Designing for Design Activity

The area of graphic design has expanded since digital media was introduced, and it requires new creative thinking skills in the design process. This paper proposes a design process for a graphic design graduate class using activity theory as a theoretical background. This design process consists of three phases to solve the design problems within diverse design projects. Each phase was examined in terms of how the elements of activity theory could apply to the design process. As a research method, Engeström’s activity system model was adapted and explored in the design processes. A case study is presented to see how the proposed design process applied to a design project. Keywords: Graphic Design Project, Design Process, Activity Theory, Prototyping</p

Designing high click-through Web banner advertising using design principles

Web advertising is growing faster than any other media. Web advertising has been known for its terrific communication power, and for its clickable and linkable abilities. The banner is one of the most well known forms of web advertising. However, no research has been undertaken to research the design elements in high click-through advertising banners. The purpose of this study is to find out the most effective elements that can make up the high click-through ad banners on the Web. Existing data of high click-through banners are used to find out what kind of design elements and principles are most common in high click through Web advertising banners. The research found that certain principles of design, interface and verbal elements can increase the click through rate, and semiotic approaches such as symbols and icons, visual metaphors and irony, are also found to make a high click-through banner. This research can be a guide for designing high click-through Web banners. In the future, with new technologies, advertising on the Web will become more sophisticated and complex. However, proper use of the design principles to convey the messages and organize information will remain

Food as Experience A Design and Evaluation Methodology

This research, conducted for Frito Lay-North America, Inc, demonstrates how new product designs, package designs, concepts, and prototypes can be created based on the social, emotional, cognitive, and sensory information gathered through a combined methodology based on activity theory, Kansei Engineering and the ZMET process. The study examines how activity theory can be used to observe situational settings mediated by products for the purpose of collecting significant social and behavioral data. It also examines how Kansei methods can be used to evaluate sensory experiences and how the ZMET process can be used to gather demographic and marketing data. The outcome of this research concludes that activity theory, Kansei engineering, and ZMET are each useful, however, none of these methods used in isolation are sufficient to inform all aspects of marketing, new product development, and package design decisions. However, as a combined design and evaluation methodology they can provide more useful data for these processes. Keywords: Experience Design, Kansei Assessment, Food, Activity Theory</p