Visual Techniques

http://thedsgnblog.com/post/65458796521/maksim-arbuzov

Instability

Symmetry

Regularity

Simplicity

Unity

Economy

Understatement

Subtlety

Accent

Transparency

Consistency

Depth

http://lindthello.com/

Balance
Irregularity
Complexity
Fragmentation
Boldness
Accent
Opacity
Variation

Both items above showcase packaging that have intriguing and successful visual design.  The honey’s design is unstable in that the larger black bar is much more dark and heavy than the lighter white letters at the bottom of the design. The heavy black contrasted with the light white letters of the word “honey” make the design look unstable to the viewer. The chocolates have balance within their packaging through the help of the gestalt law of proximity. Because of the law of proximity, the viewer reads the text at the top of the package “Hello my name is _____” as grouped together, this large group of text is balanced with the large image of the chocolate at the bottom of the package. Subtlety is seen with the packaging of the honey because of the careful use of text and color. The design is minimal and conscious, using white space wisely and sufficiently, making it easy for the viewer to understand what the product does. The chocolate packaging is bold, containing lots of places of interest using color, text, and images. The colors used stand out because of the contrast of the black background. The text stands out with the contrast of multiple typefaces used. Images are used boldly because of the larger than life depiction of the candy placed on the package. This design is successful because the viewer is quickly interested in the product because of the bold features within the design, leading to the viewer buying the product.

Contrast

http://careerjourney.co.uk/video-game-related-career-estimated-salaries-infographic/

This information graphic showcases the different careers within the video game industry. Successful contrast of color and contrast of content play a large role in this designs use of effective communication. The color used within this information graphic is contrasted with the black background. The contrast of black with the colors used is successful because the colors stand out for the viewer. Black makes colors seem more vibrant and exciting, creating interest. The use of contrasted color also helps the viewer understand and sharpen their knowledge of the information provided. The introduction of imagery within a bar of color is used to define how much or how little something is. The simple and cohesive composition of this design along with the effective use of space with the items and information used also makes this graphic successful. The creator of this design placed the content in such a way that was deliberate and conscious about the viewer, making the design as a whole easy to read and interpret. The simplicity and pop-out effect used makes this design successful because it is intriguing and easily interpreted for the viewer.

http://www.animationcareerreview.com/infographics/2429

This information graphic about video game sales shows color in a whole different way, giving a different message to the viewer. The contrast of color and contrast of content within this design is unsuccessful. The context of color is different than the first successful graphic in that color is now placed on a white background instead of black. This changes the look and feel of the whole graphic entirely. The contrast of the colored text on the white background seems to show the text as smaller than it really is, leaving the viewer to see the text less solid or present within the image. Also, the choice to place an image in the back of some text leaves the viewer confused because of the inability to comfortably read the information provided. The contrast of content with empty space in this design is unsuccessful because there is barely empty space used to give the viewer’s eyes a rest. Also, the contrast of text and images seem not to be thought out and just thrown together. Contrast within a design is supposed to help the viewer understand and interpret a design more effectively, yet this design’s use of contrast of color and content in particular seems to only hinder it’s attempt at providing information to a viewer.

Design Success and Failure / Syntactical Guidelines

http://hifructose.com/2012/03/07/hi-fructose-magazine-vol23-preview/

The design work that I have chosen is an article on Junko Mizuno in Hi-Fructose magazine. I have chosen this image because of the design of the article’s layout. The design of this article has some syntactical guidelines put to use. There is a balance within the text of the article in that it is noticeably placed on a grid. The words are visibly horizontal, which makes them easier for the viewer to read. The article is still visually appealing because of the use of different type sizes; the larger headline type allows for attraction and grouping to take effect because the viewer’s eye is lead to that which is visually similar. Stress is being used by the separation of the image and the article. The image takes up the largest area while the article’s space seems to be battling with the image for some space because of the small width. Because of this imbalance, it creates stress, which brings up interest within the viewer to emphasize on the content of the article. Sharpening can also be seen in the headline, the title of the article is at the far right of the page while the name of the artist is at the far left of the text page, this creates stress and imbalance that the viewer sees as eye catching. With the use of these syntactical guidelines, the composition of this article succeeds in communicating.

http://ashleighmeusel.com/13902/54517/gallery/boycott-magazine

This article is from an issue of Boycott Magazine. This article is an example of a design that uses some syntactical guidelines, but they have not worked. The syntactical guideline of balance is used within the horizontal grid the text and forms being used are put on. The reader must be able to read the text, but balance fails because of the composition of the article. The left side of the article is using a lot of white space with the exception of a large pull quote while the right side of the article has a heavy black bar running vertically across the top and bottom. These different forms create an imbalance within the composition of the article and make it visually unappealing to the viewer. The large pull quote put into the left hand side of the article can show attraction and grouping through similar type size and color, yet is offset by the couple of words that only contain an outline. This large separation and additional white space creates a harsh overall image. Stress can be seen within the addition of the large black bar on the far right side of the article but because it is so harsh compared to all of the white space that the rest of the article contains. This large jump in contrast is why this doesn’t work with the overall design. Sharpening is used within this article by the large type sizes and color choices but again, does not make for an overall, uniform design for the viewer; this is why the syntactical guidelines used within the layout of this article do not work.

Motion / Movement

http://www.threadless.com/shapes/geometric-storm/

This t-shirt design by Francis Minoza shows implied motion because of the heavy use of diagonal lines. These diagonal lines give the viewer a sense of movement through the illusion of continuity. At the top right of the design, the lines seem to lead off the shirt, giving the viewer the idea that the lines continue even off of the shirt. The use of texture within the design is also another element that helps to convey implied motion. The texture the lines give the design create dimension and offer an impression of motion. The design plays with the viewer psychologically through the use of continuity. The design also effects the viewer kinesthetically because the sensation of motion when looking at the striking shirt. The tension and rhythm of the design also plays a large part in the success of implied motion. Tension is represented through the striking contrast of white and black forms coming together. Flowing rhythm is represented through the repetition of lines and the organic nature of what the lines represent.

http://postercabaret.com/gallery/2012-print-set/waves-by-dirk-fowler.html

This poster by Dirk Fowler constitutes implied motion through repetition, rhythm and shape. The emphasis in this design is in the fish motif. The repetition of the fish in a wavy, water-like shape creates the illusion of motion. Because of the color used, the viewer registers the fish motif as being a symbol of moving water. The continuity of the motif also lends to implied motion. The end and beginning of each line of fish are placed in a direction where it looks like one line leads to the other. The alternating colors of the lines create an illusion of depth and dimension. In real life and representation art, an example of this phenomenon is the depth perception cue of atmospheric perceptive. Darker colored objects appear closer, while lighter colored object appear further. In this case, because it is non-representational and non-objective, the dark blue fish seem to be further away than the light blue fish, this variance gives the illusion of dimension, making it easier for the viewer to interpret implied motion within the design.

Tone and Color

Poster made by Lindsey Cowley

How tone is operating

The swirling shapes filled with several tones of blue and the hierarchy of type shown through different tones of blue reveal the use of tone within the poster. The use of a dark tone of blue in relation to the lighter tones used give the impression of dimension. The darker toned blue swatches look further away in the image. Also, the vertical lines used within some of the darker tones add more tonal information by making them look more three dimensional in contrast to the solid colored tones of blue. The array of blue tones used within the text of this poster portrays the use of tone to achieve a hierarchy of information. The dark toned text is used to create interest and attention to the most important information while the lighter tones are used on the text that is less important. The darker toned text also is conveyed as darker because of its juxtaposition with the lighter tones of the text surrounding it.



How tone is interacting

Tone is interacting with the basic visual element of dimension for this image. Dimension is implied by the use of juxtaposed dark and light tones throughout. The image utilizes perspective because of the use of dimension through tone. The lighter toned blues are seen as closer to the viewer while the darker toned blues are seen as farther away or in the background. In the bottom half of the image, the lighter toned blues are given more prominence than the darker tones, giving these shapes more dimension to make them look more like they would in real life. This can really be seen in a specific section of the poster. The top right hand corner of the poster shows the darkest toned blue as the background while the lighter toned blues are placed on top of the dark toned background, having the viewer preceve the darkest toned blue as being in the back of the lighter toned circles.



How color is operating

Color is being used by giving the visual experience of calmness and easiness. The use of a cool color is said to portray these kinds of moods for the viewer. The different meanings of the hue used can be from tranquility, serenity, and knowledge. The use of yellow as the background color for the poster also gives the impression of mellowness and calm. Yellow and blue are apart of the primary colors of the color wheel and are both the main colors used within this poster. The purpose of this can be to evoke simplicity while creating interest. Saturation and brightness of the colors used are more on the low side, this can bring up an serene type of emotional response from the viewer. The use of blues can also give meaning to the swirls seen in the bottom half of the image, giving the viewer the impression that they are symbolic of the ocean.



How color is interacting 

Color is interacting with the basic visual element of movement in this image. The swirled lines seen in the bottom half of the image has the viewer’s eyes constantly scanning throughout the poster but the colors used within the swirls of lines give the viewer the information to place them as a symbol, the ocean or water. The rhythms of the sweeping swirling circular lines give the impression of movement, which the viewer attaches to their experiences with objects seen in real life that have that sweeping look of motion and the hues of blue connected to them. The viewer then comes to the conclusion that what is being abstractly portrayed in the band poster above is actually water.

Visual Communication

The Line

Lines are the basic element of visual communication used within the design process and final design of visual communication design. The picture above shows the exclusive use of lines while in the second step to the design process called thumbnails. Line is something that easily gives meaning to an idea and makes it reality; this is why using only lines throughout the thumbnail process of design is key to its success, this makes line decisive. Lines communicate and can be used as a vehicle to propel thoughts into clear visual images, this is what gives line direction. Lines can also be connoted into different symbols that carry meaning, giving the line purpose. The colored in boxed items can be symbolic of solid color or a place where images can be placed. This two-dimensional visual element is juxtaposed within these thumbnails by the contrast of the black of the line and the white of the paper, giving the line meaning by showing the structure of the design idea.

Color

Color is a basic element of visual communication used in the design process and final design of visual communication. This image in particular showcases the use of color within a mood board. Creating a mood board is a technique designers use to create a template of the aesthetic of their project. It gives the designer an idea of what kind of mood and overall layout the finished product will be and it is included in the process of creating a design. Color plays a huge role in creating a mood board because color depicts what kind of overall mood the piece will have. The color is depicted in this image as reminiscent of hot summer days, they are also identified as the primary hues red, yellow, and blue. The red can be symbolic of the heat, the yellow can symbolize the sun, and the grey-ish blue can be symbolic of the ocean. These colors are less saturated indicating that the designer wanted to convey a certain feeling of subtlety and softness. Because the colors have a low saturation, the brightness is low as well. Context is important in effectively communicating to the viewer; corresponding with the summer-like and natural images, the three color swatches the viewer can easily interpret what kind of aesthetic the designer is going for with the connotation that each color exudes. Color can denote many different feelings and can also be cultural; choosing the wrong colors for a design can shift the design as a whole into a different tone and lead to bad design. 

Movement

           

Movement is a basic element of visual communication used in the design process and final design of visual communication. This template of a web design is an example of the use of movement within a design. This design in particular demonstrates the implied movement within the layout of the design, the viewers eyes scan from line to line following them through the image, then the picture of the pointing hand and the slanted tree guide the eye back up to the top of the page. The movement of this template is depicted through the placement of elements for the viewer to easily “read” the design in the most effective way. The movement of this template can also be defined by the “left-right, top-bottom preferences” when looking at certain things, the eyes can tend to scan left, down, right and back up. This design is effectively taking advantage of that because it provides clear horizontal lines as well as images along the bottom right hand side of the image to create interest and help the viewers eyes scan back upwards on the image.

Visual Thinking Research

The puzzle above was solved using different visual thinking operations explained in In Experiences In Visual Thinking by Robert McKim. In order to solve the puzzle, we had to choose which groups of shapes were bigger in volume, A, B, or C. The first visual thinking operation that I used to help solve this puzzle was filling in. Similar to the Law of Closure of the Gestalt Principles, filling in is using what is provided in the puzzle to infer what will visually complete the image. When comparing the groups of blocks in the puzzle, I tried to visually close the shapes together in order to imagine how they would look combined. Visualizing the result of more than one shape being combined gave me the information needed to compare size with the other groups of blocks. Another visual operation I used was matching, when solving the puzzle I quickly identified each group’s shapes and matched them to together to visually differentiate them to give me the information to choose which set of shapes is largest. Kinesthetic imagery played a part in solving this puzzle as well because motion is being used to visually imagine where the blocks of shapes need to fit into in order to find the solution to the puzzle. I also used my visual memory in order to remember the visual shapes of the puzzle in my mind while going back and forth from the paper to my visual memory. This helped me make my final decision of group C being the largest in volume. Orthographic imagination was used as well during the solving of this puzzle because imagining the shapes rotated played an important part in helping to visually connect the shapes.

To solve this puzzle, there must be four pairs of interlinked hearts found. Visual operations from, In Experiences In Visual Thinking by Robert McKim and one law from The Gestalt Principle were used while solving this puzzle. The Law of Proximity was used to navigate through the many different hearts because the solver is looking for the specific hearts that are linking. When first looking at the puzzle, it’s a little challenging to differentiate the linked hearts with the non-linked hearts because the brain categorizes all the hearts together since they are all very close together in the image. Finding is used in order to help solve the puzzle because a certain pattern of the locking hearts is needed to be found within the image and is actively remembered visually while looking through the many hearts. Categorizing is also being used to solve this puzzle because in order to distinguish which hearts are interlocking, active pattern seeking is used to recognize common features of interlocking hearts and categorizing them into images that contain the solution to the puzzle. The final visual operation that helped solve this puzzle was kinesthetic imagery because motion was used in order for the brain to trace the separate hearts to reveal which of the hearts were connected to each other.

Top-Down Visual Processing

Design by Dave Delisle 

This design of a recreation of a Bart map relates to the topics of this week because it is an example of a design that promotes several visual queries. This map can give answers to your questions through visual design. This design uses visual patterns that are set up so that the viewer uses eye movements to decipher what the graphic is communicating and to relate that message in order to accomplish a goal. This design also appeals to the new scientific paradigm of Active Vision because it is made to draw attention and is goal-oriented. There can also be examples of saccades and fixations by the viewer of this graphic because of the way it is set up, the colored lines warrant saccades, more frequent eye movement. While the grey circles at the end of the groups of pathways warrant fixations because they are a place where the eye rests, then resumes to more eye movement because of the contrasted colors. Top-down visual processing is brought to attention in this design by giving the viewer enough clear information for priming in order for them to plan out their scenario by following and analysing the pattern that is given to them.

Meaning 2: Interactions Between the 3 Levels of Meaning

Created by Brooke Behnken at FuzzyMug.Etsy.com

Representational

This greeting card is using a representational form of a squirrel to create an expressive and functional product. The impact this image of a representational squirrel may give the viewer is a sense of joy because squirrels can be seen as a cute animal. It can also draw the viewer into the card because it is somewhat unlike any other card. Greeting cards are usually embellished with cartoon-like images, but with this life-like squirrel, it can strike more attention from the viewer. It relates to the abstrat because the representational form of the squirrel is abstracted by the idea that the squirrel is human-like. It is shown in an upright position meaning that it is standing on only two legs. Also, it is carrying balloons in its hand and is wearing a party hat on its head; these items are symbolic of a party, which is the theme of this greeting card. The greeting written on the card also gives the impression of the squirrel being human-like, “My squirrel wants to party all the time,” this symbolizes an idea that the squirrel is actively participating in an event meant for humans. This idea is an abstract of the idealized representation of a squirrel. 

Abstract

The abstract of this design is the idea that a squirrel can be human-like. This abstract idea facilitates the concept of the whole design, which is silly and humorous. For the viewer, this abstract idea calls attention to this specific card and design. The humor of this abstract idea makes it possible for the consumer to want to buy because it may appeal to their identity in some way. The abstract idea relates to representation because the design wouldn’t be unique if it weren’t for this idea of a representational squirrel characterized by non-representational ways. This abstract idea also relates to symbolism because the symbols of balloons and a party hat give the viewer the idea that the squirrel is more human-like with only pictures alone.

Symbolic 

Symbolism plays a large role in the whole design because without the images of the balloons and party hat symbols, the viewer would not be able to understand what the designer is really trying to convey with their design. The images of the balloons and party had symbolized fun or a party of some sort. The roles of the symbolic items can also be considered representational in that they are pictured as they would look in person, this makes the design of the image more fluid because it is not only subject to one level of design meaning. The fluidity of different levels of design meaning within this design is more simple than complex because of the simplicity of the design. It is clear when looking at this design what is symbolic and representational but the abstract lies more within an idea, which makes this design stand out, but still carries simplicity.  

Meaning 1

These are vintage ceramic wall pockets sold on Etsy. They are designed as a representation of an actual leaf. They are representational because they were made to mimic the authentic. When looking at this design hanging on a wall, a viewer would recognize them as realistic leaves because of the detail put into the work. This design imitates reality by describing the detailed elements. For example, the several different shades of green, stippling of browns, and veining. 

This is a chandelier made by a designer on Etsy. This represents abstraction because it is a distilled version of what we all think a chandelier should look. The design is extremely reduced to the bare minimum. It creates a branch-like style, making this an abstraction of a tree. This design communicates to the viewer a sense of skill, diligence, and attention to detail. Because the design is so minimal, it must be executed extremely well because flaws can be more obvious.

This item is a Superman dog tag made by an Etsy user. It is simple, but can mean a lot to someone. The symbol of this design is Superman’s logo. Many people can look at this symbol and quickly recognize what it denotes. From this one glance, people can also recall memories linked to this iconic symbol. The superman symbol visually communicates a specific character and through that bit of information, a viewer can link it to other memorable or personal information.