Reading Response 3


Reading Response #3 to Artful Design

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Author: Neha Rajagopalan
Date: October 16th, 2023
Course: CS 476A
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Chapter 3: Visual Design

Chapter 3 felt like an ode to the "Big Bang" where the universe expanded from a tiny state of high density and temperature. Similary, visual designs starts from a void, formless and without essence. They finally take form, in the most beautiful but impactful ways, analagous to how the world, despite being formed after the big bang, has developed with life, communities, policies and much more. Designs are both complex but simple, living but non-living, scientific but artful. Converge, a photo album program mentioned in the chapter was one of the best examples that resonated with my feeling of design being analogous to the formation of the universe. In class, we discussed about Converge's "depressing" nature since it is a reminder of the passage of time. As one who is cognizant of the need for positive effects in society through designs, my mind wondered about the possibility of creating new collages with the picture particles floating around. Maybe something that could predict the future or a mesmerizing new reality.

I would like to reflect upon Principle 3.4: Imbue personality.

Principle 3.4: Imbue personality.

This principle, I believe, is the most important one to make any piece of technology enjoyable for humans or any living being. When the visual design has personality, it becomes life-like which makes it equivalent to interacting with another living being. This is what adds to the living but non-living aspect mentioned earlier. The first question that came to mind was "Why do dogs emote to the scene where Simba cries beside dead Mufasa in the Lion King movie?", which is exactly answered by this principle. The animations are life-like where Simba, a fictional character, becomes a friend due to personality imbued in him by the designers. It could be the colors, shades and direction of lighting, the accurate drawings of the lion cub, portrayal of Simba's emotions in the design or even just the smooth transitions from image to image that bring Simba to life. Hence, there is meaning to every tiny step in visual design that imbues a personality into it. This principle also beautifully ties into our previous discussion on how the reeds of Aaru would sway to the wind, and following the laws of physics that tempts us to reach out for them in the game.

As seen in today's class, it was extremely enlightening to anlayse how different paintings meant different things to most of us simply by varying minute details such as the color of the sky reflecting the time of day, the softness or harshness of the moon light or sunlight that could determine the feeling associated with the painting (eerieness or hopefulness) and the focus of subject. The first painting with a man's back turned to the audience standing at the tip of a mountain looking at a range can be titled "Adventures of the man" instead of "The man". Giving personality to realize sublimity can make or break the purpose of the design and has to be be observed carefully during the design process.