Design DESIGN Design Design for mass comm resources all classes web design history digital imaging 226 web design 326 print production 328 advanced web design 427 web design practicum 484 © 2005 Bill Kovarik

The visual language of mass communications is governed by the principles of design. Whether its graphic art on paper, on the air or on the web, design is both a verb (to design) and a noun (the design). It often begs for an accompanying adjective, as in: Good design. Bad design. That's because design strikes us at an emotional level as well as an intellectual level.

Mass media is concerned with three major design themes:::

• graphic & audio-visual design -- Content; how text, images and animation physically provide information and make us feel ...
• information design -- Content decisions; how information is assembled on the meta level; the agenda or episteology; the method by which we we understand our world
• interactive design -- Content control; the interaction and feedback loop between people and the media

  This chart show these three conceptual areas and their relation to traditional disciplines of mass media, community building and education. This chart was created in 2000. Today, in addition to journalism and library science, we might acknowledge that history, political science and other public humanities have found important ways to communicate through the web. Also, much of the scripting and programming recommendations went quickly out of date, while the potential of others has not been realized. For example, C++ and Perl have been replaced by php and other more flexible languages. Meanwhile, information services using CAR and GIS, and leading to something resembling "organized intelligence," is a concept still in its infancy as a result of to drastic funding cuts by publishers and brodcasters for journalism development. Still, the chart provides a starting point for conversations about new media and how it can be used by traditional disciplines. .

   

The Radford University web design program in the Dept. of Media Studies consists of three required classes (MSTD 226, 326 and 427) as well as one optional design class (MSTD 328). It is intended to address all three areas of design with special emphasis on information design. Other required classes include the MSTD major core and two programming classes with the College of Information Sciences and Technology: ITEC 120 and ITEC 225. See the MSTD web site for more information.