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.