>> Welcome to Session 4.
This week in the design lectures, we'll be looking
at the concepts of layers, framing, and binary opposition.
These three concepts will help you understand what you need
to understand to be able
to do the Design Basics Project II using the concept of framing.
So, first of all, layers.
Layers are pretty basic idea.
They shouldn't be too hard to understand,
because they're everywhere.
We see them, you know, throughout,
you know, everywhere we look.
We see objects in front of other objects.
It's basically that idea.
Layers are simultaneous, overlapping components
in an image or a sequence.
And we see them in the physical world, as it says here.
So, also, in the textbook, it points out an application
like Photoshop, but also Illustrator and InDesign.
We create new layers whenever we want to put texts or images
in front or behind each other, or to interact with each other.
We can use things like filters, and masks, and multiplication
to have these layers interact with each other
and not simply be in front of each other.
And working with layered files, designers can create a lot
of variations of their design to test out,
to see which ones work the best.
So, we'll be learning
about layers using Adobe InDesign plenty throughout
the semester.
To look at some examples of layering, this is a piece of art
where we can see the different illustrations of hands layered
in front of the flag-like background,
but then we also see different pieces of paper with text
on them, layered in front of that,
and then white type layered in front of that.
And all of these different layers
of elements create a dynamic depth to the design.
Everything is just not flat on the same layer.
Here's another one that's a little more digital.
And it's making, again, with type being sort of cut
up like a collage with other graphics,
a screwdriver and a sharpie.
But the way that they're pasted into place and this use
of thin hand-drawn type lines help, again, to create a sense
of depth to the design.
Here is an experiment with printing, green, red--
two shades of green and orange and red
over each other to interact.
And we can see these trim lines or registration lines
in the corners indicate that this is out of registration.
So, it creates an interesting juxtaposition
of these colors interacting and overlapping
with each other in different ways.
Here's another one.
This is an example of what might happen in a print shop
with screen printing, where sort of an accidental collage
of using the same paper to test out different elements
of a print job on top of each other.
They're sort of randomly interacting with color
and transparency to create a really dynamic
and intriguing sort of design.
This is a sample from the textbook as well where it talks
about the type of an exercise
where three different narratives are taking place
in a conversation.
And so, the these different texts, these lines of text,
the larger ones that have different size,
with words emphasized in red are actually he and she
to show this dialogue, but also these lines interacting
with those lines at a different angle and then another column
of tags with a different slightly heavier font.
And so, these are three different things happening,
a dialogue, instructions on preparing a coffee,
and a news broadcast text, all interacting with each other
at different layers of visual information or text information.
Maps are a great example, especially a map like this,
where it's a flight map, where it shows a lot of interaction
between land, water, dividing areas of counties and cities,
as well as in red flight paths and an airport information.
So really, a fascinating, almost a piece of art
with all these different kinds of information layered on top
of each other in different colors.
Here's an example.
Huh, that's funny.
It looks like I'm wearing a hat.
Anyway, this is an example of a design I did
for the Harris Center with this we called Three Stages.
And this is for a multipage brochure.
This is a left-right page spread.
And there's a lot of layering going on here,
layering of information, text on top of text up on the top here,
as well as here, color, transparent color with text here
over the photo, the plop quote here over that part.
And then if I'm going to move out of the way, this guy's head,
as a secondary photo, cut out
and overlapping the red bar with the text.
So, there's three layers of information happening here,
as well as the plop quote.
And then even within these smaller sections
of text right here, we have a title,
a subtitle, and a descriptor.
So, that is three layers of information indicated
through color, size, and formatting of the text.
As well as in each of these four columns of text,
there is different layering of information, a larger title,
a smaller description, a smaller yet date, time, ticket prices.
And that pattern of layered information repeats over
and over in each column.
As well as, lastly, these two indicators indicating different
ticket packages with color.
So, that's another layer of information indicated
through the logo and the color coding of the logo.
So, you couldn't put all of this information
about four different events, photos, text, dates, times,
prices, descriptions all on these two pages
without some well-thought-out layering of that information.
Here's another design, an old news interview cover I did.
And in here, if we just zero in on the cover story,
The New Nukes, just the design of that element, we have--
indicates a juxtaposition of this yellow-textured art
with this pink image behind.
And this cut out with this drop shadow effect creates a very
almost believable-- in a flat, static print,
almost a believable two to three dimensionality
with that shadow looking, like it's a cut
out from the yellow layer to the pink layer.
As well as a lot of layering of different textures
and visual information just within the yellow area.
The black title layers over the background-- yellow background,
yet there are parts of the yellow background
that breakthrough and come in front of the black title.
So, there's that complex interplay
of different visual elements and text
to create a layered effect here creating depth.
But then, within the overall total design, the four-fifths
of the cover on the left dedicated to the branding
of the publication and the cover story.
But then, one-fifth of information
on the right is the secondary articles and teasers,
so that there's a layering of information
between the main dominant element
and the secondary elements.
But then, even within the pink bar, there's layering
of information, each one has a title of a varying size
and font weight, but each one also has a secondary line
indicating where in the paper and what page number they--
that article can be found.
So, there are different levels of layers happening
within this cover, a lot going on.
But by carefully organizing the hierarchy within the layering
of information, one thing stands out here.
But then, the secondary pink bar is secondary
to the primary element.
But then, within there, even smaller amounts of layering.
So, you can see controlling the design of use
of layers is really helpful
in creating a strong, complex design.
And then finally, this graphic from the textbook--
from the classroom in a book indicates how layers work
within the document, within an InDesign document,
within the layers panel, how the lower elements of a design,
the background of a design is a lower layer
and the foreground elements in the design, this phone
and the text, are upper layers above the background.
And within each layer, there are individual items
or elements of the design.
So, this layer panel in InDesign,
similar to a layer panel in Illustrator and Photoshop,
helped the designer organize and compartmentalize elements
of the design from a back to front orientation indicated
from a bottom to top orientation in the panel.
We'll learn more about that in the tools lectures.