Visual Design in DH
From Brock University's Digital Humanities Compendium
A review by Terry Trzecak, written for HIST 5V71 in Fall 2011
[edit] Design in Digital Humanities Projects
There are several ways in which to approach the exploration of large-scale Digital Humanities projects. We were asked to find a project that relates to our proposed MA/PhD research project. With that in mind, I have chosen to proceed with my exploration in a manner that is related to my work and one in which my fellow classmates might enjoy.
[edit] 1641 Depositions Project
The 1641 Depositions project, comprising of 3,400 depositions is housed in the Library of Trinity College Dublin. This was a three-year endeavor digitizing this collection at the cost of over three million Euros. The Depositions publicized on the project’s site as being “unparalleled anywhere in early modern Europe” show a combination of “the social, economic, cultural, religious, and political history of seventeenth-century Ireland, England and Scotland.” These Depositions are transcribed stories taken from oral testimony that was gathered by Protestants following the Catholic rebellion of 1641. Many contentious voices surrounded these depositions in the middle of the 1600’s as well as today. That being said, this short clip can better describe the content of the 1641 Depositions and the politics involved.
Clip (3min) [1]
Although, there are voices pro and con as to whether these artifacts should be digitized and shared with the world. This is a fascinating aspect of these types of projects yet; it is far beyond the scope of this paper. But, questions concerning whether or not to digitize collections such as these are warranted however, in a very different way than might be perceived. These questions become important as they speak to the visual designer on how to position these documents. I am not speaking to the physical position of content as much as I am speaking to HOW the content is positioned. I am referring to design aspects such as visual perspective, visual perception, color theory and the meta-cognitive properties employed in good design.
[edit] Why am I interested in Discussing Design? (Disclaimer)
I am, by no means, a web designer, visual designer or layout artist. My training was in pre-press work dealing with high –end printing (gloss usage, shooting film for printing plates, QuarkExpress, etc.) That being said, I am a professional photographer and have had most of my training in the field of visual arts and fine art photography. I was published as a documentary photographer and possessed noted press credentials. I believe I am qualified to speak to content and context of visual imagery in this matter.
The reason I approached this assignment in this manner is two fold. First, there is a certain excitement about the tremendous opportunities I see within Digital Humanities for visual artists. Secondly, given the demographics of the class, perhaps these ideas might raise questions that would be of some benefit.
[edit] Design Elements in Digital Humanities Projects
In Pitti’s (2004) article entitled Designing Sustainable Projects and Publications the word design becomes problematic to a newcomer such as myself. “Given the dual expertise required, scholars frequently find it necessary to collaborate with technologists in the design and implementation processes, who bring different understandings, experience, and expertise to the work”(P.1).
The design of a project, in my opinion, then becomes the vehicle that drives the content of the project. It is one thing to digitize large collections, yet the presentation of that collection must include many intrinsic factors, which sometimes are not discernable to the average audience for which the project is suppose to attract. I dare to say that most of these factors are the domain of digital artists and designers. My hope is to raise questions that perhaps content driven viewers/researchers would not ask; yet visual designers, scholars in the visual arts and perhaps even consumers, might.
[edit] As Visually Appealing as a Grant Application…
The 1641 Depositions Project is tremendously appealing on many levels. In my opinion, the visual design or look of the project is not. Many elements are missing that would have greatly enhanced the users experience had they been attended to. Instead of mentioning specifics of the 1641 Depositions Project as I outlined in class, I will pose questions that are applicable for any site. The new questions that researchers, who self-identify being content driven, might ask themselves are:
- Before you open a site, what do you think this site will look like?
- What should it look like?
- How do you think the content will be displayed?
- How should it have been displayed?
- Does the color attract you or repel you? Does the color remind you of something? What?
- Do you feel that your experience of the site was worth the time?
- Are you disappointed? Are you pleased?
As researchers,in thinking about your answers keep in mind that these question are what designers might pose in the research or pre- design phase, regardless of content.
[edit] I Have to Code?…Now I have to Design?!
I think the above example (given that funding depends on many aspects) serves as a small sign to potential Digital Humanists that if you can at least “speak the language” the odds of funding would be in your favor.
[edit] (An Aside)
Below, are the methods (as shown in class) from the web site concerning how the 1641 Depositions were designed, technically. This example of being able to read or “speak the language” when it comes to coding a project takes on new meaning. This was taken verbatim from the Faculty of History’s web page at Trinity College, Dublin. I have parted with the APA censors (my apologies) and provided the link below. I have done in order to assist my colleagues in referencing this important page.
The 1641 Depositions Project’s principal methods will include:
a) Digital imaging of the source material at preservation standard and to archival specifications.
b) Comprehensive transcription and mark-up of the source in XML, using the Text Encoding Initiative [TEI] P4 guidelines, to realize the widest achievable functionality in the time frame allowed.
c) Output of digital images for display online.
d) Output of transcripts to open source SQL format and PDF (for download)
e) Publication online, incorporating the images and SQL database (using PHP), allowing users to search across a wide variety of fields, as well as free text.
f) Conservation treatment for 7 volumes of Depositions
Reference [2]
[edit] What are some of the prevailing thoughts concerning Visual design?
I found that Pitti’s (2004) article (mentioned above) seems to be indicative of most of the literature surrounding the concept of design as related to large-scale Digital Humanities projects. This particular article speaks of design as a technological or computer component involving the how of content delivered. Pitti (2004) continues, “Given the dual expertise required, scholars frequently find it necessary to collaborate with technologists in the design and implementation processes, who bring different understandings, experience, and expertise to the work” (p.1). She explains that the scholar should “have a clear and explicit understanding of his intellectual objectives and the resources to be used in achieving them” (p.1).
Very few articles were accessed when using the words graphic design to peruse the Digital Humanities.org web site. Yet one article is worth mentioning here as it speaks to the aesthetic of Digital Humanities. Speculative Computing: Aesthetic Provocations in Humanities Computing by Drucker and Nowviskie (2004). Beautifully written, this article speaks to the aesthetic from a Digital Humanist’s point of view. Although, it is an academic paper written around the idea of color, shape, texture and other elements of graphic design projects, it is worth the read.
For example: Visual or graphic design has played almost no part in humanities computing, except for the organized display of already structured information. Why should this be necessary? Or continue to be true? What are the possibilities of integrating subjective perspectives into the process of Digital Humanities? (p.1) The authors hit the nail on the head with: “The attitude that pervades information design as a field is almost entirely subsumed by notions that data pre-exist display, and that the task of visual form-giving is merely to turn a cognitive exercise into a perceptual one”(p.1).
[edit] Back to class AND what does it have to do with us?
I think that brings this discussion to the point of tying this information back and forwards to the class readings! Backwards: Making in retrospect... the visual images that are used, in my view, must be aesthetically pleasing. I fully concede that, technically, they are not produced for appeal. I would ask, how many images inundate our conscious and subconscious minds daily? By presenting imagery that does not please the eye, the risk is taken that the impact will be lost. Why must this be? The study of the visual is well documented in the literature. Without too much detail, suffice it to say that placement of objects, perspective, color etc. all have effects upon the brain because of how they are interpreted by the eye. No matter what the purpose of the image is, if it is blurry, shot from an angle that is not comfortable for the eye to place it in relation to space for example, the message is lost. Finally, going forward towards the readings… Digital Humanists seem to be a solitary lot. All problems can be enhanced (fixed, made better, etc.) through collaboration. Or, come on … let us play!
[edit] References
Instead of proper formatting (APA), I am presenting the URL for easy access to the entire document.
Please consider the environment before
printing this page.