SCREEN DESIGN REFERS TO THE SELECTION AND PLACEMENT OF OBJECTS on a screen. The two elements of screen design that viewers are most attuned to are organization and visual interest. Organization involves deciding how many objects to use, what types of objects to use (text, images, windows, buttons, video, etc.), and where to place the various objects. Objects should be placed in logical positions on the screen, for example, the NEXT button should always appear to the right of the BACK button. Generally we assume that larger items are more significant, items "above" have primacy over items "below", and "more to come" signals will appear at the bottom center or right.

The image to the right is a brief Director movie. Read the directions that follow to view the four non-examples:

This Director movie shows an example of a well-planned screen design then reveals four non-examples as you click on the buttons at the left.

DIRECTIONS:

Click on "number of objects". Notice that the additional image creates a more cluttered screen. When designing the layout of a screen, remember that the purpose is to guide and inform the user. Avoid providing too much information on one screen.



Click on "text". In this design, four different font styles were used. Variety creates interest, but too much variation disrupts continuity. When using more than one font style, be sure that the styles are complimentary.



Click on "images". Again, some degree of consistency is needed. In this example, one figure is life-like and in color, another is a cartoon in color, and the third is a black and white cartoon. These different styles can be mixed, but not in the haphazard way they are used in this screen.




Click on "placement of objects". On this screen images and text are crowded. Adequate spacing and well-planned layouts aid in creating a screen that is both visually aesthetic and clear in meaning. White or empty space is just as important as the space occupied by text and images. Generally, it is best to keep it simple.



Click on "Educational Technology" to return to the first screen. This screen conveys: simplicity, consistency in font style and images, and well-planned placement of objects.

Betty Hennessey, teacher and graduate student