Information Design - Exercises
Brendan Fedya / 0376283
Information Design / Bachelor of Design
(Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Exercises
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Lectures
II. Tasks
III. Feedbacks
IV. Reflections
I. LECTURES
➼ Lecture 1: Motion Graphics
➼ Lecture 2: Vector Animation
➼ Lecture 3: Vector Animation
➼ FLIP 1: Types of Infographics
➼ FLIP 2: L.A.T.C.H
➼ FLIP 3: Miller's Law
➼ FLIP 4: Manuel Lima's Nine Directives Manifesto
II. TASKS
➼ 5% Quantifying
Figure 2.1: Quantifying process.
Looks pretty neat overall—as long as it is chunked accordingly, it won't confuse the viewers.
➼ 5% L.A.T.C.H Infographic
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Figure 2.3: Time aspect of L.A.T.C.H. |
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| Figure 2.4: Location aspect of L.A.T.C.H. |
Looks pretty neat overall—as long as it is chunked accordingly, it won't confuse the viewers.
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| Figure 2.1: MUJI redesign - homepage screengrab. |
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| Figure 2.2: Sale banner design. |
Contrast isn't just about bold colors; it's about difference. If the rest of the app has products and text, a massive block of empty space immediately draws the eye. Instead of slapping a heavy color multiply-effect over a busy store photograph, place the sale announcement over a completely clean, neutral background. By stripping away all the surrounding clutter, the user's eye has absolutely nowhere else to go but your message.
2. Typographic Scale and Weight
You can make a banner feel incredibly urgent and prominent purely through typography. A stark, oversized, heavily weighted "40% OFF" in black or dark gray against an off-white background is highly contrasting and impossible to miss. It retains the functional goal of grabbing attention but feels incredibly modern and sophisticated.
3. Strict Silhouette and Line
Art
If you want to use graphic elements to frame the sale—like a tag or a badge—keep them brutally simple. Avoid any 3D effects, gradients, or shading. Rely on strict line art and pure, monochromatic silhouettes. A crisp, black-and-white graphic draws the eye through its sharp geometry rather than overwhelming the user with a wash of aggressive color.
4. High-Contrast Photography,
Not High-Contrast Overlays
If you must use a photo for the hero banner, use a single hero product shot beautifully against a minimalist backdrop. If the photo itself is clean and high-contrast, you don't need to add an artificial red layer on top of it to make the white text readable. The text will naturally pop if the photography is art-directed correctly.
Back to the question:
●
Did the AI catch something your teacher missed?
I believe it did, my
teacher did not question my choice of creating a visually heavy hero banner to
create contrast and emphasis. One thing he did mention in the AI feedback is
that contrast and emphasis does not necessarily come from a heavy strike of
colors, even unusual empty spaces could draw the viewers attention.
My teacher also mentioned that my design has already followed MUJI’s brand identity very well. But AI feedback recommends some improvements to make it better, thinner iconography, strict lineart, and sharp geometries could enhance it futher.
●
Do you agree with the AI’s critique now that you are looking
at your work months later?
As for this, I felt that I needed to try it out myself, and conduct user research again. It is true that the hero banner caused slight discomfort when navigating the app after, but I felt the tradeoff is much more worth it compared to the disadvantages. A way to work this around could be utilizing negative spaces as a point of emphasis, which will not sacrifice discomfort for the viewers. As for brand identity, it is true that it could be improved even further, iconography just felt off because I used icon templates rather than creating the design myself.
➼ Class Exercise: Flutterflow
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| Figure 2.3: Sale banner design. |
III. FEEDBACKS
- Monetization could be purely from sales.
- Icons could still be bigger.
IV. REFLECTIONS
With this, we have concluded our studies in this module. It was a long run, and to be honest, I struggled nearing the end. I feel that the closer we got to the later weeks, the more difficult the tasks became, especially as there were more assignments from other modules.
On top of that, Sir Sylvain provided a lot of reflections, and he consistently related what he taught to real industry practices. He applied the principles he taught to his own work as well. Through this, I was able to find relevance in what we were doing, and I felt motivated to complete the assignments even though there were many tasks to manage. One thing that really stayed with me is the importance of having good behaviour when working, as what we do in class reflects who we will be in the industry later on. With a good attitude, people are more likely to be willing to train you, even if you are less proficient on the technical side.
My only regret in this module is that I lacked proper time management skills, which caused me to fall behind in my project progress and prevented me from seeking feedback on time. I hope that in the upcoming modules, I can significantly improve my time management, as this is a bad habit that I should not continue, and it will affect everything I do in the future if left unresolved.
Overall, this module brought me many new insights that I was previously unaware of regarding the design industry, and I am truly grateful for that. I hope that in the future, I can apply these lessons more consistently, grow both professionally and personally, and perform better in managing my responsibilities across modules.
Final words, I would like to sincerely thank Sir Sylvain for his patience and guidance throughout these 14 weeks. This module challenged me and pushed me to reflect on my own habits, mindset, and growth as a student, and I hope your reminders about attitude and professionalism will stay with me when I'm going to do more demanding projects later on in the future. Thank you for believing in us and pushing us to do better!
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