Logo

I think my personal logo creation was much better than the Learning Technologies one I submitted. I think the current logo is a bit busy, and I had some problems fitting the text into the circle. I really do not like white backgrounds that much as they seem too simple; however, that was all I could really work with here.

What do you think?

VS.

CBI Screen Design

In the module presented in this website, I reviewed the history of the color red in Asian culture, specifically Korean culture. The Korean cultural perception of the color red differs significantly from the general Asian cultural perception of red. While most Asian cultures perceive red as a symbol of luck or happiness (keep in mind a common underlying theme of passionate emotions that is consistent with Western culture), Korean culture somehow ended up associating red with feelings of trust and belongingness. 

In Life or Death: The Color Red in Asian Culture, I review the history of the Korean language and identify some possible connections between this unique perception of red and the development of Hangeul (the Korean alphabet).  

I made sure to focus on organization, setting up my pages so that students can click on tabs going from right to left as they progress through the module. First, the students will read the overview, explaining what all the module will cover. Next, the students will read the discussion I posted on the abovementioned linguistic connection. After they finish skimming through this reading, they will continue on to the next tab where they will take a five-item assessment. Finally, they will move on to the last tab--a discussion forum--where they will discuss the reading, the assessment, and their own personal responses to the topic.

Website

When creating my website, I tried to include color and images where possible. However, I had several issues with the free website hosting service. I've never had problems with freewebs.com before, but this past week, I have been in a constant battle against Freewebs glitches, struggling to keep my font choices from changing on a whim and to be able to upload images. Right now, I'm just going for simplicity. 

Graph/Chart

I created this table in Microsoft Excel, using different shades of red to indicate the statistical results for each year indicated in the accompanying labels. I then copy-pasted this table into Microsoft Word and used a clipart depiction of an antique gas pump to further connect the statistics and fuel using red as the common theme.

Pop Art Decorations. (n.d.). Red Gas Pump [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from http://www.popartdecoration.com/projects/gas-pump-cabinet-red-2281-1425-2074-2.jpg

Print Layout Design

At first, I wasn't quite sure how to format this portfolio component--especially concerning how exactly I should incorporate design elements when using a rather boring and limited template. When reviewing several examples of print layout designs, I realized that most of these layouts used basic text but included some type of colorful logo/design in the top right corner of the first page of the document. Following suit, I made a little design using the color red where possible to include within my otherwise black-and-white document.

Another thing I was unsure about was what exactly I should do with the lorem ipsum filler text when pasting this into the test items and references sections. I wasn't sure if I should try to format it as assessment items or reference citations would be if I were using actual text. In the end, I just went ahead and changed this--just to be safe. 

When I saved it as a PPT, it deleted some spaces between paragraphs. However, the format contains the required spaces when in Word.

Book Cover

For the book cover, I photoshopped an image that was originally in full color. This served as the background with red serif text dominating the foreground: the use of a serif font creates a bolder statement.

Colors used/related emotions:

• Silver = femininity
• Red = danger, passion, fire
• Brown = orderliness, earthiness

In my discussion of the design concepts present in this book cover, I will analyze each element, working from background to foreground. I took a picture of an eye and juxtaposed this with its mirror image, thereby utilizing symmetrical balance--where images have the same or nearly the same mass--to further emphasize the differences between these two images.

I faded out and blurred the color in the background so as to create a silver background--thus establishing the concept of femininity. Then I increased the contrast on the brown iris; the color brown typically indicates a feeling of earthiness and orderliness. Thus this creates a sort of contrast with the chaotic red text. The red text likely appears foremost within the depth of this image, emphasizing the concepts of danger, fire, and vitality.

Printable Poster

This poster was created in PowerPoint using a 24" X 36" template I downloaded from Microsoft’s online help site. I used Arial for the heading and downloaded a "digital" font for the subheadings. 

As my research topic discussed here involves the use of technology to promote student confidence within the classroom, I used the color red as this can symbolize confidence--in addition to vitality and courage.

Printable Poster References

Tall English. (2005). Motivation-Confidence Graph [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from http://blog.cito-lt.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Motivation_Confidence-graph.jpggration/

PowerPoint Presentation

This item was created in PowerPoint. I changed the color scheme of a past presentation I gave this semester, mentioned in an earlier post. It was a book report on Resonate--a book on PowerPoint design by Nancy Duarte. Essentially, the author highlights the presence of a "story arch" within the presentation pattern of many famous speeches. Duarte also emphasizes the importance of minimalism within PowerPoint presentations--thus my use of mainly just images. (I went over what each of these meant verbally and provided a discussion prompt at the end of the presentation so that students could reflect on the contents of the PPT.)

Within this PPT, I used the color red to tie together all the elements of Nancy Duarte's book—e.g. found clip art that included the color red, added a red hue to photos, etc.—as this color denotes the energy and excitement present within resonance.

PPT References

Cheezburger. (2010). Mr. Gorbachev. Tear down this wall [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2010/3/2/129120359513574161.jpg

DBA Designs. (2011). Memory [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from http://www.dbadesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/memory36969112_crop1-640x650.jpg

Hatchcock, B. (2008). Story Arch [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from http://quarterlyconversation.com/my-life-in-alumni-profiles

Kelner, S. (2011). Steve Jobs [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article6280790.ece/ALTERNATES/w620/Steve-Jobs.jpg

La Mesa Courier. (2011). Martin Luther King, Jr. [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from http://scoopsandiego.com/la_mesa_courier/local_news/a-city-of-la-mesa-centennial-event-th-annual-la/article_c783b5da-42cc-11e1-9f89-0019bb30f31a.html?mode=image&photo=0

Red Bull Stratos. (2012). Felix Baumgartner [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from www.redbullstratos.com/the-team/felix-baumgartner/

Tzadok, O. (n.d.). Abstract Art [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from www.osnatfineart.com

US History. (2012). Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/

USPS (n.d.). Liberty Bell Stamp [Digital visualization]. Retrieved from https://store.usps.com/store/

Diagram

I created this diagram using an online program: Lucid Charts (https://www.lucidchart.com/). This diagram covers the meaning behind each color, showing that different shades and combinations of colors affect and alter the original emotions symbolized by the primary colors. For instance, red is typically considered to be a symbol for lust, and white is typically considered to be a symbol of purity. Then, when these two colors are combined to create pink, the resulting emotion is a purer form of lust: love.

Handout/Flyer

For this item, I did print screen to capture snippets of an old manuscript border. I pieced these together in Microsoft Paint and then stretched this out to cover the background of my flyer.

After some reflection on the color scheme I would need to implement for this flyer, I decided upon dark blue, dark red/maroon, and the light yellow-ish color of the manuscript background. The manuscript was originally darker at the top of the image, so I flipped the background, thus making the item brighter at the top, darkening gradually as you look down the page.

•          Dark Blue: knowledge
•          Lt. Yellow: intellect
•          Dark Red/Maroon: uses brown to mute the brightness and energy present in the color red, thus creating a more "organized" and "sedated" version

As far as the text, I arranged this in such a way that it would allow the viewer's eye to be guided in a somewhat unique path as it follows the content flow.

Initially, I had difficulty with the topic puzzle piece as the blue here was too bright and was distracting--especially as it was so close to the heading. I reformatted this puzzle piece, choosing a darker hue with less contrast.

The text for this flyer was taken from http://iass-ais.org/. This is the official website for the International Association for Semiotics Studies.

Resonate

In one of my other classes, I had to write a book review on Nancy Duarte's Resonate, a how-to guide for creating effective PowerPoint presentations. Many of the concepts covered seemed to mesh well with what we have been learning in class. What we've gone over has mainly dealt with the specifics of document design. Duarte's breakdown of presentation effectiveness--however--acts as a great guide for piecing all the parts together. 

Essentially, Duarte suggests that the basic story arch included in your everyday, run-of-the-mill novel.  

When we design documents to use in presentations or other such teaching situations, we should focus on making the audience our hero. This means that we should avoid abstract images, instead using only graphics that appeal to--and are meaningful to--our chosen audience. Additionally, we should seek to equip our audience--the heroes--with the knowledge and guidance they need as they embark on their quest. 

When determining whether or not the graphics designed suit their pedagogical or presentation purpose, we must focus on creating a S.T.A.R. moment. S.T.A.R. stands for something they'll always remember. Essentially, this refers to ensuring that your audience is left with a memorable moment.

 

The first element of S.T.A.R. is memorable dramatization. This can often include the use of props or other such realia that draws in the audience's attention.

The second element of S.T.A.R. is repeatable sound bites. When we think back on famous moments in history, we often associate these events with specific quotes. Just as famous speech-givers have done in the past, you too, as the presenter, can craft a catchy, pithy saying that will stick with your audience when they think back on the concepts covered in your presentation.

The third element of S.T.A.R. involves the use of compelling images. As mentioned before, abstract images are not exactly useful as they typically are not universally understood by the entire audience. Instead, more universally-known images must be used, such as that of the Liberty Bell to symbolize freedom or perhaps an image of Felix Baumgartner's skydiving attempt as a means of symbolizing success.

The fourth element of S.T.A.R. includes the use of emotive storytelling. This refers to storytelling that follows the story arch mentioned earlier.

The fifth--and final--element of S.T.A.R. involves the use of shocking statistics. Here, Duarte suggests that all statistics provided be accompanied with an easy-to-read visual, such as a pie chart or bar graph.

ACE: Analyze, Create, Evaluate

The ACE model is often used when creating images for educational purposes. In order to begin, we must first deconstruct. We can use ACE as a guide when evaluating graphics, thereby determining the effectiveness of the item.

Following the steps outlined by Lohr (2008), we can begin by analyzing our initial attempt at a visual, attempting to determine what purpose exactly this image will serve within the greater scheme of your lesson. From there,  we delve into the actual creation--the brainstorming--of the entire image. Experiment with different shapes, colors, etc. to see what works best with the overall theme and purpose of the graphic. Finally, we should attempt to evaluate the end result. It is helpful to get a second--or third--pair of eyes to look over your project and give you an objective perspective on what works and what doesn't.

ACE in practice: I have found that one of the best ways to evaluate a graphic is to test out its effectiveness in class. This does mean that the first class will have to act as guinea pigs, but it is incredibly useful to see how well your created image actually works in a classroom setting. 

One example--not my own but a classmate's--came up recently in a practicum course I'm taking. My classmate had prepared a hand-drawn mind-mapping graphic organizer that looked something like this:

This was part of an activity that required us to break up into five groups--each given a particular color as group name, e.g. Team Orange, etc.--and brainstorm about what we believed to be the cause/result of motivation. We were then to write these factors on the the appropriate side of "motivation," using the color markers that had been placed near the board.

After our classmate micro-taught, we provided feedback. The main points touched on included her 1) drawing three boxes on each side yet breaking us up into five groups and 2) not specifying that each group should only use group-color markers. Many students had become confused during the activity as they weren't sure if our classmate was attempting to indicate that there were only three underlying causes/effects of motivation when, in fact, this number had simply been chosen arbitrarily. 

Instead, as the activity had focused on what each group thought and did not attempt to group together all of our ideas, we suggested that it would probably be better if the graphic had included the same number of boxes as there were groups. Additionally, to further highlight the differences between the result of each group's brainstorming session, the micro-teacher could have instructed as to use the color appropriate for our group, e.g. Team Orange would use the orange marker, etc.

Controlling Eye Path

When creating any kind of document, the designer needs to take into consideration the path that the viewer’s eye will take as they process and attempt to interpret the document’s contents. The order in which viewers perceive various components of a web page often affects how they feel about the hierarchical order of the information being presented.

There are several elements within document design that can significantly affect eye path. These include the use of 1) form, 2) color, 3) contrast, 4) balance, 5) texture, and 6) location to emphasize particular parts of the page.

For instance, if there is a compilation of images arranged horizontally with the inclusion of one vertically-arranged image, this latter image is what will be most prominent within the document. Other examples are a splash of light amongst otherwise dark elements, or a triangular shape in a field of circular shapes.

Where the object is placed can also affect what exactly the eye focuses on. For instance, if the object is placed in the center of a background, then the eye is instinctively drawn to this center as a focal point.

80-20 Rule

One for the mouse, one for the crow, one to rot, and one to grow.

This old adage was once a commonly-cited phrase in the agrarian days of yore. The typical life of a farmer can be understood in just this one saying.  Even in years past, the issue of efforts made and labor lost has been noted as a significant economical factor.

It was only in 1906 that someone began to operationalize this aspect of Murphy’s Law. Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, noticed that twenty percent of the Italian people owned eighty percent of the country’s entire per capita wealth. This developed into the 80-20 Rule.

Pareto’s principle can be applied to many different types of situations. For instance, in the workforce, when determining which elements of a program to axe in order to reduce costs, you must keep in mind that a certain twenty percent of resources are taking up more profit than they generate. This principle can even be used to maximize your own personal productivity; you must realize that 80% of your personal time is spent idling time away while only 20% of your time is spent doing meaningful, time-worthy activities.

Saussure Signs

A sign is something that can be sensed through sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. It carries a deeper meaning in addition to its superficial significance. The field of semiotics involves the understanding that an image contains more than just appearances, and with this understanding comes the ability to decode icons as multi-layered entities. Take for example Streptopelia alba. At first glance, this species might seem to be nothing more than just a plain white feathered animal. However, this unassuming bird has a rich history of symbolization. Over the years, it has represented love and tenderness, peace and tranquility.

 

While the term sign encompasses the entire concept of sensory item symbolization, each sign can be divided into both an indicator and its related meaning; these are labeled signifier and signified, respectively. In the above example, the dove is the signifier while love, tenderness, peace, and tranquility are all the signified.

See What You Can See

What do you see when you look at this picture? Why did you see what you saw?

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When we perceive images, we are not simply making objective mental notes of which colors were arranged in what sort of pattern. There is much more going on inside your head than you’re probably aware of. In fact, all that mental processing going on burns a large portion of the calories consumed at rest. In fact, every single moment your eyes are open, taking in the world around you: your brain looks like this:

A busy mind is a divine mind.

Within psychology, there are multiple fields of thought concerning what exactly takes place when we view and subsequently interpret our surroundings.

Behaviorists believe that psychology should not attempt to describe the innermost processes of the mind. Instead, psychology is best understood as a science that examines human behaviors in attempt to observe and measure the world directly.

Behavior is a mirror in which everyone displays his own image.

Phenomenologists focus on life experiences as perceived subjectively from a first-person point of view. Our ability to interpret objects within our environment comes from our understanding of its meaning based on previous encounters and experiences.

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.

Semioticians attempt to discover the significance contained in signs. Our life consists of ongoing connections made between certain images and meanings. For instance, we might commonly associate the color green with new life as a result of both observations of nature and cultural conditioning.

 

Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.

While Semioticians can be understood as passive recipients of the allusions present in particular signs and symbols, Rhetoricians focus more on the projection aspect of meaning. They infuse meaning into symbols and manipulate this meaning as a means of persuading other humans.