Graphics
From The Learning Engineer's Knowledgebase
Graphics are image media that are presented in a nontextual, visual manner. Graphics are a broad family of media, including photo, video, animation, videogames, and print documents that convey information visually without depending on text to convey the information.
Definition
A graphic is an image that is presented in a visual, non-text way. It is considered a medium as it conveys information and communicates to people. A graphic can be a picture, a photo, any kind of shape or visual object, or moving images through videos and animations.
Graphic design is a part of media production.
Additional Information
Graphics allow for the visual communication of information, often without any text. Text is a sequential medium that usually is read in order, thus conveying information in only one way and with only one "channel" of information at a time. Comparatively, graphics can include many aspects and "channels" of communication in the composition of a graphic. This allows for an image to convey potentially far more information simultaneously and more densely than text can do alone. The old adage that "an image speaks a thousand words" is often true, because a graphic can use different aspects of composition to convey information, such as a graphic's shape, size, relationship to other graphics in the frame, color, depth, and other aspects.
Because it is purely a visual medium, graphics require designers to consider accessibility options when graphics are used. Not everybody will be able to see and interpret graphical elements equally, both in print and digital media. Thus, textual descriptions and alternative media are necessary to ensure a high degree of accessibility for anyone who uses an educational product.
Commonly used types of graphics
- Shapes. Graphical shapes can be simple shapes, such as a circle or triangle, complex polygons consisting of 2D or 3D shapes with multiple (sometimes thousands) of sides, or even realistic representations of people, objects, or places, such as in photographs and illustrations.
- Icons, or very simple graphics that quickly convey a simple idea to people so that they know what the icon means.
- Layouts, or collections of graphics in a two or three dimensional space to convey information or provide navigation. Interfaces typically use a graphical layout for people to interact with and navigate the learning environment. Every scene in a videogame is concerned with how the graphical elements are
- Photography, which is a realistic representation of the physical world through a camera. The camera produces a graphic image that can be used in print or digital media. The photograph can also be manipulated in digital graphic design software.
- Illustrations, which are drawn representations
- Videos, animations, and motion graphics. Videos, animations, and motion graphics are nothing more than graphics that change and move over time. Video editing software allows people to create a sequence of moving images to create a video.
Common aspects of graphic composition to communicate information
- Position, in where the object is located in the frame, particularly in relationship to other objects. A frame is the set of boundaries of where graphics appear for a specific document, which can be a piece of paper, a printed poster, a website, or a device screen.
- Background, or the lowest-layered object in the frame.
- Shape, in the actual boundaries, lines, and edges of an object (e.g., a circle, a stick figure, a combination of shapes)
- Size, in how big or small the graphic is
- Color, as varying colors can communicate different things. Some colors also have common cultural meanings that can imply information
- Depth, in how the object "stands out" to the viewer, such as a two-dimensional (2D), isometric (2.5D), or three-dimensional (3D) depth. Depth typically also includes lighting and shading aspects to convey depth.
- Resolution, in how sharp or highly defined the shape is. Resolution can be extremely low (e.g., a single colored circle) to very high (e.g., a high resolution photo or video that shows every detail of an image).
- Exposure, in the brightness of a shape
- Contrast, or how much objects visually or color-wise stand out and are distinguished from each other
- Transparency, in the fadedness or ability to see through the object in comparison to backgrounds or other objects
- Relationships, in how objects appear to be similar or different to each other
Tips and Tricks
- Layouts are an important type of graphic that you will use in your product's interfaces and documents. Consider how you might communicate information in non-textual ways through how the graphics are composed and laid out on a document. By using various elements in graphics, you may be able to convey information and to communicate complex ideas in ways that text cannot achieve. Similarly, think about how might you communicate information about how people are supposed to participate and act within your learning environment by including different aspects of graphic composition in the layout designs and navigational elements of your product.
- Consider the different aspects of a graphic's composition in determining the design of graphics and layouts to communicate information. For instance, by using different colors, positions, shapes in your graphical elements, you can visually communicate information about your product, interface navigation, and even content concepts and knowledge.
- Ensure that any graphic elements that are used have alternatives, as you want to ensure that the accessibility to your product remains high for people who have difficulty in seeing and interpreting visual elements.
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