Final Design- How did you incorporate Tufte's five theories into your work?

The use of Colour

I’ll integrate Tufte’s concept of color functions into my project on representing planets. Utilizing familiar colors associated with each planet can effectively blend aesthetics with clear information presentation. My plan is to label the planets with colors widely recognized for each, ensuring instant recognition for viewers. Following Tufte’s principle, less critical data will be depicted with neutral hues, while more significant information will be highlighted with brighter colours. This design approach guarantees that crucial elements will be prominently emphasized in the animation, while still maintaining a visually harmonious layout.

However, I discovered that creating surfaces for each planet is quite time-consuming. Therefore, I opted to download planet surface images from solarsystemscope.com, where they are available for free. I also found these images on NASA’s official website.

Example 1: Designing The Sun And Incorporating Tufte’s Use of Colour Theory
Example 2: Designing Mars And Incorporating Tufte’s Use of Colour Theory
Example 3: Designing Our Solar System And Incorporating Tufte’s Use of Colour Theory

Small Mupltiples

Small Multiples involve subtle changes that add depth and detail to a story or narrative. I incorporated this concept into my animation by focusing on planets. The planets are displayed in a compact and orderly manner to emphasize realism. Each planet varies in size relative to the sun, and their surfaces, except for the gas giants like Saturn and Jupiter, will appear rough. This enhances visual contrast and adds depth to the representation.

Example 4: Adding Bumps On Mars Surface Using Bump Node
Example 5: Shows The Planets As A Small Multiples Incorporating Tufte's Theory

Layering and Separation

I’ll implement this theory by utilizing straightforward backgrounds to emphasize the orbs and planets in my animation. This method enables viewers to clearly identify when the orbs evolve into planets, preventing any confusion or clutter in the design. For instance, in a scene with a prominent Big Bang explosion in the foreground, other elements like the black hole and the beam will be positioned in the background, set against a starry backdrop. This demonstrates the use of a layering effect.

Example 6: Shows The Big Bang Which Demonstrates The Use Of A Layering Effect.

Narratives Of Space And Time

In the animation, as the space narrative unfolds with the yellow ball moving from one point to another, I simply need to visually represent the passage of time within my story. Additionally, I’ve incorporated this into the design of my setting, transitioning from a street surface and sky to a dark space backdrop. This transition illustrates the passage of time from one setting to the next.

Example 7: Shows Transitioning With The Yellow Ball From A Street Surface And Sky To A Dark Space Backdrop.
Example 8: Shows Transitioning With The Yellow Ball From A Street Surface And Sky To A Dark Space Backdrop.

Micro/Macrocosm

You can observe this incorporated into my animation through individual scenes of the marbles before their transformation, each representing the Microcosm. However, when viewing the complete animation, the Macrocosm is unveiled through my starry background, depicting the tiny lights as miniature universes.

Reference list:

Planets Surface Images

Solar Textures. (n.d.) Available online: Solar Textures | Solar System Scope [Accessed 15 April 2024].

Music List:

Pixabay. (2022) Rumbling, Nuke, Explosion sound effect. Pixabay [Streamed]. Available online: distant explosion | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay [Accessed 17/4/2024].

AleXZavesa. (2021) Beautiful, Cinematic, Contemplative music. Pixabay [Streamed]. Available online: Cinematic Dramatic | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay [Accessed 17/4/2024].