agIdeas

Trends and Designers:

Use of Texture:

The use of texture has become an important part of design as we look to move away from flat, vector based artwork. Not only does it give the piece a unique appearance, but also appeals to our sense of touch. The way in which we associate different textures with different feelings helps to evoke an emotion from the audience. Textures can also hint to the age of a piece, be it old and weathered or modern and smooth. Paper stock has also become an integral facet of design in terms of its texture, thickness and finish. The choice of stock and the way it feels can also add an extra element to a design and emphasise a concept. Ali Vazirian shows strong use of texture by layering multiple images and text on top of each other, creating quite an aged appearance. Michael Mabry also uses texture to give his work a sense of tradition and warmth. Through both their work we can see the individuality that can be gained by adding texture to a piece and how it can evoke a certain emotion.

Character Based Design:

Character design has become more and more prominent with the reintroduction of hand-drawn illustration into graphic design. This has also come with the recent rebellion against completely computer based design. This form of illustration adds individuality to a design, allowing the artist to achieve exactly what they intend to do with their preferred form of traditional media. The use of a character in a design encourages the viewer to associate themselves with the emotions or concept being expressed by that character. Ghost Patrol’s style of character often portrays a sense of isolation and sadness, while Eamo Donnelly’s eclectic and intensely bright characters appeal to our national pride and sense of fun.

Concept Evaluation:

Smart Design – Ford Smart Gauge with EcoGuide

Dan Formosa from Smart Design presented the Ford Smart Gauge with EcoGuide, a car dashboard that is designed so that the driver does not need to look directly at it, but can view it using only their peripheral vision. The design itself looks extremely sleek and modern, using digital display and moving images to create a unique aesthetic. The gauges were scientifically tested and proved to be much easier to read at a glance without the need to take your eyes off the road. However the key to the concept was to encourage the driver to be more economical in terms of fuel consumption by influencing their driving style. This was achieved through an image of a vine that would provide feedback to the driver. The vine would grow and sprout leaves based on the efficiency of the person’s driving style. This would influence the driver by challenging them to drive in a more environmentally friendly and economical manner. Not only would this result in less fuel consumption but compel the driver to make better driving decisions.

I believe the team at Smart Design have created an extremely intelligent and highly influential design. Not only does the design look good but its functionality is extremely innovative and effective. The feedback given by the dashboard creates a relationship between the driver and car, while encouraging them to be more aware of the impact that their driving style has on the environment and fuel consumption.

Bibliography:

http://www.smartdesignworldwide.com/work/project.php?id=166
http://www.agideas.net/home
www.vazirian.com
www.michaelmabry.com
www.ghostpatrol.net
www.eamo.com.au