07 April 2008

INFOGRAPHIC: PAPER PROTOTYPE

Refining the shape of my map- trying to find the right median between a map of the world and a map of grandma's house.

My final paper prototype of my infographic: The colors help to define the fact that it is an infographic referencing old ladies (the white in the image is actually a powdery pink on paper). I was originally going to use collage elements of actual furniture from an aerial viewpoint, and mix in old lady patterns and hints of actual map material, but it would have been extremely cluttered and impossible to read. So instead I kept it simple, and perhaps when I move into the computer, I will retain the subtle pattern and texture of the cut paper it was made out of, to keep in line with the crafty/scrapbook-y nature of grandmas.

Design devices?... I employed aspects of blueprint language into my map, such as doors, windows, and stroke weight to show (simply) that it was a map of a home. Color was used to go along with my original theme, and I brought in distinct features of old vintage-y maps to draw the idea that you could possibly find this exact map tucked away somewhere in grandma's house (like the scroll heading, and antique faded coloring). Angular shapes and irregularity in proportions of the map of the world suggest that it needs to be looked at closer, drawing the viewer in to realize that it doubles as a home on the smaller read. Flags of pertinent information flanking each icon on the map, outlined in a brighter color emphasizes that the icons are the most important aspect of the map, with the same bright color being brought in on the secondary material, to draw the eye downward, to the even closer read.

Other design devices that could be employed?... transparency overlays in each room of the house with subtle hints at grandma furniture/rugs/etc within the home may make this less clean and sterile, and more grandma... but the transparency would help to keep it from being too overpowering. Perhaps look at asymmetry? Make it more interesting by not having everything centered on the page? I'm not sure if this is a problem, but maybe incorporating my secondary information more in with the actual map... maybe it would look too cluttered though?

2 comments:

jamie said...

But grandmas and clutter are like milk and cookies.

I believe you can absolute bring clarity to the complexity - so go for it.

....

house as map/world as home - an intriguing hybridization

ramzy said...

Yeah Laura, this is really interesting / beautiful