Static vs. dynamic content

One of the graduate school courses I’m taking this semester is in visual media theory. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I enrolled in the class, but I’ve been noticing how much the principles we’re studying have applied to real life in my internship experience. The more we study throughout the semester, the more I realize that I’ve been inadvertently doing things that have theoretical backing.

Recently, I’ve had opportunities to work more with design at Obsidian – designing flyers, posters and social media posts. It’s important to remember that the design doesn’t just need to be “pretty” and “on brand.” What we determine as aesthetically pleasing is based on design rules.

This week, our class discussion was centered around static images. When I first heard the term, my mind immediately went to print. While some people might say that print is dying, I disagree. I think print is still alive and well, but we are most definitely living in a highly digital world.

Static images aren’t just for print. They are also used in digital environments. A static image is anything that is still. Dynamic images move and include gifs, videos and everything in between. When you’re deciding on which to choose for your project, I think you need to ask yourself what the best fit is for the client and the project.?

When designing something like a post or flyer, you want the image to be static. All of the information about the event or topic will be posted there, so you want to make sure distractions are limited and viewers can absorb everything that’s presented. If you’re designing a header for a blog post, you probably want it to be static. The banner is not the main item that you want viewers to pay attention to. You want them to read the written content, so a static image is better to reduce distractions.??

The use of dynamic images is also important. Maybe you have a social post that contains a lot of important information in it, and you want your viewers to stay engaged with it. You could create a short moving slideshow with tidbits of information on each slide. Videos/dynamic content is becoming a major player.?

Just think of all the video content out there to consume every day on TikTok, Instagram reels, YouTube, etc. There’s a reason we’re seeing so many videos out there. These are all examples of dynamic content. This content can hold your attention; it always has somewhere for your eye to land and presents information in new ways. There’s actually a lot I have to say about video content, but I should probably save that for a different blog post.?

In elementary and middle school, we’d always talk about what type of learning styles we were. I am 100% a kinesthetic learner, and my internship with Obsidian has been, and will continue to be, a great experience for me. We can sit in a class and learn about theories, designs and principles all day long, but I’ve recently been seeing how my learning connects to real life. I could not be more grateful for an opportunity that allows me to practice what I’m learning.?