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Theme

Learning Intentions

  • Be able to identify the theme of digital media

  • Explain how the content influences the theme of digital media

  • Be able to design a theme for digital media

Success Criteria

  • I can explain the importance of a good theme
  • I can identify properties of a theme that make it useful

Themes in digital media

  • All types of visual digital media such as websites and desktop publishing require the developer to think about the theme of the media. 
  • For example a website designer thinks about the theme before even bothering with any content.

The importance of theme

  • There are two major areas of development in digital media development:
    • Content
    • Design
  • Content and design are totally separate in media development and are often built separately. 
  • Content will also influence the theme of the media.
  • For each of the following websites take a look at the theme being used and try to identify what the theme is the website has gone for.

what's the theme?

what's the theme?

what's the theme?

Visual metaphors

  • Visual metaphors can easily be established using images on a website but they can also be established with things like:
    • Colour, layout, fonts, icons
    • Interface elements such as forms, tabs, menu bars

what's the theme?

Green theme across the website, enforcing the original idea

what's the theme?

Newspaper-like columns, serif font, headlines on front page

what's the theme?

Gallery like layout, simple and easy on the eye

Why bother?

  • The theme of a piece of digital media is often the first thing that the user or consumer of the media will think about.
  • By having an effective theme, you can attract users to your media or, in the case of a website, you can keep them on or coming back to the website.
  • Theme also ties into the user experience, for example knowing where to find the main navigation of the website. Even with something as simple as a magazine, there are themes that are apparent and consistent across the magazine such as where to find the page numbers.

Design and draw a layout for each of the following websites:

  1. A social media website
  2. A website selling used cars
  3. A website about a web developer based in Edinburgh
  4. A website for information about rabbits
  5. A website about the latest laptops

Task

Once you done that, have a look at the school's website. Over the next few lessons, you are going to be designing a new website for the school. Think of the theme that the school website should convey.

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Digital Design :: Digital Design concepts :: Theme
© J Balfour
07:39 | 30-09-2023
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