EDTECH 506: Week 9 - Color & Depth

The unit of instruction I'm designing is to help new hires get to know the company, the items they need to complete, and the resources they  need to know about during their first 30 days of employment.  Our new hires range from newly graduated students to senior business professionals from all cultures and backgrounds.

Image one

This week I designed a handout that can be printed in color and given to new hires on their first day during orientation.  This could be something they can pin up on their cubicle wall for a quick reference.  It outlines how to contact Human Resources and Information Technology.  These are the main two departments an employee will contact during their time with the company.  Lohr (2008) states that you can use color to late and differentiate information (p. 256).  In this image I've used a different icon and color for each of the ways new hires can contact the departments.  Yet for each contact mode I've used the same set of icons and colors so it looks consistent.
I've also used the same template of colors in this image that I have used in all of my images (Lohr, 2008, p. 269).  These colors are the main colors in the Collins Hutch brand and used throughout our marketing materials, websites and documents.  The color templates are accessed via color schemes that are automatically loaded onto computers by our IT departments.  By using the same color template across all of our material this provides consistency and brand recognition for our employees and clients.
This week I tried to tone down my use of color in the whole image to make the icons stand out. I wanted them to be the main focus of the image.  I created the icons to look like buttons with some beveling on the edges to add some depth.  

Image two

Again I created two different versions of the image.  I'm not sure which one I like better, but I think I prefer the first image without the red pins as it looks a little cleaner.  But when I asked for feedback the responses were mixed.
I also struggled to find a strong font for the main text that didn't get lost on the page.  I wanted one that wasn't too overwhelming, but that also would not get lost in the whitespace.  I also originally had the text for email, phone and visit in the colors matching the icons, however, the colors caused the text to be illegible.  



Lohr, L.L. (2008). Creating graphics for learning and performance: Lessons in visual literacy (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson