Visual Techniques

Here is a great example of

CONTRAST

SUCCESS

Here we can see an image that is designed around contrast. The creator utilizes contrast by placing two strips of photos, one with a darker backgroud and one with a lighter, against each other. This effect creates a surprising and eye catching juxtaposition through color contrast. As we learned in the lecture and readings it is important to use contrast in order for certain aspects of the design to pop. Here we can see that there is a pattern. First that the two images are creating a pinstripe and second that the lettering is in contrast with the images. Here the designer has chosen to confuse the mind. We can obviously see elements that make clear sense in our minds. i.e. the black to white stripes. However, once our minds attempt to place the two images into two separate images of a man the task becomes incredibly difficult. This is also apparent in the contrast of the text. Unlike the parallel strips the text does not sam to form any apparent pattern to the color. This element of juxtaposition leaves the receiver questioning and baffled, therefore the eye wanders and reaches the poster for clues.

  FALURE
In the second image I chose we can obviously see some apparent problems with visuals and reading. The first and most obvious problem is the lack of contrast between the text and the background coloring. It is apparent that the creator of this font was looking to create a long, thin, and elegant font however the problem is that upon first glance you may not even notice that the font is there. If you would place the image into a grey scale you can quickly identify that the background is using a mid to dark grey tone for the positive space while using an almost white for the lettering. This does not show contrast but instead suggests that the font is created to seep into the background. Also another failure of this is that the designer chose a blue color for the "Light" element placed above the font. Here if we turn the image to greyscale we can quickly understand that the title dissipates into the mid grey of the background. This font may be elegant and unique, but the designer fails to illustrate the quality and possibilities of his font.

Movement/Motion

Here is a photographic illusion of movement. Much like the photo of the horse in motion the photographer uses multiple exposers to capture a girl playing jump rope. We can tell that she is moving in this photo because as we read the image (much like text) we scroll from left to right and see the slow but fluid progression of her action. Legs are in motion, arms are swinging, the rope is flailed around, her skirt and shirt shifts, and together these cues help our minds place the multiple exposers together and see not just a single still photo but the act of a childhood movement.

Here we see an photograph of a dog in motion. The cues that lead me to believe this are the fallowing; the dog appears to be lifted off the ground, also the dogs hair appears to be lifted into space. Here the photographer specifically incorporates a horizon line to create the perception that the dog is in fact lifted off the ground. We can even see a small amount of shadows from the dogs feet which creates the illusion of lift. Therefore sense the only other way this animal could be lifted off the ground would be if an unseen element is holding the dog off the ground. Also the fur of the dog appears to be in motion. The dogs fur is heavy and therefore gravity would pull the dreaded fur down along the contour of the animal. However, sense the dog is lifted off the ground the dog appears to be in mid leap, lifting the fur as the animal falls back to earth. The only other way to get this same effect would be in a zero gravity environment. (sense I don't really expect this to be the case) I believe the dog to be in motion running towards our lovely photographer.

Dimension/Depth/Space/Scale

Here is a picture of a city during winter. As you have probably noticed this image is not simply capturing the city scape and the people that inhabit it. There is also a motion and three demential aspect to this photo. As you can see there are many visual cues in this photo; relative size, overlap, linear perspective, atmospheric perspective, relative height, binocular disparity, but also movement parallax. Relative size can mainly be seen in the people. Many people take up about a fourth of the visual space in height however closer to the horizon people become much smaller almost to a tenth or twentieth the size of the larger people. Atmospheric perspective can be seen as the structures to the right of the page begin to fade in town and texture. Overlap can be seen in the people to make them seem farther and closer to the point of where the picture was taken. Binocular disparity can be seen as the camera has focused on one single aspect of the picture. The man who is moving his newspaper is in clear and clean focus as the other parts of the picture appear either in motion or out of focus. Now the biggest part of the picture can be found in the motion parallax. Here a few images of a man are placed together to create movement. Each individual image creates a movement.

Visual Thinking Research

 For my first puzzle I chose the over lapping circles. I attempted to solve it through the understanding that all the missing pieces were the same size. I then calculated how many missing pieces there were from each individual circle. From this (as seen below on the right side of the note pad) I found that by completing the circles and then realizing that there are constant areas missing I could simply calculate by addition the number similar areas.
    My friend attempted to calculate the areas by addition as well by finding a ratio for the amount missing in each circle and adding them together. This however did not prove to be conclusive.
B- 6
G- 6
Y- 5
R- 7

 For my second puzzle I choose a problem that involved circles that overlap however are different lengths. I completed the puzzle by dividing the circle into 4ths. Sense it appears that the circles change direction every quarter turn this seemed fitting. I found that by adding the number of quarter turns were in each line I could find the correct answer. In other words I would complete each piece of the line as a circle (gestalt) then subtracted the remaining segments that.
    As for my friend he attempted to find the answer by simply looking at the circles to find the correct answer. As a result he chose the Green Line. I believe this to be true because it is the most isolated of the lines. While the other strings move and take up the a fair distance the green remains in the lower left hand corner.

Results.

    The Blue and green circles for #1
&
    The Red String for #2

Top-Down Visual Processing

    Top down Visual Processing in this design for the movie Dirty Harry works as a challenge to the reviver of the visual image. First the eyes scans the darkest and most contrasted object. Here it is the object shaped as a gun. Soon after however, your eyes may catch a glimpse of what appears to be a graphic element of a eye and eyebrow. This is where your cognitive elements begin to take place. Upon seeing the eye your eye will scan downward along the right outline of the gun to see that perhaps there is a secondary element to the poster. The image of Clint Eastwood's profile begins to take form as the brain fills in the excluded elements of the face. The gun now turns into the negative space of the main character of the film.
    This duality of imagery in this reinterpretation of the poster for Dirty Harry presents a challenge for the viewer to complete. Upon first scan the object appears as a gun. As the eye tracks other elements of the picture a graphic brow and eye catch and the second object hidden in negative space, the face of Clint Eastwood.

Design Success and Failure in Relation to Syntactical Guidelines

SUCCESS
    This ad for a musician is a great example of balance, symmetry, use of positive negative space, grouping, and leveling.
   The first thing you notice about this ad is that the left mimics the right in almost perfect vertical symmetry. Both arrows start from the top corners and lead your eye down to the the third arrow that leads you right back again. This piece had a simple black and white color relationship that uses white as a negative space to allow the art to pop off the page as it contrasts with the sharp black. The overall design has information grouped into three locations. The first arrow starts at the top left, where your eye is trained to begin on any page, then as you fallow the group you reach the second arrow. This arrow stars where the last left off and guides you through the artists name and onward to the last arrow group which takes you back the the bottom center. Finally the piece is completely leveled. It is centered on the page, there is a huge & symbol denoting the center of the page. and the rest fallows in vertical symmetrical balance.

   FAILURE:
     This web design fails in its ability to create balance, sharpening, use of positive negative space, abstraction, and grouping.
   First off the balance is not centered around any horizontal or vertical line. This is not saying that the design must aligned to the direct center to be level. The image of the duck is one of the main reasons that leveling fails. This image offsets the main header and leaves the design leaning left. The left links create a negative space that is repeated without order or interest. Each box sits on top of another and the yellow creates a pull into the other boxes grouped to the bottom of the design. The abstracted duck does not entice or connect with the viewer. It displaces and creates unnecessary space. It is not grouped. Each element is either left aligned or centered. This creates an confusing and nonuniform concept. Your eye starts with the centered items then moves over to the left columns then finally off the page entirely.