The term ‘entry point’ is fairly self explanatory as a design principle. It gives the first or the initial impression of a design which subsequently influences how viewers will interact with it later on. So generally, how you interact with the entry point is generally how you will interact with the rest of the piece. It gives you a knowledge of how further interactions will play out and sets the mood for the rest of the design.
This principle explains a lot of the reasons why I chose to do an introductory animation for my Ningaloo Destination Model, and not just ones concerning each scenario. If I had just thrown the viewers into my design from the map screen onward, they’d have little to no idea what to do and why they would be viewing these animations.
This was what the introduction was aimed to negate. It sets the tone and style for the other animations. It introduces the main characters Jimmy and the Narrator and what their interactions with each other and based upon (Jimmy wants to know how he can help Ningaloo while the Narrator explains how through reference to the Destination Model’s findings) and introduces the audience to the blueprint style of infographics and how they will be presenting them with important information throughout the piece.
An entry point has three important characteristics:
Barriers -
Barriers can be physical, audible or visual and are should be avoided as they stop users from acquiring information. I tried to make my introductory animation as straightforward as possible, making sure characters were clearly introduced, the purpose of the Destination Model was concisely outlined and that the infographics were clean, simple and to the point. The background music was kept to a low so that all voice clips (Which were recorded with a high quality microphone) were clearly audible and all important visuals were focused upon and not hindered by any distracting animation in the background. The only real barrier I felt it had was that it couldn’t be stopped. As the animation plays right until the end, the viewer doesn’t have the chance to pause or look back to view information. Although it ideally shouldn’t be necessary, it still is a hindrance to them getting information they may have missed.
Points of Prospect -
Points of prospects are the ‘time and space’ of a design that allow viewers to become orientated, allowing them to survey their available options. I tried to make my animation as clear as possible, using direct and selective dialogue as well as infographics based on the most important introductory data. It’s kept short and straight to the point, giving users a very straight forward headspace indicating how further animations will play out and how they can be expected to gain information from them. As soon as the map screen after the introductory animation appears they know what’s in store for them and they can choose to progress how they see fit.
Progressive Lures -
These are the attractions within a design that lure people into moving through the entry point and into the rest of the piece. Technically my entire animation could be considered a progressive lure. Generally I saw the information of the destination model being fairly annoying to sift through as well as boring when looked at for long periods of time. Not only to maintain interest, but also to keep people wanting to find out the information in the rest of the animations I needed to make the introduction as interesting and creative as possible in order to win over the audience. The vivid visuals and characters, the bouncy animation, the humor and the infographic style could all be considered progressive lures as they interest people in the information and the animation, and make them curious to see what’s in the others further down the track with more important information.
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