For this post, I’ll explain how I will incorporate Edwards Tufte’s five theories into my work. Some of his theories will fit nicely into my work while I may struggle with others due to my subject matter.

Use of Colour

Tufte’s approach to colour is making sure of its intention and clarity, not overusing it too much. He argues that colour should have a functional purpose and is against the excessive use of colour, “Every bit of ink on a graphic requires a reason” Edward Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitive Information. My plan for the visual design of my animation is to have the same starry background of space which will be very dark, so adding colour to the planets and disco ball is essential to make sure they are the centre of the viewer’s attention. The background however will have zero colour because it’s not important to the overall animation.

Edward Tufte coined the phrase “chartjunk” to describe unnecessary colour, backgrounds and 3D effects. I want to keep my 3D animation simple with little detail in the background and all the focus on the metamorphic objects.

Tufte also likes the use of natural colours that people see every day as it is relatable and create a human experience. I will include some natural colours within my animation, but not all as it is a planetary theme. I plan to involve the colour purple as I believe it gives a more disco and space feel to the overall style.

Layering & Seperation

This theory is similar to the one I’ve used before in website design, creating a hierarchy of information, minimising chartjunk and using contrast to distinguish information.

I’ll incorporate this in my work by ensuring the main planet that will be metamorphosing is the biggest and visually different so the viewer’s eyes focus on that planet. The object will be the centre of the animation and the same with the disco ball. There will be high contrast between the background and the main objects of the animation, highlighting the most important information in the 3D animation.

Narrative of Space & Time

This idea conveys good storytelling so the observer can tell when and where the information is taking place.

To involve the showcase the location of my work will be easy as it is a space theme so the background will be dark and starry showing the animation is taking place in space. The transitional period into the disco ball will show the same background but now with a different meaning. The background is now of a nightclub which is dark and has lights beaming.

I’m not sure how to incorporate a clear time into my animation. I want to keep it simple so as not to overwhelm the viewer with information.

Small Multiples

Tufte’s small multiple theory is about repetitive, clear and comparable information. By using simple visuals designers can show information easily at a glance. “Small multiples thrive on data richness and are generally comparative, multivariate, and shun unnecessary decoration.” Edward Tufte, Envisioning Information.

For my work, I will be using this theory within my background as it won’t be changing throughout the animation but the meaning will. Comparing it to both of the animation scenes. The shapes I’ll be using are the same spheres throughout creating that repetivive nature in this theory as well.

Micro/Macro Readings

This theory shares the idea of having the main subjects of your work and incorporating finer details that are only revealed in closer inspection.

I could add this into my work by giving hints of the final metamorphosis in the first scene, I could do this by adding disco light or disco music, foreshadowing the theme of the next scene.