Artist, graphic designer, & tech consultant in Nelson County, VA
Category:Illustration
These are posts featuring illustrations designed by John LeMasney. In general, unless otherwise noted, they are licensed CC-Attribution, cc-by lemasney, and should contain a citation and linkback.
38 of 365 - exposure effect by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
38 of 365 – exposure effect by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
Exposure effect says that a repeated exposure to an image or concept with an initially neutral response will have a more favorable response over time and with repetition. For example, part of the positive effect on viewers of propaganda or advertising is that people see the same messages repeated over and over. When there is a neutral or positive response at first exposure, the repeated viewings or exposures will have a positive likability effect on the exposed. Eventually, the exposure effect weakens because of boredom or normalcy. Exposure effect is commonly noted with meaningful quotes, jingles, photos, songs, art, people, and ads.
In this illustration, I decided to illustrate a favorite zen quote:
In walking, just walk.
In sitting, just sit. Above
all, don’t wobble.
36 of 365 - errors design principle by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
36 of 365 – errors design principle by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
Errors are a part of design because designers need to consider that users may try to use their design in unintended ways, and try to offer guidance or reminders about how to use a system correctly.
In general, there are two kinds of errors: Slips and Mistakes.
Slips occur when a user does something out of unconscious habit, such as driving past a turn on a commonly traveled route towards a well-known destination, or visiting a website that they visit all the time, when trying to get to a new one. An example of a preventable slip in software is when you use the word attachment in your Gmail, but don’t add an attachment, Gmail reminds you that you may want to add the attachment before sending.
Mistakes, however, occur when a user makes a conscious mistake, like driving too far into a parking space and bumping the front of your car. Cars can prevent this kind of issue with alarms that let you know when you are about to run into something while parking or backing up.
In this illustration, I created an error dialog that makes the user admit that they are sure that they want to remove a lot of potentially precious data.
34 of 365 - entry point design principle by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
34 of 365 – entry point design principle by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
The entry point design principle is about making your entry point a place for your user to get past, then enter the deeper space of your place, product, or site. There are a few things to keep in mind in designing a good entry point: Low barriers to entry, incentives to drive users past the entry point, and strong clues about intended navigation or navigation options. A prime example of a great physical entry point is a store that does not interrupt your entry with any sensory interruption, like high traffic between users and the space, or lemonade-stand style interruptions as you enter. Navigation cues should be especially easy to figure out in a store or web site, and should not compete with advertisements or other distractions. There should be incentives for the user to go deeper, such as reminders of popular products or services, and invitations to use them.
In my illustration, I decided to show how entry point theory is applied at lemasney.com.
Tame The Web logo rev4 by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
Tame The Web logo workspace by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
Here is a final image of the workspace that I used to create the new Tame the Web (TTW) logo using Inkscape, with the help of Michael Stephens. Michael has been the heart of TTW since its inception, and wanted to have a logo to present his organization to a larger audience. He reached out on Facebook (where I get most of my work) and asked about logos on his page. He got some feedback, and in the process, Lori Reed decided to tag me, and I responded that I’d love to be involved in the logo if possible, and that I’d work for free. Michael contacted me and we began. I asked him to fill out the design brief on this site (it’s in the menu above) and when I got the response, I did this.
Tame The Web logo revision 0 by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
I tend to start logo work with the fonts. In this particular case, I used some of the information from the design brief to create a possible logo. In the brief, Michael talked about the past branding work that he had done and what had been present. He wrote that a heart symbol had always been a constant in identifying TTW. He also shared a palette, some quotes, and some clarifications in order for us to work through the logo. Michael understands brand. When he saw the image above, he said that the logo I proposed was beautiful, but that it was not the right feel. He said that it had a certain old-timey feel to it, and that he was looking for something a bit more contemporary. I understood, and decided to focus on fonts, as I usually do. He told me he liked a few of the fonts in the first submission, and I decided to focus on those.
Tame The Web logo rev1 by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
In this revision, I took the fonts that Michael liked and tried a few subtle differences, including the pipe between elements,. the kerning, and the imagery. I never thought the whip would go very far. 🙂 I sent them to him, and he said that he loved the curve in the line, but that straight spoke to him more. He also liked the tighter kerning in some of the versions. He liked the horizontal version as well.
Tame The Web logo rev2 by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
After he gave me feedback I focused just on the elements and kerning that he liked, and decided to incorporate the palette he had suggested, with deep blues. I grabbed one of my favorite deep blue palettes, and applied the colors to the elements. I sent it back.
Tame The Web logo rev3 by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
But there was still the issue of the missing heart. I decided to play a bit with text and image to introduce hearts, which Michael enjoyed. We agreed that the solid blue heart worked best, and worked best ahead of the title.
Tame The Web logo rev4 by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
Here are the final two versions of the logo, one horizontally aligned, and one block sized. I absolutely loved the opportunity, and I’m so grateful to work with someone like Michael. Even though I always have great, creative, and interesting clients, Michael was a standout.
31 of 365 - Design by committee design principle by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
31 of 365 – Design by committee design principle by John LeMasney via lemasney.com
There are times where design is best accomplished by a single, monolithic voice (design by dictator) and other times when it is best done by committee. In cases where stakeholder buy in is not necessary, the design parameters are exceptionally clear, or the scope and timing of the design are narrow, design by dictator may work perfectly. In many other cases however, design is best done by collecting representatives of diverse backgrounds, stakeholder representation, and critical thinking. The design by committee process often takes more time, is often a compromise of many views, and can be frustrating comparative to a single voice, but it often leads to a design that is of higher value to more people. Design by in-group, in which the committee is composed of only like-minded people, can be just as disappointing to a larger audience as design by dictator.
I decided to do an abstract color study illustration of the potential beauty of design by committee, many voices coming together in a reasonable fashion. Meanwhile, I did the design without advice from others. Irony?
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