The Writer's Toolbox

Writing for Visual Thinkers

A guide for artists and designers

The Writer’s Toolbox:

Writing can help work through the process phase of a visual project, and it can later serve as a reflective tool. Writing through out the process of designing can help teach and learn skills that can improve your communication for presenting projects, proposals, letters, and even commentary.

A great way to give visual form to one’s ideas is to create a mind map. The point of the mind map is to get one’s ideas down quickly, then one can organize the best ideas with color coding, sketches, and adding dimension into these diagrammatic maps. There are the traditional written mind maps or the software mind maps. The traditional mind maps can be developed anywhere and will most likely have a variety of thoughts with connections. The software maps can allow a person to add details and information onto the map with certain links. Either program, one ends up with the mind map looking like a web, lines connecting to each idea.

Another visual technique is the concept map. Concept maps can be very similar to mind maps but the concept map allows for a more thorough investigation and analysis of conceptual connections and meaning. The maps start out with general ideas but then slowly becomes specific, each word is joined by a propositional statement/phrase, creating a system of meaning within the map. After the concept map is completed it is interesting to review how the concepts developed and one might have to return and recreate in order to make the relationships and connections more clear.

Freewriting can also be an easy way to get your thoughts organized on paper. There are two types of free writing: unfocused and focused. The unfocused form allows one to simply put words on paper in response to a general thought, this is very similar to journaling so it can be very expressive with feelings or emotions toward something. Focused writing is addressing a specific question. Freewriting can be difficult to master but putting some time aside in the day and letting thoughts flow will allow one to learn and improve. This can also be similar to brain writing, which is more like brainstorming where one continues to build off the initial idea, creating a more refined ideas along the way until one sticks.

The last technique is the word list: building off of a general term and becoming more descriptive/metaphoric with the terms. This also allows one to see various relationships within a central hub. Examining the results is the process of narrowing down to the essentials, the ones that really stand out and it is possible that they could lead you to another examination that will turn out to be more thorough. 

Modifying the Hanger

A travel-friendly hanger:)

The Deep Dive

The Deep Dive explains the idea of design as the marriage between form and function. A design is evolving either in function and form, there is no permanence when design is involved. This evolution can come about many ways, but in this video it came due to a timed challenge. The major lessons I took away from this video were: allowing ideas to flow and come naturally, no idea is absurd, and the thinking web. Letting everyone speak his or her own mind and then letting the ideas settle in is key. Ideas might sound absurd at first but it is highly possible that you will warm up to that idea when you see it placed with all the others. Wild ideas can be easily built upon to make it more realistic and innovative. Several movies have employed the idea of a thinking web and quite frankly, I thought it would be disorderly to the preparation but that is not the case. The thinking web was really helpful because it lays all the cards on the table, then slowly one narrows those ideas down, and perhaps combines those that really stand out; therefore creating a design with the best form and function.

Design Commandments Poster

This could be helpful when deciding on certain elements of design in a poster.

Typographic Illustrations and Lettering by Jeff Rogers

We were just discussing typography in class for the posters, so I decided it could be fun to look at some designers work. I really enjoy this portfolio of creative fonts by Jeff Rogers. He creates beautiful and playful letters and word-based illustrations that are definitely worth looking at.



http://design.org/blog/typographic-illustrations-and-lettering-jeff-rogers

Simplicity

C'est la vérité!

Roger Scruton's Documentary on Beauty

http://artislimited.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/elitist-or-revolutionary-roger-scrutons-why-beauty-matters-2009-bbc-full-episode/

Don Norman: 3 Ways Good Design Makes You Happy

Don Norman states the three levels of good design: Visceral level, Behavioral level, and Reflective. The visceral level is the enjoyment one receives from the visual design. To clarify this level Norman employs the example of the mini cooper: Although the overall design is made poorly, the design inside the car generates such pleasure it creates an enjoyable experience for the user. The behavioral level is where the human mind unconsciously accomplishes the most. This level is about usability, understanding, and feeling in control. The last level is the reflective level. This is the level that has little control in the brain. One can't control what they do, but it looks over certain things like a conscious. Pitting one against the other, the emotional will dominate the reflective, but this is where one must train one's mind to accept the reflective. Emotion is about interpreting the world, comparing the good v bad in our daily lives. All these levels create a good design that is beautifully unique and creates a sense of happiness for the viewer.

I found it interesting that intense fear paralyzes the brain, causing it to change its views on certain issues. If a person is anxious, the brain is more likely to fail in problem solving but when one has a happy mind set; it is more likely that the brain will succeed with problems that need to be solved. Bottom line the brain works differently based on one's mindset.

Good Use of Color

Thinking and Making

In these various novels, the authors wish to clarify the definition of design. These authors wish to enlighten the world about the crucial elements of design that we unknowingly use everyday. Since design has many grammatically correct connotations, it is difficult to narrow down the true meaning of design. Design can be the process of making things right and shaping things that people need. Design is not only physical items; it can be patterns or ways of reforming a societal flaw like the segregation within the movie theaters. Design can strategically attack a problem until it finds the maximum number of possible solutions; then it will narrow itself down to the most successful design. To summarize, design is a crucial element that we require in our everyday lives but we do not realize the amount of time and effort that the designers place within their creations. We do not realize this because we are satisfied that it works so well that we take everything for granted; but in reality there is so much more to design and we are ignorant until we read items like these.