Principles of design in interactive media

In this article we will look and outline the basic principles of graphic design, interactive design, and navigational design and how it applies to technology and why it is important that a designer understands these principles. We will consider how applications and websites are designed around the intended audience and the various devices that interactive media is applied.

Graphic Design and its processes are a fundamental step to working in interactive design and the elements given to an interactive product for it to be successful in the target market. Graphic design is a process of combining text to graphics in an effective style for communicating a message to an intended audience in a number of ways, for example the design of posters, newsletters, brochures, graphics, signs, logos and much more. Graphic Designers use element such as Lines, shapes, mass, textures and colour as building blocks of design either with pencil and paper or desktop publishing.  A Designer may have their own ideas on the principles of design but the most common are contrast, white space, proximity, balance, alignment and repetition or consistency.

These Graphic principles and processes merge tightly with interactive design. Using visual design defines the look and style of an interface, expressing branding and a consistent visual language, framework and functional design from which information is communicated easily throughout the application. Extending this is Design Style, Design style is the guidelines the Designer sets them self as a description of all aspects of the design. However much of above wouldn’t work effectively for the user without Navigation Design. Navigational Design is the processes of helping the User find the desired Information quickly though providing multiple navigational paths to all pages or screens making sure the users know where they are at all times through providing consistent context.

But Interactive media designers also follow some other rules important to the development of the product and the interaction of the intended audience for example

• Setting the objectives,
• Understanding the audience,
• Understanding the alternatives,
• Design to produce the total user experience,
• Evaluate the designs and navigation
• continual user observation

This is often used in a methodology that helps the designers identify key areas of development of the product: Design, Strategy and Technology equalling Innovation and the maximized total user experience making the product a greater success.

When using technology in interactive media it is important to research into the capability and protocols between two devices. The application will need to fit into certain requirements, for it to be compatible with the chosen software and hardware. For example an iPhone Application needs to be written/developed in Objective C (a programming language) for it to work with Apples operating system IOs requirements. This is similar in most processes of developing applications, websites or software there are rules the developer needs to follow.  Like an old clock all the cogs have to fit together for the hands to turn, the code has to be compatible for the interface to work. One way to do this is to use an Authoring tool.

Authoring tool is a program that helps designers to create or write interactive applications. Like the Microsoft- Visual Studio allows you to develop and create Objective C application through a WYSIWYG interface (both graphics and code are displayed). Authoring tools usually enable you to create a final application by just linking together objects, such as text, images, video or sound.

So it is clear to see there are many elements a Designer comes across in interactive media and how basic principles of graphic design, interactive design, and navigational design applies to technology and how  important  a designer understands these principles used, and how they are designed around the intended audience and the various devices that interactive media is applied.