Visual Techniques

Ingrid Alfaro

DAI 323

Assignment 14

Visual Techniques

Contrast

Balance

Asymmetry

Irregularity

Simplicity

Fragmentation

Economy

Understatement

Predictability

Stasis

Boldness

Accent

Transparency

Consistency

Depth

Repetition

Contrast 

Balance

Irregularity

Complexity

Fragmentation

Intricacy

Spontaneity

Activeness

Accent

Transparency

Depth

Randomness

After reviewing the two examples of posters above, both posters have similar visual techniques in common like contrast, balance, irregularity, fragmentation, accent, transparency, and depth. The way these similar techniques are working for both posters is by creating a very interesting composition where the techniques have been applied in accordance to the content of the message.  In the first poster things are more asymmetric, simplicity, economic, understatement, predictable, stasis, boldness, and repetition. This helps create a more serious feeling when it comes to delivering the message across the audience. The techniques reflect and complement the visual techniques applied.

In the second image some of the techniques that are used to differentiate its uniqueness are complexity, intricacy, activeness, and randomness. This visual techniques help delivery the purpose of the poster as an entertaining advertisement. I believe that the way the designers have implied the visual techniques are very successful and pleasant to the viewer since expresses really well their purpose of communicating and delivering the message across the audience.   





Contrast

Ingrid Alfaro

Assignment 13

Contrast

Visual Communication

This poster utilizes contrast in a good way. The contrast in color, composition, and typography is successful in delivering the message of someone that is dealing with sadness, that is hurt and in pain. The black background is contrasting the white arm and the red type; which creates a pop-out effect which is contrast in visual perception. The way the white arm is positioned horizontally high up in the poster helps create a contrast on the red typography which is designed as a form of blood. The scale and font used transforms the type into blood. The way it’s wrapped around the wrist, the size in scale creates a dripping feeling forming a puddle of blood; the words written represent sadness, pain. All this elements together forming polarities creates a very successful design for this poster.

In the other hand this book cover does a great job on representing a bad use of contrast. The composition, colors, font that was used to create this type of book cover is a disaster because everything clashes. First the vertical white and red lines across creates tension with the horizontal green typography, not to mention two of the prime colors together in the layout are competing with each not complementing each other. The font used is hard to read besides the tension already created by what was mentioned above. Also the red saturated image in the middle of the swirl is just stressful and creates a nervous, anxious feeling. Overall the elements applied create a bad use of contrast for the book cover.     



Movement/Motion

Ingrid Alfaro

DAI 323

Assignment 12

Movement/Motion

Implied Motion in Design

http://www.coroflot.com/

This image perfectly reflects movement and motion through the high level system derived from perceiving form then movement which is affected by the knowledge of kicking a ball. The designer implied motion by adding lines that points to the object who is the soccer player so then the movement in the still image happens with the effect of the white lines that implies speed coming towards the viewer. The way the soccer player’s leg is high up and coordinates with the direction of the ball moving away we can see that the motion and movement is achieved with graphical motion and our knowledge of the real world. Not to mention but I believe the designer might have run into a problem of showing speed. As mentioned before I think the best approach to the designer’s problem was to add linear perception of depth and which implies motion, movement and as a result we get an add that communicates fast strong  movement trough the player and the result of the ball been kicked really hard.

http://forums.mtbr.com/

This next image we can appreciate depth, motion, movement created with a pattern flow. The motion and movement is created by the movement of the biker traveling across the woods. We can feel the movement of the trees and bushes coming toward us the viewers; which are passing by us from the sides in a very fast motion. This motion creates a blur to the things closes to us. This creation of blur helps create motion/movement and change throughout the image. In this image the low level system of perception is active. The low level system consist on perceiving the movement then form; which according to the notes this is developed fast and is not affected by the knowledge of the world.

Dimension/Depth/Space/Scale

Ingrid Alfaro

DAI 323

Assignment 11

Dimension/Depth/Space/Scale

http://blog.rave.ac.uk

While looking for some magazine covers I run into this image which I found very interesting because of the sense of depth, scale dimension, and space. Here the eye is using the muscles (oculomotor cues) – and the visual cues to interpret the 2.D image and has a 3D vision. The depth perception is created by the objects used in the space. The objects help create depth because of the scale size perception in context. There is also a lot of overlapping going on in the space. Besides that we can also appreciate a vanishing point from the upper right corner of the magazine cover. There is also atmospheric perspective going on as well as familiar size of the objects around the space. Texture gradient is also displayed which is reflected through the windows from the buildings. I believe the way that the way the design techniques of perception scaling, sizing the objects created a successful image that clearly communicates what I have talked about above (Dimension/Depth/Space/Scale).

Tone and Color

Ingrid Alfaro
DAI 323
Assignment 3

http://www.brandstoryonline.com/

This image is the one that it stood out the most for me while searching for advertising. The tone and color applied are very interesting and attractive which makes the advertising simple but yet successful in communicating the message of the product.

Tone is operating in the human figure as well as light and dark which it helps bring out the human figure plus the details on the pants which I believe it gives the whole composition that extra spice that helps define more of the human structure.

The advertisement also incorporates interaction with another visual element which is movement by using the dancing human figure. The elements that help represent this motion of movement is the hair, the arms been swing back, the leg high up, and the way the whole body is positioned. On top of that the hues tones of gray on the tips of the hair help the motion more vivid.

Another important element to analyze here is color. The way color has been applied in this example helps create a pop-out effect, since the negative and positive layers of spaces have created a dominant image for the human figure and the product which is the iPod. The red background makes the human figure stands out and the white iPod stands out from the person as well. The iPod cord implies the line basic element interacting with white color used as well as creating that pop-out effect.

Due to the color white use for the iPod the design creates a contrast with the human figure and which also makes it stand out as the focal point in the design and also creates motion of movement by following the white line from the ears to its end point which is the iPod.

I believe that taking into consideration and analyzing the elements of the design it really creates a very interesting and strong advertisement which successfully catches the viewer’s attention and transmit the message very clearly.   

Magazine Design

Color/Tone

Color is active in the Z!NK magazine design as the main necessary of the layout to implement focal point in the magazine’s  name and the present issue which is fashion. The role of this element is to emphasize the message of the fashion issue with the bight yellow color against the black background. Tone is also active as well due to the pigmentation of the gray scale and light in the photograph. The role of this element is to express distance between the object and background, helping the element of color stand out and function better by communicating the message to the viewer.



Texture

Texture is active element in this magazine design due to the layers of the white lines which creates contrast between the colors in the back. The role of texture is to create a 3Dimentional feeling and a more realistic design.

Movement

Movement is active in the magazine layout by the graphical image containing vertical lines made of a collage, which creates differentiation between the lines and the picture in the back. The role of this element is to create motion in the design to activate eye movement through out the whole composition. 

Visual Thinking Research

Ingrid Alfaro

Assignment #8



The Visual Thinking Research project that I (Ingrid) and my friend (Erica) did together was tested on two puzzles from puzzles.com. The first puzzle we did was “The Cat”. The instructions were to find and count all the triangles in the picture. My strategy on counting 20 triangles in the picture was based on the reading “Images in Action” by Mckim. I was able to use the pattern seeking- finding technique in order to find the triangles along picture. Besides that I also utilize the categorizing pattern technique which helped me put together the shape of what was to be considered a triangle. Another technique that I put into use was the pattern completion due to the fact that some of the triangles in the tail were not complete which all added to 7. The rest of the triangles can b find in the body=3, and 10 along the face with that said I also used the visual memory which helped retain in record of the amount of triangles displayed.

My friend Erica came up with 18 triangles, she basically used pattern finding, categorizing, and visual memory. She did not use the pattern completion technique which is the reason for her not to be able to find the other two triangles in the picture.

The second puzzle that we both worked on was “Name the Month”. This puzzle consists on guessing the month by visualizing the symbols provided. I came up with the answer a little faster than Erica. The reason for that was because there was a cognitive illusion involved at the beginning which rapidly transformed into an inverse drawing technique and that was the reason for me drawing the horizontal line along the symbols, and that is how I figure out that the month was July. Erica did figure out the month of July but she apply spatial analogy as visual reasoning when she analyzing the 4 symbols and the months that have 4 letters.