Blurring boundaries
Aiwaworld and Aiwa TV provide immersive interactive
experiences that are different each time a user
visits. David Lai says that for a “living system” such
as Aiwaworld to be created, a client must be a “risk
taker who embraces the nontraditional and unexpected.”
He continues, “Good design is a given these
days. What really works in communicating a unique
brand voice is extra thinking, blurring boundaries,
and creating experiences uniquely appropriate to
each audience.”
Caballer echoes Lai’s focus on user experience.
“I’ve been a designer in the interactive space for some
time, and the promise of what was possible in the
early ’90s is now coming true, “ he says. “There is
less restriction. The results speak for themselves.”
SIDEBAR: Color on the web
An appealing aspect of Aiwaworld is the colorful
nature of the graphics. The bright palettes
were carefully selected by the creative team.
As with all websites, understanding how graphics
live in the colorspace of the internet is key.
Computer monitors produce a mix of red,
green, and blue light (RGB) that simulates
colors in the visible spectrum. RGB colors are
referred to as additive color primaries, matching
the human eye’s color receptors. This
allows colors on the web to be experienced in
a wider range than can be reproduced in printing.
In the latter case, the subtractive color primaries—
cyan, magenta, and yellow (plus K or
black, giving us the CMYK of four-color lithography)
are transparent, reflective inks on paper.
On the web, designers can’t be sure colors they
specify will actually be experienced by users.
The calibration (or lack thereof) of every computer
monitor can’t be controlled. Also, viewing
websites on different computer platforms, such
as Macintosh or PC, can result in color variation.
This means that managing color on the
web can be tricky. Here are some tips:
Choose colors for impact
Extreme colors can be trouble. White can
cause vibration, while subtle patterns of darker
hues tend to lose contrast and appear as solid
colors. PCs tend to display colors darker and
more saturated than Macs do. It’s especially
important to select any HTML typography colors
so they don’t get lost.
Print versus screen
Some projects live in both print and screen
form, so it’s important to test color choices
in both media. Build files so adjustments can
be made for each type of application. Also,
don’t show clients color printouts of websites;
instead, view them on a computer screen for
color accuracy.
Platform shifts
There are often shifts in color due to the
computer platform on which a job is viewed.
Designers may want to view their Photoshop
files in both Mac and PC gamma using the presets
in the View Menus to check this issue.
