ED TECH 506
Chip Flemmer	Unit 4 Visual Activity
I selected problem one “Improve the figure/ground composition in the information below. Don't hesitate to change the words or verbal composition if needed.”		This looked like an interesting activity because all of the information was in the form of a blank slate and I needed to figure (no pun intended) out a way to get the message across for everyone to understand clearly and concisely. It looked like a fun challenge and I wanted to give it a shot. I have learned in this class that in the past I have overdone too many designs. My new motto is that “Less is more.” I really like the diamond design in which you design and then you reduce. I decided to take the following information and design it in a simple, yet informative manner that gets the point across without the point getting lost in a sea of weeds. Facts about tobacco Use Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society. Read below to find out more "tobacco facts." The earlier people start smoking, the harder it is to quit when they are older. People who start smoking in their teenage years run the risk of becoming lifelong smokers. One-third to one-half of young people who try cigarettes go on to be daily smokers. It takes an average of five attempts for an adult to successfully quit smoking.
This is my first version of my visual solution.	The way that I started the process was by emailing the above message to myself and I would then make one or two changes and email it back to myself again. I know this may sound like a strange way to begin this assignment, but with every email I sent to myself I found that the image was beginning to take shape. I then spoke with one of my colleagues who was a former college football coach and had him take a look at the design I its embryonic stage. He had to look at http://www.thetruth.com/ because they have some great advertisements about smoking, etc. The website was really cool, but I don’t think it helped much in the overall design. Below is my first draft (after several emails)…
Describe your usability test (show your "tester" your solution, observe their reaction, ask them what they like most about the image and least about the image - or - ask them what they think you should keep and what they think you should change)	I sent my partner my unit four rough draft.  I let her know that I chose the assignment where you come up with a new way to improve the figure/ground in an anti-tobacco ad. Her response to me was… Hey Chip!  First, center the text in your bottom-left panel ("One-third to one-half...") so it matches the others.  Did you just leave that on purpose so I'd have something to write about here?  My only real concern is that after reading it, I would pick out "Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society" as the most important fact.  However, in your image it sort of blends into the background.  It can't compete with the red text in boxes below it, even though those seem like supplements to the main message.  I like the simplicity of your image, but I wonder if it is attention-grabbing enough? Good work! I really appreciate the advice that my partner provides. I feel that it is highly valuable and it generally opens my eyes to something that truly improves the design.
Insert the second version of your visual solution here
Justification Describe how you applied information from Chapter 5	Chapter five is full of great information and in particular I like looking at the original and revised images throughout. The images dealing with Time Management (revised image) on page 104 were what I was aiming for. I wanted to use a concentrated approach by making some of the key words red to stand out from the rest. I also wanted this image to be concise and not have the message end-up being diluted by a bunch of excess baggage. The no smoking signs were my way of summarizing the information. After reading all the facts I would hope that people would see that it is dangerous to smoke and please don’t do it.
Describe how you applied information from Chapter 11	Chapter 11’s focus for me was the choice of colors and how they play a role in mood and meaning as well as how they can enhance a project. The information on p. 270 was useful in that it stated that the use of red meant power, passion, and zeal. I wanted this image to be bold because it is very important information. I originally tried to use complimentary colors from the chart on page 271 through red and blue, but I felt that in this case the blue didn’t do much for the design and I wanted to limit the colors I used to red, black, and white. Speaking of white, the white was used for space which was explained on page 263. Chapter 11 was very beneficial in this design.
Describe how you applied information the Resources section	Page 303, the section about alignment was used in my table of information about smoking. I wanted to have all my information vertically and horizontally centered within each box.
Describe what you learned from usability testing.	I learned a new technique for editing a design and it was to continually email the information to yourself and make some changes and send it again only to repeat the process. I was really impress how with each new email the design continually improved and began taking shape. I learned a lot about the use of colors and how certain colors can create mood as well as enhance or withdraw information that you are trying to present. Contrast was another concept that was reinforced in this unit for me. Finally, I learned that I really enjoy creating designs and have become very conscientious about what I am doing and why am I making certain choices with my design.
Self Assessment	Visual – 3/3 Usability Testing – 3/3 Justification – 4/4