about what to do when you feel like someone is using the "wrong" bathroom. There's a list of what not to do to folks (stare at them, challenge them, insult them, purposefully make them feel uncomfortable) and a list of what to please do instead (respect their privacy, respect their identity, carry on with your day, protect them from harm). I love it because it's a surprisingly humane bathroom sign, and it's well designed (look at that alignment!).

Dr. Allison

[docdesign]

A map of a galaxy found in the popular video game series Borderlands. It features handwritten notes from Typhon DeLeon, as well as many references to events and locations within the lore. It highlights Typhon DeLeon's search for an extinct race of alien's home planet, Promethea.

[docdesign]

There are so many visual resources for determining the credibility of sources & making good decisions about what kinds of information to share. What I appreciate about this infographic from NewseumED is that it doesn’t look like it was designed for children—although both the content & design seem accessible enough to work for a wide range of purposes & audiences.

I like flowcharts because they’re interactive & immediately understandable thanks to the use of simple questions, a basic yes/no system, and then a final answer. In this case, the “answers” are emoji that indicate whether the information is worth sharing. The use of green, yellow, and red to indicate facial expressions (smiling, neutral, frowning) also makes sense as U.S. culture associates those colors with specific actions (green=go).

The chunking of information, use of simple shapes (circles and squares), light gray background, sans serif fonts, repetition of colors to associate different content in the flowchart with content in the right column, & alignment all work together to make this document easy to use. Sometimes infographics are structured into different sections, which can result in a fragmented design. The vertical line of square enclosures on the right side of the page extend all the way down the page, connecting the different elements of this infographic. The repetition of colors, fonts, and shapes also helps with this.

[img description: Infographic from NewseumED titled “Is This Story Share-Worthy?” includes an introduction to the purpose of the chart (“[N]ot every story is worth your text, tweet or share. This chart can help you find the good stuff and get rid of the garbage”), followed by a flow chart that leads the viewer through the following questions: Is it real? Is it well-made? Is it news or opinion? Is it supported by facts? Is it biased? Is the bias open or sneaky? Does it entertain and/or raise awareness? Depending on whether the answers are yes or no, you are led to a green smiley face (tagged as “definitely share-worthy,” a yellow neutral face (“maybe share-worthy,” and a red frown face (“probably not share-worthy”). On the right side of the page are seven boxes that correspond with the questions in the flowchart and adopt the color of each question for ease of use. Each square enclosure includes a brief description with a few prompting questions and advice, e.g., “Is it real?” is followed by, “Does the EVIDENCE hold up? Is the SOURCE legitimate? Run a search for the source name and key facts, people or images from the story to weed out the fakes.”] 

[pedasosdeunsueno]

google docs decorating is so fun because I can just make goofy shit that just makes sense.

what do you MEAN i can put silly pngs of dogs and it fits the character so well.

[docdesign]

This is an advertisement reminding everyone that seat belts are meant to keep us safe. By showing the uneasy image of a human skeleton split in half, the audience is immediately reminded of their mortality and fragility. What I like most about this ad is the simple design. There are only two colors present: black and white. The image of the seat belt in the center of the ad is also a great way to draw attention to the ad's purpose. The audience can look at this advertisement and know what it's for without having to look at the text at the bottom explaining it. The image explains it all.

[docdesign]

Post 5 Submission

This is a collage poem I found by a poet named Josephine Corcoran. This collage reminds me of the DIY element of the physical zines we created for our final project. In this poem, Josephine depicts the slanted nature of politics by cutting out the words and placing them diagonally. This choice in design and alignment, along with the personal objects belonging to the poet and the natural elements like the flowers, creates a dynamic world that works together to create meaning from elements that would mean less on their own. I also love the visual element where the words are cut out on pointed pieces of paper, showing that the truth cuts like a dagger. Everything is placed with a reason, and it's clear to see that the subject, Trump, is the subject of the poem because he is the largest underlying image in the poem.

[docdesign]

This is a special edition of H.P. Lovecraft’s collected work. The cover of the display box features an ambiguous mass of tentacles that references the Eldritch horror Lovecraft created and wrote about. The contrasting colors between the text and background draw the eye towards the center before they slowly pull out to trace the paths of the inky black tentacles. It’s a design that pays homage to the contents of the book itself.

[docdesign]

Here is an example of a festival line-up poster from 2022. It provides location, websites, as well as every band that'll be playing and the day the play on. This allows concert goers to decide if they need a ticket for the whole festival or just a particular day. It also features heavy usage of center alignment alongside the application of various fonts for band logos.