Images Photographs Illustrations Symbols and Logos Charts and Graphs Clip Art Use of Type as an Image

Images

Images are another key element in visual communications. Images are present in the form of illustrations, photos, symbols (simple depictions of objects and ideas), and pictographs (like symbols, but with more realistic detail). They are used to visually fulfill the client’s design needs. Images can represent real objects and situations through photography, illustration, and lithography. Stylization adds visual interest, sometimes at the cost of realism. Through stylization, the designer can manipulate lines, colors, and shapes within an image, or add them to the image.

Photographs

Photographs are a medium to guide viewers emotions and thoughts more than any other. It is said that photos do not lie and thus what we see we believe. However, when using photographs it is usually not a good idea to use the whole picture. Try to take out things that will distract the viewer from what you want them to see.

A photograph should be chosen based on the quality of picture, usefulness to the design and helpfulness in communicating the point of the project. Also, the placement and dimensions of a photograph can be just as important as what the picture is actually showing. Since a picture tells a story it can be treated like text. Holding to that idea, we should be careful when cropping and fitting a photo. Cropping too much of the picture would not let the whole story be told, leaving out too much and the viewer may loose interest.

Illustrations

Illustrations are more expressive and can convey a certain emotion or feeling through the drawing. Illustrations can also be used to help explain something that may be complicated by using imagery and simplification.

Illustrations can be helpful when you want to show the details a picture may not be able to show; for instance being able to detail all the tiny pieces in a technical drawing of a machine. Another advantage of illustrations is that they are more flexible and bound only by the imagination of the artist.

Symbols and Logos

A symbol or trademark is created to be a long-term identifier for the company that will be used on everything from business cards to company vehicles. A trademark should reflect the image of the company and not the designer. Since the mark is often reproduced in many sizes, the design must remain strong and legible in all circumstances. It may be used in newspaper ads. Make sure it looks good in one color.

People will see this trademark in many viewing conditions (e.g. low light, competitive surroundings, lack of viewer interest, etc.). Keep it simple so that it's easy to remember. Logos will sometimes also add simple text to convey further meaning.

Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs take boring statistics and provide a visual medium for them to be seen. Some types of charts are bar charts, and pie charts. Graphs should be used when plotting trends or things that change over time. Charts are better to compare different data’s to each other.

Clip Art

Clip art is pre-drawn artwork that is sold in books, disks, CD’s, or on the Internet. There are many different types of clip art from different software manufacturers. Before using a clip art, it would be good practice to become familiar with the licensing agreements for usage. Some companies only allow their clip arts to be used in word documents or even more specific things like a banner or business card.

Clip art can also be altered to better suit your purposes and goals. Consider distorting all or part of the illustration, add color, add custom type, or use drop shadows. For a more peasant view lighten all or part of the image, or enclose the image in a shape. Have fun inverting the image, flip it over or even using a variety of images to tell a story. Repeat the image multiple times and with different sizes.

Use of Type as an Image

Type can be altered and arranged so as to create an image for the reader. Here is a list of what you might want to do to make the type fit your purposes:

1. Redraw the type to enhance the meaning
2. Use size to contrast between words and letters
3. Skew
4. Distort
5. Use a drop shadow
6. Set type on a path
7. Change the colors
8. Duplicate and rotate the text
9. Flip it
10. Emboss
11. Fill the text with a pattern or image
12. Outline the type
13. Form letters into objects or images

A picture is worth a thousand words. This is an old Chinese proverb that is still very true today. With the help of images on a design page, the communication between designer and his/her audience increases greatly. With the right image an emotion or story can be explained without saying a single word.

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