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.



Visual Perception and Feature Hierarchy

Ingrid Alfaro

DAI 323

Assignment 7

Visual Perception and Feature Hierarchy

http://www.designm.ag/

The fallowing poster shows a good example of Visual Perception and Feature Hierarchy, because it implies a composition of lines, contrast, direction, along with preattentive channel techniques like color and shape. We can see the layout of the lines creates contrast, movement; which helps differentiate the color applied to the main object. Color happens to be one of the most powerful hierarchy channels in design. The way visual perception works in this poster is by using “bottom-up” processing. Once you see the poster the mind is already telling you what is different in the composition. That information is transmitted to the “what is that” part of the process, then it process the information and it tells you “that is a yellow block”, and then it refers you to “where” the yellow block is located. The eye does rapid movements finds the yellow color then it tells you the shape and where it’s located. The combination of Visual Perception and Feature Hierarchy is very important in visual search because it helps gather information, and communicates the message of the design in a very fast and effective way by attracting attention, and this makes the research very efficient.

Top-Down Visual Processing

Ingrid Alfaro

DAI 323

Top- Down Visual Processing

 

The following image represents the top-down visual processing, because by taking a quick look at the design all we see is bunch of letters. But after that what we see the color red since it creates a lauder signal. The fixation created lets the viewer identify specific details; which helps anticipate the seeking of what exactly we are looking for. At this point we are processing and the goal is to discover the message behind it. All this is accomplished by the eye movement. We first recognize the feature which is a pool of letters then we see the color red at this point we are processing our next move towards our goal. After that we go back and start identifying all the red letters in a chronological order and that is when we start discovering the message meanwhile the surroundings become blurry and meaningless.

 http://www.vanseodesign.com/

Design Success and Failure in Relation to Syntactical Guidelines

DAI 323

Assignment 5

Design Success and Failure in Relation to Syntactical Guidelines

Successful

The design work presented above is a very good example of applied syntactical guidelines that have been put into good use for the product. The goal of the product is to communicate a soft smooth product line of hand soap, lotion, and anti bacterial mist. The product is communicating natural ingredients for the user. The way the message is been communicated is by using perception as the arrangement of the elements to deliver the message. For example the fonts are very simple and smooth looking. Also the shape of the bottles are formed with smooth curvy lines, along with the colors that have been chosen (soft earthy green, ocean blue, and a very soft flowerily orange). Three simple colors but they do work well with the smooth shape of the bottles which communicates natural and smooth ingredients for the user. Another syntactical guideline that has been put into good use is asymmetrical balance, leveling, and attraction. These guidelines are all working well with each other. The asymmetrical balance works well with the product’s logo since the leaf is big and bold enough to complement the capital “C” in the logo; therefore that creates balance. The leveling goes well with the composition since it has achieved balance by positioning the logo in the middle of the bottle plus the labeling with smaller soft color fonts in the middle as well, creates a total harmony, calming feeling in the product. The attraction guideline is present since we can experience a good interaction between all the elements of the design. This is a successful design, because it incorporates several of the syntactical guidelines that helps a product be successful if put in good use. Part of the success is the elements that are used plus the way they have been applied and complements each other and helps communicate the message to the user plus is very pleasant to the audience’s eye.

Failure

The design above is a good example of failure design. First of all the message is unclear, the packaging on the box mentions “Children of war gang violence….” and other writing that is not legible but is promoting purified water. The reason why is a failure is because the whole design in general do not have a good perception of the message the elements are opposites, is confusing, no balance on how they trying to sell purified water but the message of peace and hope and children of war does not have anything to do with the product. The design is not pleasant at all since the peace sign right on the edge of the box creates ambiguous sharpening tension in the design. Based on that the whole composition is disorganized and because of that it creates stress. The elements are all over there is a lot of disconnection in the design. There is no flow at all the eye is all over, the purpose and meaning of such design is a total failure because of all the decisions on how they gave a bad use to the syntactical guidelines. Besides that the big bulky fonts also do not work well at all for the design. Everything that has been laid out is making no sense and is working against the product; so that makes it a good failure desig.

Visual vs Symbolic Language

Ingrid Alfaro

DAI 323

Visual Language Syntax



Representational Content

-American Flag

-American Coins

Compositional Structure

-American flag as an arrow pointing down from the left corner as foreground focal point

-Ascending and descending lines forming pointy waves that travels through the picture from left to bottom right in an angle

-Pilled up American coins as background

-Saturated colors are used as well as transparency effect

Symbols

-Arrows pointing down

-Ascending and descending lines

Analysis

The photograph displays a bold arrow from the top left corner; which is pointing down and the tip reaches the bottom quarter portion before the end of the picture. The bold arrow is filled in with the American flag. Because of its solid bright colors, and strong structure of the arrow it becomes the foreground and the focal point in the picture. The arrow creates a rupture motion, or breaking through movement in the middle ground which would be the ascending and descending lines that forms a pattern of an upwards and downwards pointy wave. The ascending and descending lines that starts from the left vertical frame of the picture and travels in an angle in an up and down motion through the picture until reaching the bottom right corner of the picture frame. The color that has been used for the bottom portion that the lines have created is a light transparency of what the background is considered to be; which it happens to be a constructed pattern of pilled up American coins all over the picture positioned in an angle creating downward, falling motion. This pattern of pilled up coins it has a fading optical illusion which starts clear from the front of the middle portion of the picture and fades towards the back and pile of coins becomes blurry. That effect travels from middle left of the picture spreading upwards in an 180⁰ angle. Putting together all the described elements and structures it forms a representational image of the American economy status.   



Meaning 2

Ingrid Alfaro

DAI 323

MEANING 2

VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS

Representational

-         The design presented above is representing a green message. The message “the last tree gone” on the tree stump puts more feel into the design which clearly delivers the message of how companies are trying to go green and use less things that triggers our natural habitat.

-         The impact on the design towards the audience is to think about of the things we are using as resource in order to create and designing products that we need or want; therefore to try and seek for sources and material that are green and good for our planet.

-         Since this is the representational design of a green message for design purposes it has a very close connection with the following two levels of visual message which are symbolism and abstraction. From representing the message that is when the abstract part comes into play which will finally lead to the symbolization.

Abstraction

-         Here we have an abstract design which has a lot of potential in communicating the abstraction of a chopped off tree stump, from a bird’s eye view. The green color is very helpful in delivering an eco friendly tip or message.  

-         This design has a very green feeling because of the color that has bean applied; which helps incorporate the green message that is trying to come across the viewers. The black background also helps catch the viewer’s eye as well as the chosen position of the abstraction creates a single focal point that at the same time represents the “the last tree gone”.

-         This design would help shape up the next level (symbolization) of the visual message. Having the color and the abstract idea of the representational message, helps come up with the symbolization of the overall design and what is communicating.

Symbolic

-         This is a symbolization of green designs meaning that designs are made of eco friendly material and maybe recycle materials as well; which helps our environment and planet.

-         The symbol is the representation and abstraction of a message combined in order to deliver the message to the audience, of green production that is destroying our planet but get the way the G has been design reflects a recycling feeling as well. The impact of this symbolization toward the audience is clearly transmitting the message across; which that products and designs are made of eco friendly products. This is a very strong symbolization and maybe effective for clientele that do strongly care about making a difference in keeping our planet alive.

-         The way the symbolization relates to the representational and abstraction level is by applying and having the combination of the levels into one design. For example the green color was kept, not as bright but a little bit saturated which is more comfortable to the eye. The bird’s eye view of the chopped off tree was kept with a twitched to a G with an arrow; which such represents green recycle materials for design.

-         I really and strongly believe there is a connection in the three images provided, and proofs that the three levels of visual communication can be applied and combined into one design and at the same time deliver the message behind it.

Meaning 1

Representation

The image above is a representation of some of the type of architecture in the United States. The architecture’s style that was used to build the U. S capitol is Neoclassical. The design style was chosen for this federal building because of its meaning. Neoclassicism denotes fashion, taste, a strong political structure, as well as order and balance. Not to mention the symmetry is something that endures architecture of empire and glory. All this communicates a very stable democratic political message to the citizens; where they feel protected by their government.

Abstraction

As we can appreciate, this is a caption of an abstract which points towards a visual message of function. The function that has bean abstracted is work and our interaction with the environment where we perform our work activities. Viewers can relate to this image by simply putting ourselves outside the box and see inside and pass the window. By doing this we can reflect in many things we do and how we perform when doing our work activities. There we can realize and reflect in a things that can make our work easier and less stressful, because when we go back inside that box we want to be able to do things better and less painful and stressful as possible.

Symbolism

The image of the sign above symbolizes immigrants crossing the freeway. This signs is very common in San Diego California, since is one of the cities in the United States that go along the border of Mexico. The sign denotes for drivers to be aware that there is a lot of immigrant activity along that area. The only way for a person to know that would be when driving on interstate 5 in San Diego. This caution sign is very large, really hard to miss along the freeway. The purpose is for drivers to slowdown and be cautious to avoid fatal accidents.