Information Design - Project 1
Ruchira Nowreen || 0347111
Major: Bachelor of Software Engineering || Minor: Creative Media Design
|| Taylor's University
Information Design GCD 60504 || Section 2
Week 3 || 20/02/24 - 27/02/24
Project 1: Instructable Infographics poster (20%)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lecture
Project 1: Instructable Infographics poster
Project 1: Instructable Infographics poster
- Overview
- Research
- Visual References
- Recipe Breakdown
- Sketch
- Digitization
- Modification Based On Feedback
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Final Outcome
INSTRUCTIONS
Figure 1: Module information booklet
LECTURE
In the first week of our module, our lecturers presented us with a
comprehensive lecture and provided detailed briefings on all the tasks
we will be undertaking throughout the course. They outlined the
objectives, expectations, and timelines for each task, ensuring that we
have a clear understanding of the requirements and how to approach them.
This initial briefing was crucial in setting the foundation for our
learning journey, helping us to organize our time effectively and
prepare for the upcoming challenges.
Figure 2: Lecture Slide - Exercise & Assignment brief
PROJECT 1: INSTRUCTABLE INFOGRAPHIC POSTER (20%)
Overview
The task was to create an infographic poster for a recipe from Pasta
Grannies, showcasing the preparation and cooking process in a clear and
visually appealing manner. The infographic was required to capture the
personality of the Grandma featured in the selected video and highlight
the unique aspects of her dish.
Infographics are powerful tools for presenting complex information
quickly and clearly, using symbols, charts, and diagrams. The goal was to
educate the audience while simplifying the context and representing
information graphically. The infographic was expected to be fun and easy
to understand, following the principle that "a picture is worth a thousand
words."
Key objectives included transmitting a set of instructions for the
recipe, educating the audience about the Grandma's dish, using symbols,
charts, and diagrams to simplify and present information graphically,
reflecting the Information Design Framework, including information type,
device, principles (e.g., LATCH), and aesthetics (e.g., isometric,
simplified illustrations), and utilizing photo editing/illustration
software to create graphs, charts, and diagrams. The poster size was
specified to be 1240 × 1750 pixels or 2048 × 2048 pixels.
Pasta Grannies YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/pastagrannies/videos?authuser=0
Research
I started the project by reviewing Pasta Grannies videos on YouTube to find
a suitable recipe for the infographic poster. After careful consideration, I
decided to focus on the recipe titled "94 yr old Maria makes tagliatelle
with tomato sauce." Below, I'm attaching the link to the YouTube video for
reference.
Figure 3: YouTube Video From Pasta Grannies
Recipe Breakdown
Dough
Ingredients:
- 400g 00 flour
- 4 duck eggs
Steps:
- Scramble the eggs with fingers and draw in the flour to form a dough
- Knead the dough
- Pull the dough into pieces before making it whole again to make the dough softer
- Press the dough into a flat pasta sheet
- The finished pasta sheet should be about a millimeter thick and left to dry a little
- When the sheet is dry enough, dust some flour over the pasta sheet and then double roll it, folding one side over the other
- Slice the pasta sheet into ribbons and fluff them so they won’t stick
- Add salt to the pasta water
- Add Tagliatelle/pasta to the water and leave for 1 minute to cook
Tomato sauce
Ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 400ml passata or 1kg fresh tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 carrot
- Handful of basil leaves
- 2 celery sticks
- Salt
Steps:
- Soften the garlic and the onion into plenty of extra virgin olive oil
- Add blended ripen tomatoes or passata
- Add uncut celery and carrot with plenty of basil leaves (remove before serving)
- Add salt after a while
Final step:
- Mix the sauce and the pasta in the serving dish
- Grate some Parmesan cheese as the final touch
Visual References
To gather design inspiration, I explored cooking instruction infographic posters on the web. I utilized platforms such as Freepik and Pinterest for this purpose. While browsing, I came across several noteworthy examples, and below, I'll showcase the most impressive ones that caught my eye.
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| Figure 4: Visual references for infographic posters |
Sketch
Following this, I proceeded to sketch out a rough layout for my poster,
drawing inspiration from the visual references I had collected. This initial
sketch helped me visualize how to arrange the elements on the poster to
achieve the desired visual impact and convey the information
effectively.
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| Figure 5: Rough sketch of the infographic poster |
Digitization
I began the process by utilizing Adobe Illustrator to collect and organize
the information and images I had gathered. I started by creating separate
artboards for each ingredient, where I placed pictures and relevant
information. This initial step allowed me to lay the foundation for the
infographic, ensuring that all necessary elements were gathered and
structured in a clear and organized manner for easy access and decision
making for the final poster.
I meticulously collected diverse vector art elements essential for this
project from reputable websites like Freepik and Pinterest, adhering to Mr.
Fauzi's guidance. This process involved scouring these platforms to find
high-quality illustrations and graphics that would enhance the visual appeal
and clarity of my infographic poster. By selecting elements from these
sources, I ensured that my design would be both engaging and informative,
providing a comprehensive and visually appealing representation of the
tagliatelle recipe.
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| Figure 6: Relevant elements 1 |
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Next, I proceeded to organize the elements on my canvas, which was
sized at 1240 × 1750 pixels. I explored various layout options,
experimenting with different arrangements to determine the most
effective and visually appealing way to convey the recipe to the
audience. This process involved carefully placing each element to
ensure that the infographic was both informative and engaging,
capturing the essence of the recipe in a clear and aesthetically
pleasing manner.
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| Figure 9: Rough Layout 1 |
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| Figure 10: Rough layout 2 |
I created posters with three different backgrounds, aiming to explore
which one was the most visually appealing. This process involved
experimenting with different colors, patterns, and textures to see how
they complemented the content of the infographic. In addition to
the collected elements, I incorporated some of my own illustrations to
add a personal touch and reflect my unique style. By creating multiple
versions, I could compare and evaluate each one to determine which
background enhanced the overall presentation and readability of the
poster.
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| Figure 11: Posters with 3 different backgrounds |
After careful consideration, I selected one of the backgrounds as the
most suitable and proceeded to add the step-by-step recipe to the
infographic poster. This involved incorporating each cooking step into
the design, ensuring that the information was presented clearly and
logically. The chosen background complemented the recipe, enhancing its
visual appeal and making it easier for the audience to follow
along.
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| Figure 12: Adding step-by-step instructions to the chosen poster |
Below, I present my initial infographic poster for the tagliatelle recipe
before I received any feedback on my work.
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| Figure 13: Final Poster (Before Modification) |
In this poster, I have clearly depicted the cooking instructions as a
step-by-step process. I incorporated numbering (1-8) and arrows to
facilitate easy understanding, guiding the viewer through each stage of
the recipe in a logical and intuitive manner.
The steps included in the recipe are as follows:
- Scramble the eggs and mix with the flour to form a dough.
- Knead the dough well.
- Press the dough into a 1mm thick pasta sheet.
- Allow it to dry slightly, then slice into ribbons and fluff to prevent sticking.
- Chop 5 garlic cloves and cut an onion in half.
- Sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil, then add the passata. Also add the uncut celery, carrot, and basil (remove before serving), and season with salt.
- Cook the pasta for 1 minute.
- Mix the cooked Tagliatelle with the tomato sauce, and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Saul Wurman's L.A.T.C.H. Method:
- Location: The infographic clearly indicates the location of each step (using numbers from 1 to 8) in the recipe, guiding users through the sequence of actions required indicated by the yellow arrows.
- Alphabet: Alphabetization is not directly relevant to this poster.
- Time: The infographic provides estimated times for the steps mentioned by the granny in her recipe video, helping users manage their time effectively while cooking.
- Category: Ingredients and steps are categorized into sections such as "Pasta Preparation," & "Tomato Sauce Preparation," making it easier for users to follow the recipe's flow.
- Hierarchy: The infographic is structured hierarchically, emphasizing main steps such as preparing dough and making sauce over sub-steps like seasoning. To enhance the hierarchy more, I used a gradient background, transitioning from lighter to darker shades for each step, guiding the viewer from primary to final steps.
Miller's Law:
- The infographic respects Miller's Law by presenting information in manageable chunks, breaking down the recipe into distinct sections and steps.
- Each section contains a limited number of items, ensuring that users can easily understand and remember each step without feeling overwhelmed.
By incorporating these principles, the recipe infographic effectively
communicates the recipe in a clear and organized manner, making it easier
for users to follow and replicate the dish successfully.
Modifications Based On Feedback
Later, after receiving feedback from Mr. Fauzi, I have made some changes
to my poster to make it more visually appealing. Below I shall showcase
the modifications.
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| Figure 14: Modified Artboards on Adobe Illustrator |
Here are the four modification steps I took based on Mr. Fauzi's
feedback:
- I enlarged the main dish to highlight it more effectively.
- I changed the background colors of each step's bubbles, as Mr. Fauzi suggested that some of them were not standing out enough.
- I changed the background to enhance the overall visual appeal.
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Lastly, I added another section called "Preparation to
Serve".
Below, I present my poster after making the above mentioned
modifications. The main dish has been enlarged to create a focal
point, capturing the viewer's attention. Each step's background
bubbles now feature more vibrant colors, ensuring they stand out
effectively. The overall background has been changed to enhance the
poster's visual appeal, creating a more cohesive and engaging
design.
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Figure 15: Revising the poster (After Modifications) |
However, in this poster (figure 15), I have noticed that the background was distracting the infographic. Also, the green arrows were too highlighted. Hence, I went on modifying again!
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| Figure 16: Revising the poster (After Modifications) |
In this version of the poster (figure 16), I made the background
plain so the elements are more visible and changed the colour of
the arrow to be more muted. However, I noticed that the
instructions or fonts were not standing out or appeared dull.
Therefore, I decided to modify them again, as per Mr. Fauzi's
instruction, to ensure that the infographic poster has clear fonts
and instructions.
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Final Outcome
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In this finalized version of the poster, the background appeared to
be quite neat and clean, clear and bold fonts, the hierarchy of the
8 steps is even more clearly distinguished, making it easier for the
audience to understand the sequence of actions. Additionally, the
size of the graphics for each of the 3 phases (Pasta preparation,
Tomato sauce preparation, and Preparation to serve) has been
improved. This enhancement helps viewers identify the order of steps
more effectively compared to the previous poster, which only had two
phases (Pasta preparation and Tomato sauce preparation).
For the poster concept, I've designed the steps to show the
necessary cooking instructions in a concise manner. To keep the
poster neat and organized, I've excluded the ingredient measurements
from the step instructions and instead mentioned them on the
illustration itself. Additionally, I've maintained a trend in the
illustration size for each step, with major steps being larger than
initial steps and the final dish being the largest. At the bottom,
I've included the "Buon Appetito" tag to add an Italian essence to
the poster.
In this infographic poster, I couldn't include all the
measurements for every ingredient because not all measurements
were provided in the Pasta Grannies' YouTube video. However, I
included all the necessary steps and ingredients that were
mentioned.
The revised steps in the final poster:
- Scramble the eggs and mix with the flour to form a dough.
- Knead the dough well.
- Press the dough into a 1mm thick pasta sheet.
- Allow the pasta sheet to dry slightly, then fold & slice it into ribbons.
- Chop 5 garlic cloves and cut an onion in half.
- Sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil, then add the passata. Also add the uncut celery, carrot, and basil (remove before serving), and season with salt.
- Cook the pasta for 1 minute.
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Mix the cooked pasta with the tomato sauce, and serve with
grated Parmesan cheese.
FEEDBACK
- Organize the information into sections.
- Begin with a short description paragraph.
- Include ingredients' images.
- Provide a step-by-step process.
- Start by gathering information.
- Then, create the infographic.
- Consider changing the colors to a darker background for steps 1-4 to
make them more prominent.
- Emphasize the main final dish, the pasta, by making it larger.
- Establish a clear hierarchy: pasta should be the largest element,
followed by sauce preparation as the second largest, and dough preparation
as the third largest.
- Discuss the feedback and modifications in the e-portfolio.
- The new design is significantly improved; consider using it as the
final poster.
REFLECTION
Project 1, creating an instructable infographic poster for a Pasta
Grannies recipe, has been an insightful and rewarding experience. This
project challenged me to combine creativity with precision, ensuring that
the infographic effectively communicated the recipe's steps and
ingredients in a visually appealing manner.
One of the key learnings from this project was the importance of
attention to detail. From the initial research and sketching phase to the
final design and modification stages, every aspect of the poster required
careful consideration. Ensuring that each step was accurately depicted,
and that the design elements were cohesive and engaging, was crucial in
creating a successful infographic.
Another important takeaway from this project was the value of
incorporating feedback. Presenting my initial design to Mr. Fauzi and
receiving his feedback was instrumental in improving the poster. His
suggestions helped me identify areas for improvement and make the
necessary adjustments to enhance the poster's visual appeal and
clarity.
Additionally, this project highlighted the importance of effective
communication in design. The infographic needed to convey complex
information in a simple and easy-to-understand format. By utilizing
symbols, charts, and diagrams, I was able to simplify the recipe's
instructions and present them in a way that was accessible to a wide
audience.
Overall, Project 1 was a valuable learning experience that allowed me to
apply design principles in a practical setting. It challenged me to think
creatively, communicate effectively, and pay attention to detail, skills
that will be invaluable in my future design projects.
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