How to use Google Search effectively - Part 2

This is part 2 of the series. For part 1, click here.
Now that you know what to search for, time to talk the talk!

Use jargon wherever possible

‘Jargon’ is the term used to describe slang or a technical word which is extremely localised to a certain industry, fraternity, or community. More on that here.

The information you are looking for online is usually made available by a person who is knowledgeable in that field (I hope). These people have a certain way of describing things related to their expertise, almost like a sub-language. To better get to this information, you need to use the same language they may have used to describe things. For example, you may not know what a ‘rest’ means in context to music, but everybody who has studied music theory does. You may not know what a ‘vector’ is in context to image processing, but the term is well known to every graphic designer.

Referring to the earlier cat logo example, you need to familiarise yourself with the different words that are used to describe different types of images.
  • A vector image is an image made in vector programs, which do not lose quality when you zoom in to them. They are usually simple, and consist of broad smooth strokes and few colours. (More here).
  • A digital painting is a painting made on a computer, usually in a way to mimic real life paintings.
  • A cartoon is usually made of stylised features made to appeal to a younger demographic. 
             Here is an image search with various different keywords. Note the vast difference in related searches as well.
Click to enlarge photo

Another example is that suppose you are trying to make a short movie for a school project, and you need sounds to complete it.
  • SFX is short for sound effects, and refers to sounds made by interactions between things on screen. (Interaction between foot and the ground makes a footstep). 
  • An ambient sound refers to a sound which the environment makes, independent of interaction. (Busy street, leaves rustling) 
  • A jingle is a short sound which is musical in nature, but is not long enough to be classified as music.
  • BGM or background music refers to the music playing in the scene to give it character.
Now that you know the different meanings of all these words, next time you are making a science fiction short film and you need sounds for a spaceship, you will phrase your search query accordingly. You can see for yourself the world of difference it makes in the search results.
Click to enlarge photo
 
Note that the examples I gave had very simple, non-technical words which I described as jargon. I did this to show that any extra information helps in narrowing and focusing search results down.

Click here for the next and final part of this guide! 

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