Final Design Rational

As a group we decided to create a 3- dimensional concept map to show what we have learned in Intro to Visual Communication. We feel that this style map would best express all of the ideas that have been learned over the course of the semester. We thought of this idea because we wanted to show the class a 3-D model, rather than an image on paper. We felt that it would get the point across best and it would bring some creativity to the concepts discussed. The inspiration behind the model was from solar system dioramas that many of us saw in science classes. We thought this design would work best for this final project because of the main focus being in the center and smaller ideas coming from that.

When creating this model we learned just how much information was taught in this class. When deciding each branch of the model should be, we went back over all three of our notes and tests from the semester. We highlighted the ideas that we felt most important, and collectively decided on ten main ideas. The concepts included in the model are: a mind map, concept map, collage, decision graphic, how-to graphic, explanation graphic, flow chart, simple tables, story board and a multivariate display.

All the images included in the model were our sketches from the semester. We went to or blogs and printed them out to paste onto the Styrofoam branches. We chose to use Styrofoam shapes that we connected to the central idea by popsicle sticks. Initially we were going to use dowels, but remembered we had to label the branches. The popsicle sticks allowed us to have room to write the “linking phrases” between concepts.

This model allowed us to visualize all the ideas that had been learned. After the completion of the visual we created it was interesting to see the ideas branch out from the central idea. We tried to use Gestalt laws such as proximity to relate the branches to each other as much as possible, 3-dimenstionally. Our efforts also went towards keeping the cognitive load as low as possible. We did this by using color to distinguish the different branches from one another. The central idea, that being the class was white and different colors then branched out from there. The Styrofoam balls and popsicle sticks were the same color. Another theory that we included in our project is dual coding. We used this theory by including both verbal and visual information during our presentation, by having visuals being the pictures of the concepts along with our explanation of each. Overall, we feel that this 3-D model is a good tool to show others the ideas that were learned in Intro to Visual Communication.

This was a fun project to do. It was challenging to incorporate everything that we have learned but it was exciting at the same time