Overview

In addition to interaction design, designing menus draws on several skill sets rooted in fine and applied art: typography, color, and image making.

Graphic Design Principles

Graphic design communicates information visually. Successful design does this in a way that is functional, appropriate, consistent, crafted, and delightful.

• Function. Is the design functional? For instance, can people read it and do they understand what elements are interactive? Does it solve a problem?

• Appropriateness. Appropriate design speaks to an the audience effectively. It can share sentiment with the audience, create a sense of ease, or compel the audience to act. Appropriate design is not ignored.

• Consistency. Is the type set the same way? Are the buttons positioned in the same way? Inconsistency creates jarring experiences for viewers. The result can be confusion, irritation, or dissatisfaction.

• Craft. Good craft shows attention to detail, careful execution, consistency, high production value, and a fresh understanding of design principles.

• Delight. Design that delights satisfies the viewers for any number of reasons. It is a measurement of the overall quality of the experience. Delight can occur when the viewer finds humor or surprise in the design.

Successful design follows a process and develops visual language. The process is informed and guided by research. The visual language is a system for typography, color, imagery, and animation. The system is developed through sketches, color studies, storyboards, and animatics.