Discussion Point 1 - Sandra Stepien

Since the emergence of digital technologies, visual hierarchy and grids have become more flexible and consistent across mediums. It has also allowed the design process to become much faster and design elements to be changed and altered quickly. 

The example below is a comparison of a letterpress baseball ticket from 1880 and a London 2012 Olympic Games Ticket. 

1880 Baseball club game ticket

2012 Olympic games cycling ticket

It is clearly evident traditional printing methods are more limiting and present formal, linear and structured visual hierarchies and grids. As letterpress was done by hand, a carefully crafted grid and layout would take a lot time before the type would be locked in for printing. Adjusting the design would be tedious but with digital technologies the design is more easily manipulated and flexible. The designer can quickly adjust and minutely change details before the work goes to print which allows for greater experimentation with layout as the result can be instantly seen on screen. Computerisation also allows the design to remain consistent and adaptable to different mediums as the grid and style guide can be saved and referred to for later use. 

The design of the baseball ticket uses a variety of typefaces to further emphasise visual hierarchy. Importance is enhanced by size and typographic choice however, due to modern technologies the Olympic ticket is able to use white space, alignment of text and subtle changes in leading to focus on providing information rather than impact which the other example concentrates on. 

Type comparison

Unlike the baseball ticket the ticket from the London 2012 Olympics combines a variety of information, logos, graphics, barcodes and security features. The design is more complex, sophisticated and deliberate. Each ticket features the relevant sport pictogram with a specific colour scheme for each venue as well as an image of the location to help spectators reach their destination. The use of multiple colours, images and a range of aligned text would be challenging and expensive without the emergence of digital technologies however in saying that the letterpress example offers a tactile, authentic textural feel which draws the interest of the viewer.

It is clear digital technologies have assisted in the evolution of print media and has impacted on how we design today. Grids and visual hierarchies are more precisely controlled and complex creating expressive solutions.

References

Andrew McTavish 2012, London Olympics Ticket, accessed 14 September 2012, <http://www.mctavishassociates.com/blog/?p=586>.

American Antiquarian Society 2009, Worcester baseball club game ticket, accessed 14 September 2012, <http://www.americanantiquarian.org/tickets.htm#thumb/>.