Critical Analysis

5 Reasons why critical analysis is important:

-                Critical analysis is important as it enables you to gage the visual quality of the work you are looking at. This means you gain a deeper understanding on what layouts work for what, which colours go together and which ones clash as well as how to most effectively use the combination of type and image to communicate your message.

-                Critical analysis allows you to decide what makes a good piece of graphic design. This could be decided through anything and everything from typography and layout to content and message.

-                Critical analysis helps you develop your own ideas and processes as a designer as you learn what is effective. It expands this by getting you to question what you would do to improve the work you are analyzing.

-                Critical analysis gives you the research and information allowing you to make informed decisions regarding your own work and working process, reacting to what you have seen and analyzed.

-                Critical analysis is important as it provides a platform from which to build your knowledge of graphic design and why some works are successful and communicate successfully, enabling you to improve your own designs. 

5 Reasons why the Critique is important:

-                The critique is important as it an opportunity to get feedback and criticism on you work. This allows you to make informed decision on how to improve your work.

-                The critique also allows you to get the opinions and views of other graphic designers. As well as their opinions and views they are also likely to give you ideas and suggestions, including references and processes you should look into.

-                Critiques give you as the designer a chance to step away from your work and view it openly. Stepping away from the work means you can get an overall feel and view of the work, something that becomes difficult when you are absorbed in creating it.

-                Critiques give you an opportunity to voice you views and opinions on others work, presenting you ideas which should aid them in there development of work and as a designer.

-                The critique allows you to evaluate others work against contemporary graphic design and your own work, enabling you to gage how your work compares and whether it is appropriate and communicates well.

Layout

When looking at layout, I like clear, simple yet effective layouts, as they are the easiest to read and therefore the most effective at conveying the message. The layout in the Paralympic advertisement is simple and effective where as the ‘Mr. Testicles’ work is simple but not appealing or effective. If the layout is badly designed or the text and images are badly positioned the work quickly becomes illegible and does not communicate the message at all.

Visual Quality

With visual quality it is important that all aspects of the work function together. This includes the imagery, the typography, the colour as well as the overall aesthetic. If the content and concept are both perfect but the visuals are not the message may not be communicated well or at all. The visual quality of the Paralympic advertisement was very good as all the elements worked together, the image complimenting the text and vice versa, whilst the negative space focuses the view onto the information. In contrast to this, the door hanger was not of a high quality at all, the colours were not appealing or inviting and the illustration was tasteless.

Composition

In a similar way to layout the composition I like is simple, functional and effective. I like work where the type and image are arranged so that they compliment each other and draw the viewer’s attention to the important information. As with the layout the composition must convey the required message, communicating what is required. The Paralympic advertisement has the type of composition I like, simple well thought out and gets the message across clearly.

Communication

When looking at the quality of the communication of a piece of graphic design I first see whether I understand what is trying to communicate. If I am able to understand the message I will then see whether I like the way it has been communicated. What I do not like is when the method of communication has not been thought about, as with the ‘Mr. Testicles’ work. In this piece I think the approach to the target audience is wrong. The tone of voice is bot too immature and too informal for what the message is.

Concept

In terms of concepts, the important factors to me are whether it communicates clearly what is intended, whether it is aesthetically pleasing and whether all elements function together. The Paralympic advertisement had simple word play, using language that fitted and was appropriate to what it was communicating. Juxtaposed with this the language used on the door hanger was far too informal and juvenile for a message as serious as cancer.