A Picture’s Worth 1000 Words – Using Comics in the Design Process

A few weeks ago I attended a meeting of the NHUPA, held at Mad*Pow headquarters in Portsmouth, NH. Amy Cueva did a very informative presentation about using comics in the design process. She included lots of examples and methods, as well as a bit about why and when to use comics.

As part of the presentation, we did a fun exercise. The requirements were listed in the PowerPoint as follows:

Describe yourself:

• Draw yourself as a stick figure experiencing an emotion.
• Place yourself in a setting and give yourself a speaking or thought bubble.
• Place in other people and props if you want.
• Start in pencil, and then ink it in.

We only had about two minutes to draw, so I was really proud of what I came out with. Here’s my comic:

I’m assuming everyone can understand what’s happening here, but just in case, it’s supposed to be me noticing a cat, thinking it’s cute and then hugging it senseless. In just three panels, this comic shows:

• Attributes of the main character’s personality.
• Emotions & reactions of the characters.
• Surrounding environment.
• Actions or events that occur.

I find it interesting how much information can be conveyed in such a compact and efficient medium. Imagine how much text it would take to write out everything this comic explained visually. Comics are certainly efficient at conveying information – it’s easy to get excited about them. For this reason, I would add the following points to what was covered in Amy’s presentation.

Beware of Interpretation Risk

There is the risk  that the comic might not be interpreted as intended. It’s important to use obvious, even stereotypical traits to convey personas. The potential variability in viewers’ interpretations could also be seen as an advantage in that it is a more realistic reaction than if they are specifically told how to interpret the apparent traits of a character.

Use Comics Appropriately

Don’t use comics in the design process for the sole purpose of being fun or interesting. Use them to be more effective in conveying information that would otherwise be less clear. User emotions, reactions, personalities and daily environment are much more easily conveyed through the visual medium of comics than through text. However, elements on the screen are probably best conveyed through wireframes or interactive prototypes.

Signs You’re Doing it Wrong

If your comic has massive speech bubbles and descriptive text, you might be using comics just for the sake of comics. If your comic is the same picture in every frame and only the speech bubble changes, you either dont need to use comics, or you aren’t using them to their full potential. Think about why you’re using them before you jump in just for the fun of it.

I know this is somewhat stream-of-consciousness, but I’m curious what others think about this topic. How have you used comics in the design process? If you’re against it, why? If you use them often, what guidelines or best practices have you established?