Design Principle for multimedia principle ( I12000626, Tan Guan Chung - Group 8)

Introduction

In this modern century, technologies had been existed many years and the technologies is getting better over the years. Now days, application become a part of human life. It assisted human being when they facing problem even the application is not only for solving problem. It also can entertain human being when they feel free. Application can be categories into many kind of application. For example: web application, business application and etc.

In this report, I would like to do some research about the design principle for multimedia application. What is multimedia? Multimedia is the field concerned with the computer-controlled integration of text, graphics, drawings, still and moving images (Video), animation, audio, and any other media where every type of information can be represented, stored, transmitted and processed digitally (Dave Marshal, 1999). Multimedia Application is an Application which uses a collection of multiple media sources e.g. text, graphics, images, sound/audio, animation and/or video (Dave Marshal, 1999). Now days, there are many multimedia application is existed around us. The best example is VLC player, AutoCAD and etc.

Multimedia application had reduce our worry. When we need play a video on our device no matter is smartphone or laptop, all we need is just simply click on the video and it will play and display the video on the screen immediately anytime anywhere. We no need to concern about how to play the video or it is the video can be play or not. Besides that, photo viewer also is the multimedia application. With the photo viewer, we can view the photo when we want at anyplace any moments. Video player and photo viewer is the most common application around us. The photo editor and video editor are multimedia application too, it assist many editor in their working fields. It can considers as a tool for the editor.    

Introduction of Design Principle of Multimedia Application

The multimedia application consists of many functionality that always can assist human being in their life. At the most time, the users of the application will concern about the functionality of the application and the design interface of the application. Besides that, the users won’t know about the development of the application because they didn’t have the knowledge about it. In development, the design development can consider as very important of an application because many users will “judge the book by its cover”, when they saw a nice interface application will think about the application is nice and worth to having it.

What is the design principle? Design principle has many definition and the definition is based on the how the developer want or the purpose of the application. My own definition for design principle is the how the developer develop the application become friendly user and the interface will abstract the users.   

There are five basic design principle in the design principle: alignment, communicability, contrast, proximity, and repetition. There are five principle in the design principle and each principle contains some sub principles that need to pay more attention during the developer develop the application.

Design Principle of Multimedia Application

     1. Alignment

Alignment is the position of the body in each interface of the application. The position of the body is very important in each important because it must provide visual means to the users. The element or the body that designed in each interface must be abstracted and will make the users feel the application is easy to use. Left, right, top, bottom or centre are the position that need to be concerned when designing the interface. Inside alignment, graphics and the layout are the part of it.

1.1    Graphics

Graphic is the interface that displayed on the screen. The graphics in the alignment mean the position of the image or the graphics. Which area of the each interface are suitable to display the image and the graphics to be displayed is based on the each interface’s functionality. In the mean times, the way and the position that the words display in each interface must act in concert with the image and the graphics. If both are displayed in perfect way, it can make the users easy to use and easy to understand.

     Bad Alignment      

  Good Alignment 

1.2    Layout

Layout is the arrangement of the text, image and etc. The layout inside the interface of the application means how the image and the text are arranged and it must arranged with a correct to show the meaning of the interface. If the layout or the arrangement is incorrect, it will hard to bring out the meaning from the interface and make the users fell confuse. It also will make the interface look like messy. 

Bad Alignment

Good Alignment

2.  Communicability

Communicability in the design principle mean how the users can understand the information from each interface when they using the application. If the application consists poor communicability, the user will feel getting confuse and disappointed. It mean the communicability also is important during the development. Besides that, graphics and the navigation are also related to the communicability.  

2.1    Graphics

In this area, graphics in alignment is difference with graphics in communicability. Both are difference meaning in the design principle. Graphics in communicability mean the how the image or the graphics bring out the meaning to the users. Whether the image or the graphics is meaningful or meaningless, it must consider or understand the meaning and the message of the message. The image or the graphics inside all the interface must be easy understand by the users when they using application. When they using the application, once they see the icon or the image, they will understand or know the meaning immediately. If they feel confuse after saw the icon or the graphics of the application, it means the design of the application was not so successful.  

Bad communicability

Good Communicability

2.2    Navigation

The navigation in the communicability is extremely important. Almost all the application consists of hyperlink link icon. It mean each icon will link to other interface or other functionality. The design of the icon also very important to the users. When the users want to go other functionality or other interface, the users will know which icon have to select to achieve the users’ need once they see the several icon in an interface if the application is developed successful. 

Bad Navigation Icon 

Good Navigation Icon 

3.  Contrast

Contrast is the design that how you choice the colours, the lines and the typography based on the design theme. All the elements must suitable for the theme when design the interface. For example: red can be represent hot or spicy, the lines can improve the visual mean and the typography can be improve the meaning in the interface.

3.1    Colours

In an interesting interface, the main reason that can abstract the users to use the application is the colour. A right choice of colour will make the users feel fresh and interested. Colour also can make the interface look organized. Which part of interface should painted what colour all based on the theme of the interface. In the mean times, how to choice the colour also very important. Dark colours or light colours? Dark and light colours will effected the users’ visual when they see the interface first times. 

     Bad Contrast of Colour

Good Contrast of Colour

3.2    Lines

In almost all the interface, lines design is consisted. Lines also is a way to organize the interface structure. Use lines design can make the interface organized and it also would not make the users feel the interface of the application is mess and hard to understand. 

Bad Contrast of Lines

Good Contrast of Lines

3.3    Typography

Typography is the style or the pattern that how to represent the words in an interface or a design. In an interface design, the alignment of the typography, the size and the style or pattern of the typography is important for the users. The alignment, the size and the style or pattern all are designed based on the theme and the uses. All the elements must concerned with each other to bring out the perfect visual means. A perfect typography design will grabs the users’ attention. 

Bad Contrast of Typography

Good Contrast of Typography

4.   Proximity

Proximity refer to the relationship of the both element – image and words. Both element grouped together will bring out the meaningful relationship. The spacing between both elements must be control nicely to present the meaning in each interface.

4.1    Graphics and Layout

In each interface in an application, the graphics and the words must grouped together. The spacing in both elements must design together to produce the meaning. Besides that, the layout also must be design into proper way. All the related layout must grouped together to present the meaning. If the spacing were too wide, the users may feel confuse when they reading the interface. It mean the spacing between the graphics and the layout are very important during the development. 

Bad proximity in Graphics

Good proximity in Graphics

Bad proximity in Layout

Good proximity in Layout

5.      Repetition

In design principle, some element can be repeated to present stronger message or meaning to the users. Repetition will make the users feel comfortable with the design. Repetition is a form that strong consistency in when designing the application interface.

5.1    colours

Colours using can be repeated in designing interface. Repeating using colours can abstracting the users but it must design with suitable based on the interface size and the theme. If over using the colours, it will bring out the negative effect. The users will feel the interface is mess and hard to understand. Sometimes, repeating using colours can present stronger message but need to control while designing.  

Bad Repetition in Colours

Good Repetition in Colours

5.2    Graphics

Repetition in graphics can allow the users more understand the meaning in the interface. But the arrangement of the graphics also very important. With the proper way in arranging the graphics will bring out understanding to the users. If the arrangement is wrong, the message will hard to understand and may lead to the users misunderstood. 

Bad Repetition in Graphics

Good Repetition in Graphics

5.3    Layout and Lines

Repetition in layout can help to organize the interface into look more nicely. But over using the layout will become negative effect, it means the interface will look messy. The design must control the use of layout when designing the interface. Besides that, lines is same with layout. The control of use of line also is important for the interface.

Bad Repetition in Layout

Good Repetition in Layout

Bad Repetition in Lines

Good Repetition in Lines

5.4    Typography

The typography can help the design of the interface bring out more understanding to the users. But the repetition of the typography must designed in a proper way. The style or the patter can affect the visual mean if the design is not suitable for the theme. 

Bad Repetition in Typography

Good Repetition in Typography

Conclusion

In design principle, there are many factor that have to pay more attention while developing multimedia application. Not only the design principle can be applied on multimedia application, other application can be applied on it. Applied the design principle, the application can be designed into perfect interface.

  

Reference

Dave Marshall. (1999). What is Multimedia?. Available: http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/MM/OLD_BSC/node10.html. Last accessed 18 September 2013.

Dr Liu. (2003). Design Principle. Available:http://www.edb.utexas.edu/minliu/multimedia/technical.swf. Last accessed 19 September 2013.

Dr Liu. (2003). Design Principle. Available: http://www.edb.utexas.edu/minliu/multimedia/usab.htm. Last accessed 19 September 2013.