Media and Information

Literacy
Quarter 2 – Module 4:
Text and Visual Dimensions of
Information and Media
 Lesson Text and Visual
1 Dimensions of
Information and Media
This lesson is the beginning of a series that would lead you to creating an appropriate
multi-media content. For this part, we will focus on visuals, which is a broad aspect
in media. Remember that conveying valid and effective content entails the use of the
most suitable visual forms. These two must work side by side to provide the correct
informative experience to your audience.

It would really help if you would squeeze out your creative juices in this lesson, as
this may look like a refreshing course in arts. A phone camera may also come in
handy, as well as good word processing skills. Nevertheless, if you do not have the
technology for such at present, I would also love to see your handmade work. Enjoy!

What’s In

What Went Wrong?

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 Here are four
samples of
business cards.
Identify what is
wrong with the
design of each
card and suggest
ways to improve
them.

CARD Issues in the Design Suggestions for Improvement

A

What’s New

How did the activity go? Were you able to identify some of the issues in each business
card? If we would evaluate the cards based on the message that they convey, it is
easy to say that each card gives precise information necessary for the business:
medical services for children for Card A, eye care for Card B, content creation for
Card C, and interior decorating services for Card D. However, communication does
not rely only on establishing the correct message through content. What matters also

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is using the right media to support the content. Consider the visual media presented
in each of the business card above. Would a child be comforted by a doctor whose
name appears as if coming from a horror movie? Would you visit an eye clinic if you
can barely read the info about it? Would you trust a writer and content creator who
cannot even spell words correctly? And would you hire an interior designer who
presents more clutter than order?
Hence integration of the correct content with the correct form is a must to convey
the right information. Without such, you will not be able to capture your audience
and convey the proper message.

What is It

Text may be defined as a simple and flexible format of presenting information or

conveying ideas whether hand-written, printed or displayed on-screen. It is very
powerful in disseminating information, providing direction and giving suggestions.

Text is available in different sources, which may be categorized into two:

1. Formal Example of these are news articles, published books,
newspapers, magazines, advertisements, research works, etc. Formal text-
based materials are created and distributed by established institutions
(such as publishing companies, news agencies, etc.) and go through a
rigorous process of editing or evaluation and are usually governed by
censorship of the state.
2. Informal Examples of these are blogs, personal e-mails, SMS or text
messages, online messengers, social media platforms, etc. They come from
personal opinions or views on different issues, processes, etc.

Text can be as short such as a single sentence or phrase, or they can be as lengthy
as news articles or investigative reporting. No matter how brief or lengthy, however,
a text is always carefully written with the intent of sending a very specific message
to the target audience.

As consumers of text media and information, we need to ask questions regarding the
text content to ensure its reliability:
 Who or what institution is sending this message?
 What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?
 What is the language used by the writer?
 What views are represented? Are they balanced?
 How might the message be interpreted in different ways?
 What is omitted (removed), slurred (unclear) or added in the message?

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As producers of text media and information, we need to review the media and
information design framework:
 target audience,
 author or sender,
 key content,
 purpose,
 form/style, and
 format.

Text as Visual

Typeface font, font type, or type) is the representation or style of a text. A typeface is
usually composed of alphabets, numbers, punctuation marks, symbols and other
special characters. Fonts in digital format are installed in forms such as True Type
Font (.ttf), Open Type Font (.otf), etc. Fonts convey different emotions and meaning,
and you must be very careful in choosing the right font for your content. The table
below presents the different types of fonts, their implications, uses, and examples.

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Design Principles and Elements

The principles in designing text elements are emphasis, appropriateness, proximity,

alignment, organization, repetition and contrast. Observe how these elements are
presented in each text frame.

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 What’s More

Visual information and media are materials, programs, applications and the like that
teachers and students use to formulate new information to aid learning through the
use, analysis, evaluation and production of visual images. The following are types of
visual media:

Photography

Mt. Makiling, shot using phone

camera

Video

A scene from the short film

“Kinamulatan”

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Screenshot

Screenshot from a typical online class

Infographic

This was created to promote

netiquette in Mary Help of Christians
College, Laguna

comic strips /
cartoons

Created by Johnrich Raymundo, Ash

Nabalona and Alexandra Ducay for
Camp Vicente Lim Integrated School

Meme

Image: "Memes for NBA" by

randycline5049 is marked with CC
PDM 1.0

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Graphs / Charts

Pie graph for DepEd Tayo Camp

Vicente Lim Integrated School FB
Page

Visual note taking

Image: "Visual Notetaking 101"

by jonnygoldstein is licensed
under CC BY 2.0

The primary purpose of visual information is to gain attention, create

meaning, and facilitate retention, but how can you create a striking visual? First,
you must consider the visual elements, or the basic units in the construction of a
visual image. The Design Elements are:

1. Line
This describes a shape or outline. It can create texture and can be thick or thin.
Lines may be actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or contour.

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 Take note that lines provide meaning
also. Horizontal lines are more static
and calm; vertical lines command
attention and stability; diagonal lines
may convey movement; and contoured
lines may evoke turbulence,
playfulness, and the likes.

2. Shape
A geometric area that stands out from the space next to or around it, or because
of differences in value, color, or texture. Shape may also be organic.

Three implied geometric shapes can be Organic shapes, like the eggplant
found in the picture above: diamond, pictured above, are irregular and
octagon and triangle. asymmetrical in appearance and tends to
have curves, as in the case of shapes
found in nature.
3. Value
The degree of light and dark in a design. It is the contrast between black and white
and all the tones in between. Value can be used with color as well as black and
white. Contrast is the extreme changes between values.

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4. Texture
The way a surface feels or is perceived to feel. Texture can be added to attract or
repel interest to a visual element. Two contrasting visual textures are presented in
this picture taken in Bolinao, Pangasinan: the smoothness of the sea and the
roughness of the contorted branches.

5. Color
Determined by its hue (name of color), intensity (purity of the hue), and value
(lightness or darkness of hue). Color and color combination can play a large role
in the design. Color may be used for emphasis, or may elicit emotions from viewers.
Color may be warm, cool, or neutral. It plays a major role in our visual perception,
as it influences our reactions about the world around us. It is therefore important
to create color palettes that evoke the appropriate audience reactions.

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 6. Form
A figure having volume and thickness. An illusion of a 3-dimensional object can
be implied with the use of light and shading.

Through digital means, shadows are On the other hand, thick pen strokes are
placed in the drawing above in order used to achieve volume and thickness on
to provide a three-dimensional effect. the sketch in this sketch.

Principles in Visual Design

The visual appeal of artworks depends on its adherence to principles of

design. However, there is no strict commandment in designing. The personal
preferences of the artist remain a prime contributing factor in designing visuals.
Let me share with you some of my work as we discuss the designing
principles. Like what I have previously said, these are my personal take on designing.
There are many other styles that can also influence you in your works.

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1. Consistency of margins, typeface, typestyle, and colors is necessary, especially
in slide presentations or documents that are more than one page.

When designing posters, I tend to be

minimalist. I highlight important points
by lessening the other accessorial
designs, like in the case of this poster for
my school, wherein I used slight
geometrical gradient in. I used only two
dominant colors to go with the white –
blue and gold, our school’s the school
colors. I gave variation in the text by
using only two fonts, Impact and Arial,
and aside from the DepEd logo at the
bottom, I placed only a derivation of the
caring emoji, with the schools logo
replacing the heart.

2. Center of interest – an area that first attracts attention in a composition. This

area is more important when compared to the other objects or elements in a
composition. This can be by contrast of values, more colors, and placement in the
format.

In a picture, the center of interest should not actually be in the center. In fact, you
must avoid the “dead center in placing the portion that you wish to highlight. The
basic rule in “The Rule of Thirds.” Divide the frame into three portions horizontally
and vertically using imaginary lines, and place the point you wish to highlight at
any of the four intersecting points.

Putting the lines on the picture above, the girl’s face, which is the center of interest,
is right on an intersection point. Hence, the picture has an interesting composition.

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In portraiture, one tip in order to command the center of
interest in close ups (such as the picture of Liza Soberano)
is to place the dominant eye at the center of the frame.
Doing so, the image would have the illusion of staring
back at you. (I did an exercise with my previous classes
on assessing the impact of visuals seen in magazines, and
we all realized that many of Liza Soberano’s photos in her
printed product endorsement in magazines all had her
dominant eye at the center.

Photo: "Hope Elizabeth ''Liza'' Soberano DOB January 4, 1998 (age 20 years)" by aeroman3 is marked
with CC PDM 1.0
3. Balance – a feeling of visual equality in shape, form, value, color, etc. Balance
can be symmetrical and evenly balanced, or asymmetrical and unevenly balanced.
Objects, values, colors, textures, shapes, forms, etc. can be used in creating
balance in a composition.

4. Harmony – brings together a composition with similar units. If for example your
composition was using wavy lines and organic shapes, you would stay with those
types of lines and not put in just one geometric shape. (Notice how similar
Harmony is to Unity - some sources list both terms).

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On the left is the cover design I illustrated for an entry to the 2nd National
Competition on Children’s Storybook Writing. I decided to change the cover page
on the published version, since I want to put an element of surprise on who the
“friends” are. I focused on circles, which is the shape of the characters’ eyes. The
result is a playful harmony of common shapes and colors fit for young learners.

4. Contrast – offers some change in value creating a visual discord in a

composition. Contrast shows the difference between shapes and can be used as a
background to bring objects out and forward in a design. It can also be used to
create an area of emphasis.

I love to play on the contrast

provided by light and darkness.
It simplifies my composition
and allows the viewer to focus
on the subject of my shoot, as
in the case of this statue of the
Blessed Virgin Mary taken at
night.

5. Directional Movement – a visual flow through the composition. It can be the

suggestion of motion in a design as you move from object to object by way of
placement and position. Directional movement can be created with a value pattern.

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It is with the placement of dark and light areas that you can move your attention
through the format.

On the left, the lines implied by the children’s arms provides a direction that leads
to the element that unites them: a trophy. On the right, the blurred image of
children in frenzy during the Buhayani festival evokes a sense of directionless
motion.

6. Rhythm – a movement in which some elements recur regularly. Like a dance, it

will have a flow of objects that will seem to be like the beat of music.

You can find rhythmic patterns everywhere, for a simple cup of cappuccino
prepared by a barista, to a festive street dance.

7. Perspective – created through the arrangement of objects in two-dimensional

space to look like they appear in real life. Perspective is a learned meaning of the
relationship between different objects seen in space

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 Lines disappearing in the horizon and objects getting smaller conveys a perspective
of distance. In this still from the short film “Awit ng Puso,” the child is seen moving
far beyond, and the viewer gets the hint that he still has a long way to go before
him.

Types of Shots

How do we go about telling a story in visual form? Let’s take wisdom form children’s
fairytales.

Normally, a fairy tale begins with “Once upon a time, in a land far, far away,
there lived a… and so on and so forth.” That sounds too elementary, but that is the
basics to start a story: tell the place and time and introduce the characters, and the
rest will follow. Now, it would be awkward to have somebody narrate that for you,
that is why visuals need to be properly executed to tell a story effectively.

Sometimes, a single picture is more than enough to tell a story. However, a

series of pictures can be used also, as in the photo essay, which is a series of photos
that tell a story, and in film, which is practically a series of frames also. To achieve
this, you must remember that capturing visuals is not just a matter of point and
shoot. Shots must be planned and well-framed to contribute well to the story. A
single frame may give so much meaning already, so if you add other frames, then
you can get much more. Here is a list of the types of shots (Contis, 2019).

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