Image development is an umbrella term used to encompass the development of graphics (mainly but not exclusively computer graphics) for use in media. Since the computer has merged skills such as illustrating, photography, photo editing, 3-D modeling, and handicraft, creative professionals may find "image development" a more flexible umbrella term to avoid over-specifying or limiting options in the design process. The merging of the skills has led to multi-skilled image development artists. Photographers may become digital artists. Illustrators may become animators. Handicraft may be computer-aided or use computer generated imagery as a template.
The term is also used to distinguish the process of preparing elements for use in media (e.g. photographs, illustrations, charts, collages) from the process of composing elements (e.g. page layout, web development, film editing, desktop publishing) to a single presentation piece (e.g. brochure, web page, movie, billboard, poster). Artists that know composition skills may also know image development skills. They may do the image development themselves or collaborate with other individually skilled imaged developers. Collaboration with image developers may be more useful with higher budget projects and projects that require rare or completely unique image development styles.
Because the word "image" can have more than one shade of meaning, the term "image development" may be confused with the development process for the corporate image called branding or positioning. Ironically, both uses of the term may apply in the same profession such as the advertising agency using graphic image development in the process of developing the corporate image of a client. The term is also in contrast to "image editing" which excludes the capturing of images, creation of images from scratch by sculpting or rendering, and creation of images by calculating fractal mathematical functions. The term "image development" may have emerged due to the lack of an alternative umbrella term with as broad of a scope.
See Also
References
- Michael Sims, Working With Agencies: An Insider's Guide, Dec 2005 pp:165
- Natanya Pitts, Chelsea Valentine, and Ed Tittel, CIW Site Designer Certification Bible, Dec 2001 pp:85,109
- Audrey Bennett and Steven Heller, Design Studies: Theory and Research in Graphic Design, Aug 2006 pp:343
- Scott L. Howell and Mary Hricko, Online Assessment And Measurement: Case Studies from Higher Education, Aug 2005 pp:165
- Peter Bauer, Photoshop CS2 For Dummies, Jun 2005 pp:18
- C. P. Wong, Polymers for Electronic & Photonic Application, Oct 1992 pp:7
- Brian Williams, Peggy J. Schmidt, and Joseph A. Brunoli, Computers: Careers Without College, Oct 1999 pp:25, 44
- Ray Paton and Irene Neilsen, Visual Representations and Interpretations, Mar 1999 pp:119
- Melanie Scott, ArtsSmarts: A handbook for artists and educators Using the power of the arts to release the creative potential of young people, Canadian Conference of the Arts 2003 pp:66-70
- Adam Burke, Communications & Development a practical guide, March 1999 pp:29
- Hans P.Kellogg and Thomas H. Spotts, The Network Server: An Educational Tool for the Graphic Arts Classroom, Visual Communications Journal 1998 pp:34
- Examination Report 1996 HSC Visual Arts, Board of Studies NSW ISBN 0731099370, pp:9
Recommended reading
- Jan Roberts-Breslin , Making Media: Foundations of Sound and Image Production, March 13, 2003
- Garth Gardner, Computer Graphics and Animation: History, Careers, Expert Advice, July 2002