> On May 13, 2015, at 10:13 AM, Ken Friedman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> It is sometimes necessary to support words with drawings and other forms of information, but there is no way around words.
[snip]
> or multimedia presentations. Whatever the medium, to communicate research ideas, researchers must use words to communicate the meta-narrative of research.
[snip]
> communicating design ideas often works best by using two-dimensional and three-dimensional artifacts. Even then, however, designers use words
[snip]
> One of Horn’s most interesting points is that visual language requires the tightly coupled, appropriate use of both words and images. Neither words nor images alone constitute visual language.
I share Ken's admiration of words. They are very useful, indeed.
I mentioned Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics" in a post about drawing. (It is, as far as I'm concerned, one of the better books about visual communication--or communication in general.) I wish I were near my copy so I could scan and include the part where he depicts "show and tell" in grade school with the eight year old version of Scott saying "It does this. . ." while manipulating the toy he is showing.
I'm probably showing my narrow graphic designer view of things when I say that effective combinations of words and not-words are too rare. Whether working directly together (as in Scott's toy demo) or creating a counterpoint, abandoning the idea or pictures decorating or even just demonstrating the words may serve to advance communication. (I just ordered Horn's book. Thanks for the tip, Ken.)
And if we manage to collectively advance more sophisticated word/non-word combination, we might be rid of PowerPoint talks where the slides consist of the speech being recited or animated type videos where words dance onto the screen but do nothing other than literally reiterate the soundtrack.
> Designers who want to communicate design may not need to write.
Maybe not but it would be foolish to try.
Gunnar
Gunnar Swanson
East Carolina University
graphic design program
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cfac/soad/graphic/index.cfm
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Gunnar Swanson Design Office
1901 East 6th Street
Greenville NC 27858
USA
http://www.gunnarswanson.com
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+1 252 258-7006
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