Tech in Visual Design

Overview

In this website, you will explore different tech innovations in this field, along with previewing my ideas of what the future tech would hold.

Brief info about Visual Design

Visual Design is an industry where people make their designs aesthetically pleasing with modern trends such as textures, typography, color, shapes, form, and other design principles.
Designers there have skills of creativity, professionalism, communication with their team, and being open-minded.
They’re also problem solvers as they collaborate with other companies in making products to solve issues in our community.
Their goal is to visually present their projects to the public in an efficient and attractive way to get the audience roped in their ideas.

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Connection between Visual Design and Tech

I know what a lot of people are thinking - technology has nothing to do with Visual Design, they just draw and add colors on an actual poster board like kids use for science fair projects, that’s why it’s called visual.
That’s true, they do present their ideas visually. However, through the process of planning out their ideas and organizing their info, technology is indeed involved.
It helps designers work on their communication method with their team, improves quality while designing their products, keeps them motivated to try out new things, and it helps get feedback faster through social media and websites.
Because of the tech sources they have in making their designs, it can somehow motivate others to make their own designs too.

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Current tech in this field (from oldest to most recent)

ML (Machine Learning) and AI (Artificial Intelligence)

The phrase “Machine Learning” was brought up in 1952 by Arthur Samuel, who developed a computer program for playing checkers. It was based on a model of brain cell interaction in a book The Organization of Behavior written in 1949 by Donald Hebb.
However, Artificial Intelligence was first proposed by John McCarthy in 1955. Later in that year, the first artificial intelligence computer program was created by a researcher, Allen Newell, an economist, Hebert Simon, and a programmer, Cliff Shaw.
Designers who use artificial intelligence can create their designs efficiently and fast by using an algorithm to tell the computer what design should pop up as they input their ideas, basically programming.
AI also analyzes data that designers input and give design suggestions for them to make their projects on point. Overall, it’s like an “assistant” for designers to make their creations successful.
Machine learning also helps with AI in visual design. It takes a mountain of historical data and locates patterns that an algorithm can recognize in new data it receives. From there, it can identify and categorize information the way designers wanted it to be.
The important thing about ML is that it plays a huge part in the process of designing. It’s a go-to fundamental design material on designers’ creations. Because of their help, they can develop bigger ideas in the future.

Adobe Illustrator

Designers would tend to use many types of designing apps when picking a design template and adding creations to help with their thought process.
Adobe Illustrator is a common and popular design software (along with an app called Adobe Illustrator Draw) that was created by the founder of the Adobe System, John Warnock, in 1987 only for Apple Macintosh. Then in 1989, it was available for Microsoft Windows and other computer brands.
This software allows people to draw, mix, and refine designs to create something spectacular. Creations of artworks, posters, and icons are being developed for trading business cards, making their company’s website, and creating billboards to highlight their products for people to see and be interested in.
The importance of Adobe Illustrator in visual design lets designers express their ideas and creativity through making aesthetic logos, cartoon characters, drawing info, 3D graphics, and much more by using the tools provided in this software. Without it, it wouldn’t be easy for them to vision their projects in a world of art.
It continues to expand to this day, giving designers benefits and tips on how they can use their imagination and modify ideas into their creations.

FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)

Most creations that designers create are from 3D printing, which was created by Charles Hull in the mid-1980s.
Then in 1989, the founder of Stratasys, Scott Crump, created one of the most common 3D printing technologies, FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling). However, it was finally issued in 1992, marking it as a start of intense development in technology.
This type of 3D printing allows designers with new product development, along with making prototypes and product-manufacturing. Although it’s a simple use of a machine, designers can make complex shapes and patterns in their creations at a high performance level.
What’s great about FDM is that it’s the only technology that uses production-grade thermoplastics, meaning that it can print products with excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical attributes and are more likely to be durable and stable.
Additionally, this machine can provide unnecessary waste for the model and can print 90% or more hollow parts which reduces not only materials but energy as well. So really, it’s beneficial for our environment as well.

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Possible future tech innovations

VR (Virtual Reality)

Virtual Reality is a use of technology that creates a stimulating environment. Users would wear headsets and put themselves in a 3D world, where they interact with animated characters/objects they see. Most kids would use it to play video games and also tech companies to develop ideas for later use.
When designers showcase their projects to the public, they can use VR for audiences to join and interact with products they created. People can test out their products to see if they think it’s helpful or not and it’s also fun and creative exploring ideas in another dimension rather than just touring around in an old boring museum.

AR (Augmented Reality)

Augmented Reality is slightly similar to Virtual Reality, you can still interact with 3D animated characters and objects but the environment is real life. Some games are associated with AR like Pokemon GO, Ingress, Zombies Run, Harry Potter: Wizard Unite, Minecraft Earth, etc. It can also be used for marketing and lets people perform their tasks easily and quickly rather than using instructions manuals.
Designers can let audiences interact with their products in a real world environment and get more information of how and why it’s beneficial in our society. Probably less entertaining, but still efficient for people to understand their ideas.

Home virtual assistants

Us human beings would have virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, Google home to help us get through the day. It helps us keep track of things we need to do and does what you say to make your life easier.
Designers can do this too, they can have virtual assistants that keep them up to date about their projects (ex: when the project is set to release, how many people viewed it, updates about their creations, etc.) and alert them about user’s questions/feedback. It can also give suggestions on similar projects ideas for future preferences.

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Creator of this website

Sanila Chowdhury

Email: sanilac6459@hstat.org

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