Video As Design For Technical Communicators

I’ve found another example where form and function combine to deliver a clear and effective message. Recently, someone brought several videos to my attention, discussing how design elements were applied. Hmmm . . . videos . . . hadn’t thought of that when I started this blog site. But come to think of it, in my initial blog post , I penned:

“I remember a time when science and engineering issues were worked out using a pencil and paper . . . now the latest technical support comes through as a web-based video.”

Given the increasing use of video in online communication, perhaps evaluating video design and impact is perfectly relevant to technical communicators.

Out of the dozen or so videos I reviewed, I was most affected by “Lost Generation” by “metramv” on YouTube. It projects the text of a passage by Jonathan Reed, which is also spoken using a young woman’s voice. Here’s the video, please have a look:



Right off, what I found most compelling about this video was its message. I hope you agree. I’ll come back to that at the end of the post, but for the moment, let’s look at why some of the primary graphic devices and techniques in this video really work well to support the message.

The primary visual element I noticed were the lines of white text on a dark background. The lines are the primary elements, what we look at first because . . . well . . . they appear first in this video. Text primacy is maintained, however, as the background changes to include a soft-edged textured orb in the center of the screen. The linear text arrangement looks harder and edgier, giving the sense that the text is in the foreground. Placed asymmetrically left of center, the text orientation causes one to notice first the words at left. The text size decreases slightly to the right, moving our eyes towards the background containing the orb. Slightly brighter, it also draws our eyes right. These synergistic elements work to move our eyes in the direction in which the text is read, exactly what is needed to enhance concentration on the words and their consequent meaning.

When I first viewed the video, I noted a low-contrast, monochrome theme. However, a closer look identified other contrasts in the scene, contrasts of shape and texture. The text lies across the screen, forming implied lines. These lines contrast with the circular orb in the background, and this contrast makes the text more prominent. Furthermore, the orb's textured pattern – I imagined it as the surface of the moon - contrasts with the untextured darkness around it, which seems like colder emptiness. The type used is rather plain and unremarkable (perhaps it is Times New Roman?), in this case a good thing - a less standard font might be distracting in this instance. But here’s the catch - it's really small. It forces you to pay attention.

I also think that rhythms play a strong role in this video. Not just musical rhythm, rather, there are visual rhythms, as well as that of the spoken words. The brighter lines formed by the text contrast with the darker spaces between them. As the text moves, it is not unlike the rhythm of waves upon a shore, albeit, very small ones. The rhythm is clean and even, dictated by the meter of the passage.

Until it stops.

Then reverses.

An anomaly of movement, it gets our attention at an important point in time, causing us to focus further on the message. This reversal parallels the similar reversal in meaning that becomes evident as the lines are read in reverse order.

While the primary elements in this video are visual, there is also a musical rhythm applied by the background music. There are actually two songs; they change at the break. Taken together, the songs are soft and low, setting a pensive audio background. Though each tune is not so different from the other, the second evokes a bit more tension, and gently underscores the contrast in meaning that occurs when the text direction is reversed. Interestingly, the gap between the songs is a musical anomaly that coincides with the cessation of movement; both work to grab our attention at an important point in the video.

Again, in my initial post, I noted: “All the technology in the world will not improve a message that lacks clarity, concern for the reader, or content that matters.” Please bear with me for the quote, but this video nails all three of these criteria. Both the design and the message conveyed are clear and viewer-focused. More importantly, the content matters, a good example of A Better Message.