Final Project

Final Project

For our final project in Visual Communication, we chose to represent our design on a cardboard box. We knew from the beginning that we wanted to depict what we had learned on a 3-dimensional object, because we felt it would be the best way to show the various aspects of what we needed to include. We also knew that the object needed to be large enough to accommodate all of the appropriate information.

We chose a medium-sized box because a) it is large enough to fit the needed visualizations and b) because it had the proper amount of sides (we had chosen to break up the course into four separate sections--maps, terms and definitions, key terms, and charts/graphs; thus, the box's 6 sides were more than enough for us to display our topics). Though we knew we would later cover the box in various types of graphics, we realized that to leave the box in stock shape would not be very visually stimulating. As such, we spray-painted it with a base coat of green, adding yellow, red, and blue accents.

We then split up the assignment into four parts, since there were four of us, and each took the topic with which we felt the most comfortable. From here, it was easy to create visualizations using text and pictures, and organizing them into a visually appealing package. Each side is also somewhat different, reflecting our own unique styles and providing some visual interest. Though we initially began the project individually, we were able to successfully come together in the end and create a unified product. Our "aha" moment probably occurred when we tried to lay out our respective visuals; some of them didn't fit, and we had to collaborate and re-print or re-draw some of the subjects for them to work together more cohesively.

My personal experience with this project was in creating the principles side. After deciding on the principles that were discussed in most detail in class, I wrote out the concepts of each and printed them. I decided to make the titles of each larger and bold to separate each one. I then printed pictures to further explain the Gestalt theories, because these were most simply displayed in visuals while the others were not. I felt that our group was able to come up with a unique visual that was 3-dimensional and therefore interesting to look at, and also gave us each a side to be creative. I liked that each side of the visual was a bit different in our own designs, but all together conveyed a lot of information in a clear and simple way.

Multi-Variate

When making my multivariate display, I used the chart that I had already created about Roger Williams crime statistics as my starting point. I then searched online for statistics that could be relatable to this subject, and decided to use Johnson and Wales crime statistics as another variable. The multiple variables that this new display looked at were five different crimes for two different Universities in Rhode Island over a period of three years (since the Johnson and Wales statistics I found did not include 2006). I took out the 2006 statistics from the RWU chart and then played around with ways to add the new data. I tried making a stacked bar graph, as well as layering different bars. I eventually decided on a line graph for the second set of statistics, and created this to place over the bar graph. In my first solid iteration, I saw that the numbers wouldn’t line up because the bar graph was thicker and therefore the years were off. I solved this by making the X and Y labels invisible on the second graph. Then I saw that the different charts seemed to blend too much as they were both multi-colored. I solved this by making the bar graph different shades of gray, so the line graph stood out against it. Finally, I made the different keys telling what each color or symbol was smaller and labeled each of them. My AHA moment was when I realized that one of the charts needed to not be colored, and when I fixed this it made a huge difference.