Slide:ology Notes

Slide:ology Notes

Chapter 7: Background, Color, and Text

• Ingredients of a Great Slide:
  • Careful selection of background, color, text, and images.
  • Consistency is key.

Background

• Background acts as a container or surface for visual elements.
  • Should serve the information, not compete with it.
• Keep backgrounds simple and clean.
• Backgrounds are a surface for digital assets; they should not be the object of focus.
• Backgrounds should never compete with content.

Traversing Flatland and Dimensions

• Graphics can be in 2D (little or no depth) or 3D (with shadows, lighting, and depth).
  • Choose one style.
• Laws of Environmental Consistency (for 3D):
  • Consistent vanishing point
  • Consistent light source
  • Consistent effect on the elements
• Establish perspective with consistent cone sizes.
• Shadow angles should be consistent with the light source.
• Elements need to align with the established vanishing point and lighting.

Creating a Sense of Space

• Consider how objects would look in real life with the established depth and lighting.
• Horizon and vanishing point influence object placement.

Determining the Light Source

• Light creates shadows and highlights.
• Maintain a consistent light source angle throughout the presentation.

Background Considerations

• Background should be subordinate to the content.
• Avoid adding distracting photos or images to the background.

Color

• Color sets the tone and expectations.
• Understanding the color wheel is crucial for harmonious palettes.
• Select colors with contrast that project well.

Color Wheel Definitions

• Hues: True colors
• Tints: Percentage of white added to a hue
• Shades: Percentage of black added to a hue

Using the Power of Color

• Monochromatic:
  • Variations of one color.
  • Requires black, white, and gray for contrast.
  • Select broad range of tints and shades.
• Analogous:
  • Colors touching on the wheel.
  • Creates warm or cool feeling.
• Complementary:
  • Colors from opposite ends of the wheel.
  • High contrast; limit to two colors to avoid clashing.
• Split Complementary:
  • Two colors on either side of a direct complement.
  • High contrast, less tension than complementary.
• Triadic:
  • Three equally spaced colors.
  • Can use tints or shades of one color.
• Tetradic:
  • Two pairs of complementary colors.
  • Difficult to harmonize if used equally; choose a dominant color.

Color Palette Examples

• Earthy: R 72, G 107, B 28; R 101, G 141, B 43; R144, G 193, B 62
• Strong: R 136, G20, B 119; R 196, G22, B 28; R 198, G 68, B 31
• Athletic: R202, G 108, B 24; RO, G 84, B 150
• Feminine: R144, G25, B 28; R 215, G 32, B 39; R243, G113, B 84
• Calm: RO, G 172, B179; RO, G 175, B 113; R136, G 198, B 91
• Regal: R 84, G 39, B 133; R 206, G 138, B 20; R 92, G 160, B 56
• Inviting: RO, G124, B 128; R123, G 10, B 107; R 206, G128, B 20
• Spirited: RO, G 82, B 149; R27, G 125, B 55; R138, G 13, B 16
• Retro: R202, G 103, B 32
• Playful: R 47, G 179, B 202; R 241, G 86, B 79; R 246, G 150, B 84
• Healthy: R13, G124, B 193; R 208, G 63, B 65; R252, G238, B 33
• Etc… (Additional color palettes provided; only a subset listed for brevity)

Choosing Your Colors

• Determine background color based on event formality and venue size.
• Ensure chosen palette contrasts with background and other colors.
• Perform a projection test.

Using Industry Color Palettes

• Determine audience and select an appealing color palette based on their personality.

Assembling a Color Palette

• Select 3-5 core colors from the color wheel, plus a neutral and a highlight color.
• Experiment with color combinations, tints, and shades.

Text

• Apply the 3-second rule for message processing.

Dissecting a Font

• Fonts have distinct personalities.
  • Serif Fonts
  • Sans Serif Fonts

Serif Fonts

• Intended for long sequences of words exceeding one line.
• Varying line weights aid in letter recognition.

Sans Serif Fonts

• Sans = without
• Bigger, bolder letterforms.
• Often used in children’s books due to simplicity.

Text Considerations

• Avoid two-line titles because of eye-travel distance.

Revealing Text

• Use lighter or darker shades of the background color to dim text.

Typesetting

• Typeset text, especially large words or text combined with images.

Typesetting Elements

• Ligatures: Joined letterforms
• Kerning: Adjusts space between individual letters.
• Letterspacing (Tracking): Space between letters affecting word density.

Typesetting a Block of Text

• Each bullet point is a new paragraph.
• Paragraph spacing determines the gap between text blocks.

Chapter 8: Images

• Image selection fundamentals and stylistic insights.

Assembling an Image System

• Focuses on photography and illustration.
• Create a reusable component library for efficiency.

Photography

• Select a family of images with similar lighting and color tones.
• Favor realism over staged or metaphorical photography.

The Rule of Thirds

• Divide photo into thirds vertically and horizontally.
• Creates balanced, energetic, and interesting compositions.

Illustrations

• Lines play an important role; they are the foundation of an illustration
• Lines have width, type and textures, each displaying different temperament
• Straight line with sharp corners have a more direct and analytical feel
• A curvy line is mre playful and casual

Stylizing Diagrams and Illustrations

• Standardize texture, light source, or pattern.
• Diagrams can be stylized differently but express the same meaning.