Lesson 1

Previously, you learned that the work on signs and metaphors begins with determining needs, and then moves through creation and evaluation.
This module discusses more about what happens during the creation process.
There are many resources and strategies that can aid you in the creation of signs and metaphors for a Web project. This section gives you an overview of the kinds of resources and strategies available to create signs and metaphors, including:

1. Globalization of content and visuals
2. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) standards
3. Software
4. Creating images for the Web
5. Choosing type for the Web

Some clients will be more aware of these issues than others and will want to be involved in the strategizing and resource-gathering for making these types of decisions. Others may not be so aware of the variables in these issues, but will be appreciative of your professional methodology. When you complete this module, you should be able to:

1. Describe how HCI concerns influence signs and metaphors
2. Describe how HCI affects design of visual and editorial content
3. Describe the challenges that inform designing for a global audience
4. Describe constraints on creating images during design and development
5. Describe the principles for using type effectively on the Web
6. List and describe categories of software used for creating signs and metaphors

In the next lesson, you will build your knowledge about the roles that HCI and Usability play in the design of signs and metaphors.