Design an Aircraft Safety Card

Introduction

Research and look through different samples of Information graphics

Familiarize yourself with previous and recent infographic illustrations. Check out the works of past and present designers and illustrators.

Bunpei Yurifuji's Metro Subway Manner Posters

Identifying Your Topic & Collecting Information

Research about different aircraft safety cards
Different aircrafts have different emergency cards. For example an Airbus A320 has a different safety card from an Airbus A330.

Rossiya Airbus A320-200's Safety Card

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330's Safety Card

Both images via http://allsafetycards.com/
Select your aircraft
After looking at the different aircraft safety cards, select one that you'd want to work on. It's best to collect as much information or samples as you can to have a better understanding of the craft and its safety requirements.

Generating Ideas & Making Ugly Sketches

Select information to include in your illustration
After looking through the various aircraft safety card resources online. Select the important information you want to include in yours. You can write them down in your sketchpad or notes.
Gathering Inspiration

You can find inspiration from anywhere. I usually compile what I find inspiring into a folder for reference.

Inspiration do not always have to come from obvious sources. Always keep a look out for things that may unexpectedly be thoughtful in conveying information.
Start thinking & doodling
I call this ugly sketching, because that's what it is. It doesn't have to perfect. The sketches don't have to be clean and clear, it's just a way of comeingup with a lot of ideas. What's important is just being able to take those ideas out of your head and putting it out there on paper.

Ugly sketches of mine.
Add Flow to your Ugly Sketches
After "ugly-sketching", you can organizing your illustration's flow to explain your idea.

Here's an an ugly sketch with flow for the "How-to Make a Hologram" illustration I made for WIRED. Even if the original article was direct-to-the-point, I made the diagram a bit more fun.

I attached the article for this illustration commission.

Refining Your Sketches & Adding details

Finalize your sketches
It's best to make notes in your tighter sketch. This will serve as guide when you start working on the final illustration.

A tighter sketch with some notes

Adding more details
Share your final sketches
You can share your final sketches with me and the class.

Creating the Final Illustration

Digitize your Sketches
This is when you'll start working on the computer. You can choose the software you want to use for this class. Each of us has a different process, but for the class I'll walk you through mine.

For my process, I always start working with vectors on Illustrator.

I start building my illustration with vectors using Adobe Illustrator. This is also when I choose what color scheme to use.
Share your initial vectors
After doing the vector illustrations, I usually share the initial work to my clients before I add textures to them in Photoshop.

You can share your initial vectors to me and your classmates.

The initial vector illustration for the "Wearable Computing" article I made for WIRED.
Add Textures & Color Effects
I always finish my illustrations in Photoshop. This is where I apply color overlays and textures to my vector illustrations.

I generate and scan my own textures. I'll show you how I "create" my textures.

I like adding color overlays because it gives my illustration a certain look and feel.

The illustration with texture.
Share your Final Illustration
I will look through all your final works and give feedback. I'm so excited to see what you come up with. Yey! :)

Additional Resources

Some visual resources:

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/
http://www.columnfivemedia.com/book
http://www.visualnews.com/category/visualization-2/
http://xplane.com/
http://visual.ly/
Bunpei Yurifuji's Metro Manner Posters
via http://gakuran.com/36-iconic-tokyo-metro-subway-manner-posters-2008-2010/
A collection of different aircraft safety cards

http://allsafetycards.com/category/aircraft-cards

http://www.airlinesafetycards.be/Safety%20cards.htm
Requirements for preflight safety demonstration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-flight_safety_demonstration
Learn what protective measures to take before, during, and after an emergency."

via Ready.gov
http://www.ready.gov/be-informed
How I make my textures

https://vimeo.com/27130665

David Urbinati

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