A Study of the Role of Visual Information in Supporting Ideation in Graphic Design

Existing computer technologies poorly support the ideation phase common to graphic design practice. Finding and indexing visual material to assist the process of ideation often fall on the designer, leading to user experiences that are less than ideal. To inform development of computer systems to assist graphic designers in the ideation phase of the design process, we conducted interviews with 15 professional graphic designers about their design process and visual information needs. Based on the study, we propose a set of requirements for an ideation-support system for graphic design

The Role of Images in Support of Graphic Design Ideation

Graphic design is a discipline whose purpose is the creation of visual messages delivered to an audience, typically on behalf of a client. Practitioners of design are encouraged to demonstrate creativity in the execution of their work, and to develop and maintain awareness of visual culture to enable them to create works that are likely to be effective in their intended purpose. As a discipline involving communication between humans, the task is further complicated through the presence of many unknowns, poorly defined or emergent problems and constraints. Within this context, this thesis examines whether it is possible to support graphic designers during ideation through the provision of relevant images, with consideration of the influence on both creative output and process. In this work, a selection of literature is examined informing a background for understanding graphic design, creativity, visual language and predicted image effects, then further literature regarding identifying image needs is evaluated, together with methods applied by other researchers for evaluating design ideation. In addition, the prior work is identified suggesting theory, methods and results for determination of image needs, as well as the measurement of effects upon process. Developing from the reviewed literature, the thesis then presents full descriptions of methods applied and results obtained from three studies of design; the first study identifies specific roles that images are determined to play within the practice of professional graphic designers operating within New Zealand; the two following studies then examine the effects of supplying those images upon design output and process through laboratory experiments involving graphic design students working on typical graphic design tasks. Finally, the results of all three studies are discussed in relation to the research plan and literature; the thesis conclusion being that based upon the evidence, images representing the aesthetic tastes of the client and market do not consistently influence ideation output, however, they are shown to have a measurable influence upon the ideation process of the designer and that it is, therefore, possible to support design ideation through provision of images

Bring your own heritage: final project report.

Public libraries have traditionally played a role in the acquisition and curation of local studies collections, and cultural heritage is recognised as a core area of activity for libraries aiming to increase patron numbers (Danish Agency for Libraries and Media, 2010). Developments in digital technologies present libraries with new opportunities to enhance this area of strength and expertise. For example, crowdsourcing, gaming and laser scanning could be used to increase engagement and to enable more people to both access and contribute to these collections (Laing and Scott, 2011; Nicholson, 2013; Czarnecki, 2010). Libraries are increasingly becoming spaces where knowledge is created and shared, and many are making use of collaborative and social technologies to encourage this (Paulus, 2011). Our project was conducted in partnership with Moray Council in Elgin, in the Northeast of Scotland. It has a rich history dating back to the 12th century - but, like many areas, it is facing challenges. The library service in the local authority area of Moray has been threatened with cuts, with four local branches earmarked for closure (BBC, 2013). The main aim of this research was to investigate the opportunities and challenges for libraries to develop their role as facilitators of community heritage curation through the development of IT utilities, such as laser scanning and gaming

(Re)presenting heritage: laser scanning and 3D visualisations for cultural resilience and community engagement.

Cultural heritage is increasingly being viewed as an economic asset for geographic areas who aim to capitalise in the surge in interest in local history and heritage tourism from members of the public. Digital technologies have developed that facilitate new forms of engagement with heritage and allow local areas to showcase their history, potentially broadening interest to a wider audience, thus acting as a driver for cultural and economic resilience. The research presented in this paper explores this through interdisciplinary research utilising laser scanning and visualisation in combination with social research in Elgin. 3D data capture technologies were used to develop and test 3D data visualisations and protocols through which the urban built heritage can be digitally recorded. The main focus of this paper surrounds the application and perceptions of these technologies. Findings suggest that the primary driver for cultural heritage developments was economic (with an emphasis on tourism) but further benefits and key factors of community engagement, social learning and cultural resilience were also reported. Stakeholder engagement and partnership working, in particular, were identified as critical factors of success. The findings from the community engagement events demonstrate that laser scanning and visualisation provide a novel and engaging mechanism for co-producing heritage assets. There is a high level of public interest in such technologies and users who engaged with these models reported that they gained new perspectives (including spatial and temporal perspectives) on the built heritage of the area

Inconsistent analytic strategies reduce robustness in fear extinction via skin conductance response

Robustness of fear conditioning and extinction paradigms has become increasingly important for many researchers interested in improving the study of anxiety and trauma disorders. We recently illustrated the wide variability in data analysis techniques in this paradigm, which we argued may result in lack of robustness. In the current study, we resampled data from six of our own fear acquisition and extinction datasets, with skin conductance as the outcome. In the resampled and original datasets, we found that effect sizes that were calculated using discrepant statistical strategies, sourced from a non-exhaustive search of high-impact articles, were often poorly correlated. The main contributors to poor correlations were selection of trials from different stages of each experimental phase and use of averaged compared to trial-by-trial analysis. These findings reinforce the importance of focusing on robustness in psychophysiological measurement of fear acquisition and extinction in the laboratory and may guide prospective researchers in which decisions may most impact the robustness of their results

Discarded livers tested by normothermic machine perfusion in the VITTAL trial:Secondary end points and 5-year outcomes

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) enables pretransplant assessment of high-risk donor livers. The VITTAL trial demonstrated that 71% of the currently discarded organs could be transplanted with 100% 90-day patient and graft survivals. Here, we report secondary end points and 5-year outcomes of this prospective, open-label, phase 2 adaptive single-arm study. The patient and graft survivals at 60 months were 82% and 72%, respectively. Four patients lost their graft due to nonanastomotic biliary strictures, one caused by hepatic artery thrombosis in a liver donated following brain death, and 3 in elderly livers donated after circulatory death (DCD), which all clinically manifested within 6 months after transplantation. There were no late graft losses for other reasons. All the 4 patients who died during the study follow-up had functioning grafts. Nonanastomotic biliary strictures developed in donated after circulatory death livers that failed to produce bile with pH &gt;7.65 and bicarbonate levels &gt;25 mmol/L. Histological assessment in these livers revealed high bile duct injury scores characterized by arterial medial necrosis. The quality of life at 6 months significantly improved in all but 4 patients suffering from nonanastomotic biliary strictures. This first report of long-term outcomes of high-risk livers assessed by normothermic machine perfusion demonstrated excellent 5-year survival without adverse effects in all organs functioning beyond 1 year (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02740608).</p

Advancing One Health:Updated core competencies

International audienceAbstract One Health recognises the interdependence between the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment. With the increasing inclusion of One Health in multiple global health strategies, the One Health workforce must be prepared to protect and sustain the health and well-being of life on the planet. In this paper, a review of past and currently accepted One Health core competencies was conducted, with competence gaps identified. Here, the Network for Ecohealth and One Health (NEOH) propose updated core competencies designed to simplify what can be a complex area, grouping competencies into three main areas of: Skills; Values and Attitudes; and Knowledge and Awareness; with several layers underlying each. These are intentionally applicable to stakeholders from various sectors and across all levels to support capacity-building efforts within the One Health workforce. The updated competencies from NEOH can be used to evaluate and enhance current curricula, create new ones, or inform professional training programs at all levels, including students, university teaching staff, or government officials as well as continual professional development for frontline health practitioners and policy makers. The competencies are aligned with the new definition of One Health developed by the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), and when supported by subjectspecific expertise, will deliver the transformation needed to prevent and respond to complex global challenges. One Health Impact Statement Within a rapidly changing global environment, the need for practitioners competent in integrated approaches to health has increased substantially. Narrow approaches may not only limit opportunities for global and local solutions but, initiatives that do not consider other disciplines or social, economic and cultural contexts, may result in unforeseen and detrimental consequences. In keeping with principles of One Health, the Network for Ecohealth and One Health (NEOH) competencies entail a collaborative effort between multiple disciplines and sectors. They focus on enabling practitioners, from any background, at any level or scale of involvement, to promote and support a transformation to integrated health approaches. The updated competencies can be layered with existing disciplinary competencies and used to evaluate and enhance current education curricula, create new ones, or inform professional training programs at all levels-including for students, teachers and government officials as well as continual professional development for frontline health practitioners and policymakers. The competencies outlined here are applicable to all professionals and disciplines who may contribute to One Health, and are complimentary to, not a replacement for, any discipline-specific competencies. We believe the NEOH competencies meet the need outlined by the Quadripartite’s (Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations Environment Programme, World Health Organisation, World Organisation for Animal Health) Joint Plan of Action on One Health which calls for cross-sectoral competencies

Future directions in international financial integration research. A crowdsourced perspective

This paper is the result of a crowdsourced effort to surface perspectives on the present and future direction of international finance. The authors are researchers in financial economics who attended the INFINITI 2017 conference in the University of Valencia in June 2017 and who participated in the crowdsourcing via the Overleaf platform. This paper highlights the actual state of scientific knowledge in a multitude of fields in finance and proposes different directions for future research