We looked at the pictograms I'd designed for the mapping system(NHM) and Mark felt that I should either add more detail to them or go the other way and make them even more simple and really think about iconic images. Feedback suggested that it seemed as though I'd been looking at the animals etc and used the details of fins that were there but perhaps I could afford to simplify them further. This is something that perhaps I need to consider for this scuba diving brief and also a consideration for all the pictograms I do in future which is whether to go for the more detailed version of a pictogram or really make it iconic. It's such a difficult thing to judge though because these pieces of design need to exist at around a 5mm size and understanding that relationship between how things work different scales is so important.
Another thing which we talked about in relation to the icons were to ensure they all had the same weight. A bit like how we discussed in type with making all the logos the same weighting so there wasn't a hierarchy. By doing this hopefully they'll all look consistent and part of the same series. Also to make rules for myself such as creating a margin which the image inside has to abide to, this will ensure that there is a level of consistency, a lot like how a grid is used within layout.
With regards to the floor plans and leaflet I'd produced for the NHM we discussed the tone of the work and agreed that it was too dry for the tone of the museum. We talked about the kind of literature that is given to museum visitors and it's all full colour with lots of pictures and usually with the map as part of that. So really the whole tone and approach to it wasn't really suitable for the museum and it's visitors. It should be able to excite people about what's there.
We also talked about the balance within information design of not patronising your audience but not confusing them either. Something that Mark had said he did before researching stuff was to write down everything he thought he knew about the project first. This way he knew what he might need to research but also he had a record of what is sort of common knowledge. This particular tip is something I NEED to do. With the amount of research that goes into the projects I'm working on I end up becoming really attached to what I've learnt and start making presumptions that other people know this stuff as well and this in turn will undoubtedly affect how well I can communicate to people.
As general portfolio advice about mocking ideas up, it was advised that you give as realistic idea as possible to what it would look like. So where for example I have the illustrated version of the ants way finding method it would be better to use the photo of the vinyl stickers in context instead.
The feedback I got for my butterfly effect brief was useful, suggestions were that the lines could be the colour and perhaps make them thicker. Also to make the curves bigger and half the distance between the different horizontal paths so that it becomes visually beautiful information whereas at the moment it's the obsession that makes it interesting. I'm at a point now though where I'm thinking, that yes if I make the curves bigger etc it will probably look better but I'm sure that my time during this module would be better invested into developing my other briefs, so perhaps this is something I can come back to at a later point. I also have come to the point that I think I could just go on making improvements forever and the rest of my life would be taken up by this 'one day' brief.
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