The millennium generation is made up of kids that embrace modern technology and media. Art designers and media firms are not left behind towards delivering services. They have targeted children by producing animations and illustrations that are on demand in the film market. This has been made possible by employing graphics components and vibrant color combinations by the designers thus creating a larger user attention to the young generation. The creativity by film designers towards children’s media is what makes this broadcasting sector more appealing and attractive to the young generation (Catalina 2011).
The combination of these elements by the film designers may lead to excitement, frustration, and confusion among the different target audience. The animation/illustrations aimed at children may affect the young generation growth, health and social wise. Children media may be probably difficult to understand thus causing a confusion in the marketing techniques from the designers between the commercial and program content. Therefore, there should be government regulation of the content of media that protects kids from this free-commercial commercialized media environment (Hourcade 2008).
The use of different character design, image, and texts in the various animations for kids differ with age. Therefore, designers should develop the most efficient illustration/ animation that caters for kids of different age sets. For example, kids between the age of two to three years mostly prefer animations that are bold with primary color and high contrast. This is due to the fact that they tend to capture more attention to exploration and adventure which offer the same aspects as that of the mentioned graphics layouts (Catalina 2011).
As in the third image where a man is seated holding a monkey while reading a book is such appealing and adventurous to children. The background layout of the image is very colorful thus creating an immersive exploration and adventurous experience in a kid’s mind. The animations engage kids by making such images bigger and brighter, adding drop shadows and engaging other living creatures in the visual designs thus attracting the users’ attention (Allen 2015).
Displaying graphics in many ways is yet another aspect that animations targeting kids to consider. The deploying of 3D computer-animated graphics in the children’s media sector has been of greater influence towards promoting more users in the industry. This has enabled kids to get the feeling of real-life situations by visualizing the images as a reality. Therefore, the 3D visual design applications in animations targeting kids have had a major impact on inspiring the increased viewership (Jolly 2003). Plain backgrounds improve the kids’ visual capability by enabling the switching of focus to the image other than the surroundings. This will enable the kid to relate to the animation and thus enjoy the illustration other than mixing too many colors in an image which will cause confusion and instantly frustrate the kid (Lazaris 2009).
The relationship between images and text are very critical in the film industry. The combination of an image and text expresses not only idea but also other visual information. As in the case of the image where a man is holding a monkey while reading a book dinosaur is an example of a combination of image and texts in the animation industry. The text in the book ‘dinosaur’ gives children a glimpse of how adventurous the animation is thus taking all the attention to the young generation (Lazaris 2009).
This theory of mind is a very sensitive aspect that animation designers put into consideration with the different age set of kids preferring different animation films. Kids in the age range of seven to ten would mostly prefer animations with 3D visual designs since they have a strong memory and desire to interpret the visual illustrations to the real-world features. Like in the first image that features two animals staring at each other, this age bracket of kids would love to see the animals in 3D visual design and the surrounding to be a bit more realistic such that they may visualize and relate the illustration to the reality. Therefore, the use of different sets of graphics in children’s media is an important aspect towards designing effective animations that will deliver optimal satisfaction and content to the young users.
Children between the seven to ten are in the self-recognition stage of their life where gender differences start to emerge. Therefore, it is upon the animation designers to use color and graphics that are gender sensitive, most preferably gender-neutral colors and graphics to avoid further development of some negative gender stereotype. Failure to observe gender sensitivity will create emotional damage and social welfare of this young generation (Catalina 2011). This bear-like doll has been dressed up like a girl child and hence gaining much attention from girls, unlike boys. The third image of a man reading a book will definitely attract attention from young boys thus the issue of gender neutrality is very critical in children’s media (Calvet 2008). Character design is yet another factor that animation designers consider the most as they tend to give the illustration a point of reference to the target audience. Character design will also vary depending on the age factor among the kid. Conventional character designs decide on whether the animation will gain much viewership among kids. The use character designs which mimic animals like cats and dogs will attract much attention since kids have the real touch of what those creatures look and behave like (Kirsh 1998).
The use of character designs that are familiar to children creates that sense of belonging and appreciating the animation. Engaging character designs that are of a cheerful mood will stimulate kids to watch the animation. Kids tend to like and remember visual acts that are cheerful and in happy moods thus using cheerful character designs in children’s media will be an added advantage towards engaging kids in the animation film industry (Chang 1995). Character designs stimulate the kid’s mind. Therefore, it’s the designer’s duty to develop animated films that create an appealing environment suited to the personality, interests, and preferences of the child in the visual arts. A good example of designer’s application of character’s designs that displays a happy mood is that o Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse is ever happy making the animation one of the most appealing animation in the world. As in the case of the third image, the man and the monkey are just smiling reading the book giving the image a happy sensation and welcoming atmosphere (Chang 1995)
Elements from nature also give animations an appealing factor. The first image included two animals staring at each other. Since children are stimulated by recognizable things of which they can relate to, the designers of this image adhered to the children’s area of interest which is nature and animals. Although in this image the surrounding is underemphasized due to lack of colorful surroundings around the two animals, the sense of nature is still depicted and appreciated by kids (Ackermann 2004). This is done through advocacy for children’s issues and child rights through the animation design characters. Animation designers have been able to use characters that have displayed everything that a child requires while in the process of growing through their different play characteristics. Among the requirements include; informed consent, free to discrimination and stereotype, child voice and safe environment. This has been made possible by the different character designs that have been used to pass the intended message with the animation work (Fishel 2001).
The use of images and texts has been quite a frequent aspect of filming that animated designers have employed in a number of productions. This type of combining images with texts or any other visual information is termed as ‘comics’. Comics have attracted the animation industry and thus gaining fame to children due to the sound effects and the narration dialogue that do appear just beside the images. Comics creates attention and that is the main reason towards stimulating kids towards the animation industry (Jolly 2003).
Designers of animated films are also expected to observe gender issues which come evident to children aged seven to ten. This is the period where children become knowledgeable of their gender differences and therefore observing the type of illustration used is of much greater importance to the kids. This will also help kids grow without gender-based stereotype and thus a healthier future generation (Nielsen 2010).
Kirsh (1998) states that animated films should teach the young generation social interacting skills and appreciation of the different varieties of cultures that are being depicted in the various animation films. This illustrations aim is to pass some promising message to the society through educating the young generation through the animation play. The illustrations also help a kid grow in a social world without the aspect of discrimination and observing the rights of creatures like animals since they are the most used characters in animation films.
The federal government and the respective authorities are therefore encouraged to monitor the contents of illustrations/ animations that are aired in order to protect its future leaders and citizens from being manipulated from the negative aspects that the filming industry poses. Parents, on the other hand, are encouraged to regulate the kids from being addicted to the animation watching as it becomes an obsession aspect over a period of time (Nielsen 2010).
Conclusion
Illustrations/animation aimed at children has addressed and engaged the child in all the ways possible. This is through incorporating all the aspects that a kid loves to see and hear together with recognizing the child’s right in the society. Animations aimed at children has developed in the recent times with the designers engaging the target audience with all means possible by addressing all the major concerns of a child through illustration visual effects. The illustrations have helped a child’s right to be observed in the society courtesy of the character plays in the films.
References
Ackermann, E., 2004. The whole child development guide. Denmark: Lego group.
Allen, L., Kelly, B.B. and National Research Council, 2015. Child Development and Early Learning.
Calvert, S.L., 2008. Children as consumers: Advertising and marketing. The future of children, 18(1), pp.205-234.
Chang, B.W. and Ungar, D., 1995. Animation: from cartoons to the user interface.
Effective Use of Color and Graphics in Applications for Children, P. and Naranjo-Bock, C. (2011). Effective Use of Color and Graphics in Applications for Children, Part II: Kids 7 to 14 Years of Age: UXmatters. [online] Uxmatters.com. Available at: https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2011/12/effective-use-of-color-and-graphics-in-applications-for-children-part-ii-kids-7-to-14-years-of-age.php [Accessed 21 Mar. 2018].
Fishel, C., 2001. Designing for children: marketing design that speaks to kids. Rockport Publishers.
Hourcade, J.P., 2008. Interaction design and children. Foundations and Trends in Human-Computer Interaction, 1(4), pp.277-392.
Jolly, S., 2003. Studying the effectiveness of animation and graphics with text on fourth, fifth and sixth graders (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nebraska--Lincoln).
Kirsh, S., 1998. Using animated films to teach social and personality development. Teaching of Psychology, 25(1), pp.49-51.
Lazaris, L., 2009. Designing websites for kids: trends and best practices. Smashing Magazine.
Nielsen, J., 2010. Children\'s Websites: Usability Issues in Designing for Kids.
