Visualising Data

Using data from a test me and my class took a couple of weeks ago, we were each given results from a different question and had to visualise the data so that it looked more interesting and was effective in showing the results. I aimed to make my poster a literal version of the question so that it shows a student on a computer (supposedly using the internet). The data is shown on the computer screen. I think that it stands out and looks fairly colourful and intreguing, however there are some flaws. Next time I would like to take more care into planning the poster before making so I have an idea in my head of what I want it to look like. Therefore next time I will sketch out a design on paper. I will also take more consideration into colours I use which could involve researching what different colours connote and which colours compliment each other. Lastly I would like to include more elements made from scratch by me. In this poster I make the iMac and Pie Chart from scratch, however the silhoutte was sourced from google images.

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is a program used commonly by artists and graphic designers which can be used to create digital imagery. Within the program the user has the ability to create anything from freehand drawings to graphs and logos. Images created within the program are vector images which means they can be scaled to any size without losing quality. Instead of remembering pixels the program remembers shapes. When shapes are made in Illustrator they have a path.

Paths are lines created in illustrator when something is drawn or created. They are made up one or more curved or straight lines that can be altered with great accuracy. Each segment has an anchor point at each end, which can be used to change the shape of a path or position of a segment. Anchor points can also be dragged to change the curvature of a segment.

Once a shape has been made it's appearence can be manipulated by changing the fill and stroke. The stroke of an object is it's outline and within Illustrator you can change it's thickness and colour in the stroke panel. You can also change it's apperance by giving the line a different style like denim stitching or making it dashed. Lastly the stroke panel can further alter the stroke by changing how the ends and corners of paths look (e.g. curved/bevelled/arrowheads). The fill is what goes inside of the object and it can be a colour or pattern. The fill can be selected at the bottom of the toolbar.