This was week one of UXD 104 and we started with mostly a reminder and a starting introduction into the module. We began talking about the module rubrics such along with what the module entails for marks, along with what Is most important to gather marks such as attendances, research and projects.
Following this, we then dived straight into talking about project 1 which was to design and create a music app, using applications such as Figma and Adobe Illustrator, I was also instructed not to used Adobe Photoshop. The tutor listed through everything that will be included and expected of Project 1 whilst showing a few of past examples. When going through these examples a lot of them caught my eye, I found them really interesting as to the quality and produced, from there I was already thinking of ideas of what I could make my app look like or feature.
We then followed on the importance of Imagery within design, how it communicates and how they can be used. I learned a lot during this stage as never really grasped the actual importants of images and illustrations within design. I understood most were made to tell a story but I only learned today that putting two different images beside one another can make me think of a completely new story.
We then moved on to looking at diagrammatic imagery, although I was always under the impression most of which were just made to inform a person, in which case they are, but they could also be used to communicate in a different way to keep the view interested.
This sort of reminded me of how diagrammatic imagery is used today like a plane tracking website which may not be iconicity designed but still counts under the diagrammatic imagery in my opinion.
Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24
Upon thinking back on the examples shown in class of diagrammatic imagery, I put some research into looking at more examples and came across an artist (in my opinion) by the name of Alexander Gerner who published a book titled ‘Diagrammatic Thinking’. In the book it features a lot of his work in producing different types of diagrams in hundreds of different styles, information different types of areas around the world and his life.
One of his more ‘eye-catching’ bodies of work featured a diagram displaying the artists face and layered each area as ‘Occupied territory’. This piece was titled ‘Druksland map’.
This Map Charts the Complex Landscape of an Artist's Face
A lot more information I learned about this artist was found on the website ‘Atlas of Transformation’.
Diagrammatic Thinking | Alexander Gerner
Towards the end of glass I was given the task to ‘Practice’ developing user interface icons provided by the lecture, to help me begin refining my skills for when it came time to developing my prototype music app.