Executive Summary
As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Having heard this adage all throughout life, the meaning finally became more than just a saying during my Visual Literacy class. Taken during my first semester in graduate school in the Spring of 2018, Visual Literacy helped me understand just how important well designed instructional materials and graphics are to distance education. The final project for this class was to develop an infographic and incorporate all of the principles of visual literacy. The infographic had to be educational in nature and of original design. Fortunately, I work with a local non-profit that raises money to dig clean water wells around the world in areas that lack access to fresh water. One of our annual fundraisers is a local 5K, The Well Done Run. Knowing that we would need to create promotional and educational material soon, I decided to make The Well Done Run the subject of my infographic and educate individuals on the problem that the race sought to solve. After working with our local director to acquire the needed educational elements, I began the design process, making sure to adhere to good visual literacy principles. In the end, I was happy with the result and the infographic was turned into a huge banner to promote the race. That was quite a surreal moment walking into a facility and seeing my design on a 6 foot banner.
Personal Reflection
Prior to enrolling in this class, I had some experience in image editing software like GIMP and Adobe Photoshop, but nothing compared to what I developed over the course of this semester and particularly during the final project. Not only was software important in the construction of the below infographic, but also the principles of visual literacy: C.A.R.P and the different tools a designer has at their disposal. Contrast, Alignment, Repetition, and Proximity make up C.A.R.P. and the tools used included Type (font), Color, Shape, Depth and Space. Spending time working through these principles help to strengthen my abilities at designing graphics. That’s not to say I’m a “graphic designer,” but I am much more confident in my abilities after having completed this project and taking this class.
Project Resources
Infographic Reflection