January 8, 2013 | Quebec

Motion, Sound, and Video Extend Graphic Design Beyond the Static Image

Graphic design is not limited to posters, publications, or static images. In a digital environment, graphic elements can also move, change over time, incorporate sound, or be combined with video.

This is where animation and multimedia come into play. A project can incorporate motion, sequences, interactive elements, or multiple types of media within a single production.

This area plays an important role in CDI College's Graphic Design – NTA.1U program, which includes two 60-hour courses dedicated to multimedia concepts. The first covers areas such as 2D animation and interactive content, while the second introduces audio, video editing, and special effects.

What Is Multimedia Design?

Multimedia brings together different forms of content, such as images, motion, sound, and video, within a single production.

In the Multimedia Concepts course, students are introduced to interactive multimedia creation software and the fundamental principles of animation. The curriculum also covers the use of external content such as sound, images, and video.

Graphic designers may, therefore, need to consider not only how an element looks but also how it changes, moves, or interacts with other media.

How Is 2D Animation Created?

Animation relies on a sequence of changes that creates the impression of movement.

The program covers simple and complex keyframe animations, two-dimensional animation, shape tweening, colours, and motion. It also explores creating animations using sequences and controlling how those animations are played.

These concepts help explain how static graphic elements can be brought to life through animation.

Raster and Vector Images: How Are They Used in Animation?

The Multimedia Concepts course covers both raster and vector images.

These two types of images are also explored in other areas of the program, including image editing and digital illustration. Using them in a multimedia context demonstrates how graphic design skills can be applied to productions that incorporate motion.

👉 Learn more: Photo Retouching and Image Editing: What Techniques Are Used in Graphic Design?

What Role Do Sound and Video Play in Multimedia Production?

Multimedia production can extend beyond graphic animation. The Advanced Multimedia Concepts course introduces the fundamentals of audio, sound capture and editing, and video editing.

Students explore editing tools and techniques, source enhancement, colour correction, and audio and video transitions, filters, and effects.

These skills provide an opportunity to explore how different types of media can contribute to the same visual production.

What Are Compositing and Video Special Effects?

Compositing involves combining multiple visual elements to create a single image or sequence of images. In video, this technique can be used with various effects to produce a result that does not necessarily come from a single source.

The curriculum specifically covers the use of animation and video special effects software, as well as compositing.

This concept is similar to image editing, where multiple elements can also be combined to create a composite image, but it is applied here to a production involving motion.

👉 Learn more: Photography and Graphic Design: Why Learn the Fundamentals of Photography?

Why Is Optimization Also Important?

A multimedia production can bring together multiple types of content, making loading and distribution more demanding.

The Multimedia Concepts course, therefore, covers optimizing loading processes and performance, as well as publishing documents. The advanced course covers saving, compressing, and exporting audio and video content, as well as exporting elements for use in interactive productions.

Creating multimedia content involves thinking not only about how it is designed, but also how it needs to be prepared for its intended use.

Does Multimedia Expand the Role of a Graphic Designer?

The Graphic Design – NTA.1U program prepares students to create graphic and visual materials for different contexts, including interactive multimedia products. Its objectives include roles such as Web and multimedia designer, and students also develop skills in video and audio editing.

Animation and multimedia, therefore, extend the principles of graphic design to creations that can move, incorporate sound, and interact with other types of content.

FAQ

1. Is animation part of the Graphic Design – NTA.1U program?
Yes. The program includes a 60-hour multimedia concepts course covering the principles of animation, keyframes, 2D animation, shape tweening, motion, and sequences.

2. Are video editing and audio also covered?
Yes. The Advanced Multimedia Concepts course covers the fundamentals of audio, sound capture and editing, as well as the basics, tools, and techniques of video editing.

3. What multimedia techniques are covered in the program?
The curriculum covers 2D animation, keyframes, sequences, sound and video integration, video editing, colour correction, transitions, filters, special effects, and compositing.

Explore Further

👉 Graphic Design: Understanding the Field and Career Opportunities

👉 Packaging Design: How Do You Create Packaging That Communicates Effectively?

👉 Graphic Design at the Heart of Business Communications

👉 Learn More About CDI College's Graphic Design – NTA.1U Program