Interactions Between the 3 Levels

http://www.psfk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/eartheye.jpg

REPRESENTATIONAL: What this visual communication design is representing is the eye of a person.

The role that it plays in the whole is that it provides a relevant image for the viewer to work with.

The impact that it has is that the viewer sees and/or recognizes the overall image from his/her environment and/or experience.

It relates to the other two levels by providing the canvas for the other two levels to emerge from.

 

SYMBOLIC: What this visual communication design is symbolizing is the earth.

The role that it plays in the whole is that it's the subject of the overall image.

The impact that it has is that it communicates via shared, coded forms, in this case portraying a globe.

It relates to the other two levels by having the opportunity to elaborating more from the previous level and providing a subject for the next level to work with, the pupil. 

ABSTRACT: This visual communication design is portraying the earth in an abstract way.

The role that it plays in the whole is that it has the kinesthetic quality of a visual event, earth in space, reduced to the basics.

The impact that it has is that it generates a direct and emotional response to the image itself. 

It relates to the other two levels by tying/completing the image together to form a statement.

Application

http://www.zahradka-art.com/images/artwork/duet.jpg

REPRESENTATIONAL: This is an example of a representational painting because it's a still of objects, in this case instruments, that relate to visual perception. This painting is a physical reality that reports direct visual details. Thus, the painting carries a vast amount of detail. Also, this painting is representational because we're able to recognize the instruments from our own environment, experience, or memory. Lastly, this painting has dimension and depth which makes it representational because that's how our every day environment is. Also it has tone change based on light principles, and that's how our environment works on the daily. Therefore I believe this is a good example of a representational painting.

 http://www.artneedlepoint.com/images/04070-abstract_guitar.jpg

ABSTRACTION: This is an example of an abstract painting because it goes from being something representational as the instruments are to a process of distillation. This means that there's a reduction of multiple visual factors that get down to only the essentials. In this case, what's only being represented are the instruments. This forms an emotional characteristic in which not everything in the painting is clear. The composition of the painting is unstable, thus it communicates activeness to the viewer. This painting eventuates visual perceptual experience and emotional impact without being too literal as a representational painting. This, I believe it to be a good example of abstraction. 

 http://www.irvmusic.com/music%20note5.jpg

SYMBOLIC: This image is a good example of symbolism because music notes denote the sound of music by association. Meaning that they convey what music sounds like without actually having to listen to music. However, this symbol can only work in certain societies in which the composing of music by writing it down is appreciated. In other societies, music is passed on by hearing it and not by seeing it. Thus, in that society this symbol would not work. This is why I think this is a good example of a symbol because some symbols are not universal, they are adopted by what works and what not works is different societies.

Visual Techniques

 http://designhistorylab.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/poster2.jpg

VISUAL TECHNIQUES:

(1) Contrast (2) Balance (3) Simplicity (4) Economy (5) Spontaneity 

(6) Activeness (7) Boldness (8) Accent (9) Flatness (10) Sharpness

 http://www.saudimac.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/ipod_nano_4g.jpg

VISUAL TECHNIQUES:

(1) Harmony (2) Balance (3) Regularity (4) Economy (5) Unity

(6) Activeness (7) Boldness (8) Neutrality (9) Depth (10) Sharpness

Even though both campaign ads are from the same company, Apple, they differ in certain aspects when it comes to Visual Techniques. For example, while the first ad thrives in contrast incorporating a black shadow with the white product, in this case an iPod, with a colorful background. The second ad is colorful indeed, but the colors gradually progress as in a rainbow. This gives it a feel of harmony instead of contrast. Both ads are well balanced, the first one having much emphasis on the right which balances out with the left side that doesn't have much going on. The second ad is well balanced as well because the iPods are all in a line, giving it stability. Also, both ads show economy, activeness, boldness and sharpness. However, they differ when it comes to depth and flatness. The first ad is somewhat flat, it doesn't show much depth. Although the shadow figure shows dimension, being all black takes away from it and makes it look almost flat. Also, the white iPod looks very flat. Likewise, the second ad shows depth by having the objects tucked in behind one another instead of all being right next to each other.

 

CONTRAST

 

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This is a design that demonstrates an effective use of contrast contributing to a successful design using letters to form a shape, in this case a bottle. Although not all of the words are legible, the use of contrast in size and tone make some words stand out more than others, like love. The word love is bigger and darker than the rest, which makes it more noticeable than any other word. This gives me the impression that the designer of this bottle meant for the word love to be the most predominant in the design, in which he succeed. Also, the contrast in color between the black letters and the white space adds to the overall contrast of the design since black and white is the greatest contrast one can have. Overall, this is a good example of contrast since it has more than one contrast element, size, tone and color bring out the important features of the bottle while the rest blend in to define the bottle.    

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/4532/1saksvalentine.jpg

This is a design that demonstrates a lack of poor use of contrast contributing to a failed design using letters to form a shape, in this case a heart. Since there's not much contrast in the design, the wording is not legible. The viewer can tell that there's wording involved within the design, however, the wording itself is really hard to make out since it's intertwined with the rest of the design. If there's wording involved within a design, it is meant to be seen, otherwise, the design speaks for itself. What this design lacks is contrast in tone as well as size. If the wording was a bit darker and bigger/smaller than the rest of the design, it would stand out more but it will still keep the essence it now possesses. However, if the designer wanted to make the wording even more evident and overall make the design stand out more, contrast in color would need to be added. Compare to the design above, which uses the same concept of words making forms, this design fails in the legibility of the wording by not using different elements of contrast to its advantage.

MOVEMENT/MOTION

http://www.turboweb.co.nz/images/125/large/GraphicDesign.jpg

Implied motion is suggested but not actually shown. I believe this graphic depicts implied motion because looking at it literally, it shows a bunch of rectangles in different sizes full of color. However, the way these rectangles are placed in the picture plane, and the way the colors are assembled, it gives off the appearance of motion. The motion is inwards, it sucks you in. It feels like all these colorful rectangles are moving to the center of the picture plane really rapidly. Also, depth contributes to the feel of motion because it gives room for these colorful rectangles to collide inward. There's also a diagonal stress with the direction the colorful rectangles are moving to. Also, it conveys the energy of movement especially in the center where it's mostly busy and thus blurry giving off the impression of a lot of energy concentrating at the particular area. All in all this graphic has a lot of implied movement.

  https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUQh-obmffo1mqD4w7MrgF93kcLDunatkrHQvkdtq9aFR-lEJMwc5hxIG3_EJEieEOi1tEfCHI9-BtExbQIAnXo9OELqnemKY0p_8P-gGHIVTUSe3oCkEaohB_rn9Ruf0eWhAOZM5Gt4/s1600/nike-meteors.jpg

Implied motion means motion that is suggested but not actually shown. I think this graphic ad shows implied motion although looking at it literally, the shoe is frozen in the middle of this picture plane. However, our eyes tend to look for motion when there's none. By using this fact to its advantage, this ad is effective in portraying implied motion by using a diagonal orientation which makes this shoe seem to be falling in a diagonal matter. Direction is also heavily enhanced in this graphic ad, the shoe seems to be falling from the top left hand corner to the bottom of the right hand corner. The shoe is called Meteors so it makes sense for this graphic ad to imply motion, as a meteor would. The fact that the shoes leaves a glittering trail as it's falling also adds to the movement. As well as the fact that the tip of the shoe is on fire, which implies that the shoe must be going at a very rapid speed, like a meteor. All in all this is also a good example of implied motion and very effective for an ad too.   

Dimension/Depth/Space

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I chose this graphic art image because I found it very intriguing. Although this is a flat, 2D image, depth and dimension can be seen because of the particular scaling and size of each of the squares. Also, the textured gradient surface helps add to the illusion of space. As the squares start equally getting smaller and smaller from both sides, it gives off the appearance that they're getting farther and farther away from the observer. The smaller the squares get, the distance between the viewer and the image increases, depicting depth. I thought this aspect was very interesting since the image in not 3D but yet it has that appearance because of the successful way scaling was used to form a dimension that's not really there. I feel like I can walk into this image and keep on going because of the use of relative size. The squares on the left hand side, mostly, are equal in size but as you start to progress throughout the image moving to the left, the squares start to transform more to slender and slender rectangles giving the image a depth cue that they are getting farther away, which in our eyes justifies such transformation. All in all I think this image achieves depth and dimension through the simplest forms, scaling and size, which proves that by using these in the right way even a 2D image has the potential to be portrayed as something more than what it really is.  

Tone and Color

 

I chose this graphic arts image because I thought it was a good example of tone and color working together, as well with other visual design elements, to create an overall design that is simple but yet  interesting. The way tone operates in this example is by not having all the yellow dots on the same tone of yellow. Although this is a monochromatic design, the different tones of yellow make this design more intricate, more complex, rather than if it was just in one single tone of yellow. Also, the more darker tones seem to pop out at you, giving the design somewhat of a depth even though it's a flat design. Tone interacts with shape in this design as well. The circular shape is consistent throughout the entire design, making it repetitive. Almost like a pattern. Color operates in this example by having a yellow monochromatic theme. Since yellow is the only color that's being used, it makes the design very cohesive. Color interacts with direction as well, the diagonal is predominant within this design because the way the circles are placed one after the other as well as one on top of the other is not exactly side to side nor up and down. The circles are placed in a way that they're off to an angle making diagonal lines in between each. All in all this is a great example, in my opinion, of a successful design using tone, color, shape and direction.

Graphic Design

http://melon.bz/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/graphic-designaz4.jpg

THE DOT: Being the most predominant and simplest form in nature, the dot is active in this example because it's what it is used to make up the picture. Much like TV dots work, these dots are used in the same way, where each dot contains a gradient that makes up part of the picture and once each individual dot is gathered and put together with the rest, they all make up one big picture. This is achieved by placing each dot after the next, side to side and up and down, so the eye could read one whole picture instead of just individual dots. Although, in this design, the dots are not placed right after the other. There's a small gap in between each, which is part of the design aesthetic since you are able to see the white gaps in between. Thus, the eye doesn't see one solid picture because that's not the intention of the design. However, the overall picture still reads as one even with the white gaps in between each of the dots. This only shows to tell, how powerful dots can really be if used correctly.

 

http://excaliburgraphics.us/gd.jpg

THE LINE: Described as a dot in motion, the line is active in this example because it is being used as a pre-visualization tool to sketch out what will ultimately arrive at a design. In this design, the line is performing the job of defining other elements, like shapes and changes of tone/texture. This is achieved by putting together vertical, horizontal as well as diagonal lines together. Some lines might be straight, some lines might not, some curve, other don't. But by incorporating all these different styles of lines with one another, you start to form shapes of all sizes which start to from different objects which then start to form a cohesive design. Also, by putting lines near each other or by separating them at a certain distance, you start to create tone/texture which adds to the overall design. Once all these various styles and types of lines come together, a design is formed. In this case, the design is somewhat loose and experimental because of the way the lines were chosen to be used. 

http://media.photobucket.com/image/graphic%20design/toon79/graphic-design.jpg

SHAPE: Building on the dot, which controls lines, and the line, which describes the contours of shapes, a very specific shape is being used in this design to communicate a certain type of emotion. The composition of this design is diagonal, which implies direction and that direction implies movement. The diagonal composition forms a triangular composition, in which the triangle is the predominant shape on the composition. In this case, the triangle is being used to utilize the feeling of action in the design. To do so, all the diagonal lines on the design happen to meet at a diverging point which then creates a triangle and the impression of going/moving forward. The overall composition and the way the triangle shape was used in it, is very successful in communicating the right emotions associated with this design. 

Design Success and Failure in Relation to Syntactical Guidelines

http://media2.smashingmagazine.com/images/layout-solutions/nerve2.jpg

I believe this web design is successful with its composition because it has a good use of the syntactical guidelines. This is a good example of how one doesn't have to sacrifice aesthetics for simplicity, in this case, simplicity refers to the fact that the website is easy to read. For example, there's a good balance in between the left "Categories" side and the right "New Releases" side. Neither over power the other, but work together as one to enhance one another. Also, the fact that there's only two groupings make this website much easier for the eye to navigate around. There's stress on the right-hand corner area where the name/logo of the site is located, which is a good thing because it draws attention to it and that's what you want. Color is also used wisely, lime green is used to emphasize the link that's active as well as the price of the album, which needs to be visible. All in all, I think that this web design achieves rapid and easy surfing by using the syntactical guidelines to its advantage. 

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kw331tJk501qazrnl.jpg

I believe this web design is not as successful as the previous one in its composition because it has somewhat of a bad use of the syntactical guidelines, although it's not as bad. First off, the fact that everything is one solid color doesn't make it easy to distinguish the groupings intended. For example, on the top right-hand corner, the links would be more visible if they were the negative color from the rest of the site. Meaning that the text would be orange and the text box would be white with a black outline. Also, it would be much more balanced if there were two links right after the other and two more links below them, so it would form a rectangle (closure). Also, the grouping at the bottom of the page would be more prominent if there was even a slight color change, perhaps another tone of orange, instead of just depending on a size difference. Thus, it would separate itself from the big orange box that's the body and context of the page. Overall, this site is okay but with a couple of changes here and there that favor the syntactical guidelines, this page would be above average.  

Visual vs Symbolic Language

http://www.marketmixup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/unemployment.jpg

Content: word unemployment, people, newspapers

Structure: word unemployment is bold, people are shadows, newspapers are in the background

Symbols: written language

The background is ironically composed of two newspapers about employment and help wanted, the color of the background is somewhat opaque and dim, as if to not take away from the rest of the picture. There's a see-through white band going across the top of the picture in which the word unemployment is written over it with very bold, black, capitalize letters. This makes the word very visible. On the bottom of this white band, taking most of the picture space, is what seems to be a line of people going across or horizontally on the picture plane. They are all in profile facing the left and they are lined up one after another. What gives this picture more depth is that you cannot see the faces of these people because they are portrayed as shadows, somewhat black and see-through. I believe that the message this picture is trying to convey is that even though there might be some jobs open here and there (based on the newspapers on the background), there's not enough jobs to go around for all the people that are unemployed (based on the word unemployment and the people lined up). Therefore, these people are living behind their own shadows or something like that, that's why they are portrayed as such. 

Visual Thinking Research

There are four snakes interwoven in a cross-like shape. Each one of a different color: black, blue, green and red. The challenge is to spot the shortest of them.

ME: I thought it was the green snake one since it only occupied the bottom left corner of the picture, while the red and black snakes had a greater expansion.

ROOMMATE: My roommate thought it was the blue snake since it only occupied the top left corner of the picture, she also saw the red and black snakes as the most prominent ones.

ANSWER: The red snake, consisting of eleven bends only, is the shortest.

My roommate and I were stunned to find out that the red one was the shortest because both of us thought that it was one of the longest. We came to conclude that since the red snake is the only solid one in color, it jumps out at you more than the rest; while the others you have to rely on closure to follow them around. 

Which shape from the A-E options should be placed instead of the question mark in order to
complete the sequence?

ME: I thought it was D since the red and green box make a triangle and the yellow and blue box make a square so if you pull all four together it makes half of a house and that's what square D showed.

ROOMMATE: My roommate actually got this one right, she was able to see the number pattern once she stepped back and saw the puzzle as a whole and not focus her attention on the individual boxes, which I thought was in interesting method.

ANSWER: Removing some unnecessary parts of the square outlines one can spot digits hidden in them - 1, 2, 3 and 4. The next one should be, obviously, 5. The E shape is the
one which hides 5 in it. Thus, it should be chosen in order to complete the sequence.

Feature Hierarchy and Visual Search

http://www.designbystructure.com/getimage.aspx.ID-119699.png

At first glance, this is just an ordinary website. There's millions of these on the web, but how does this one website stand out from the rest? Its web design has successfully incorporated feature channels, which in this case deal with color, shape, size and spatial layout. Color is always the most predominant from all feature channels, it "pops-out" the most. For example, in this website the logo and the three box icons are opposites from each other in that the logo uses a lot of color and the three box icons don't; but yet, both pop-out to the viewer just as much because of the two different ways they use color. The logo is made out because of its white lettering on a colorful background. Therefore the viewer focuses more on the white lettering rather than the colorful background, but cohesively it works together as one to make the logo stand out. This is an example of color standing out in a silent almost hidden way. On the contrary, the three box icons are white, colorless, apart from the black text each one has which can pass by unnoticeable. The reason these three white box icons stand out is because the background of the website is a gradual gray scale so the whiteness of the box icons pop-out. Also, each white box icon has a colorful link on the bottom of it so the color contrast really draws attention to these boxes and especially to their links. This is an example of color standing out right off the bat. The size and shape of these boxes also make them stand out even more. Spatial layout is an interesting one when analyzing the boxes because there's some kind of depth going on between the background and the boxes, especially when the colorful link of the boxes reflects on the "floor" of the website which makes the boxes come out/jump out at you. The visual search of this website is really successful in that there's not much information to look at, just the logo and the three boxes with the links. Sometimes not having a lot of choices makes it easier for the user to navigate through the website without getting overwhelmed. I would say that overall, the visual hierarchy of this website is color and it was used successfully! 

Top-Down Visual Processing

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I believe this image captures the essence of a top-down process because it is focusing its attention at a given task at hand, which in this case is writing the word design. According to Visual Queries, "Top-down processes are driven by the need to accomplish some goal. This might be an action [...] It might be a cognitive goal, such as understanding an idea expressed in a diagram. (Ware)" This image can also be looked at as "an idea expressed in a diagram," in which the viewer understands that the idea of the image is about design not because of the actual action going on in writing the word design but because of the specific design diagram that's in the background, such as coding and various design software. Top-down visual processing also deals with fixation, which applies to this image as well because when writing (action goal) and/or understanding the idea of the word design (cognitive goal), ones attention span tends to prolong in certain areas. For example, when writing the word design one might tend to look more extensively on the letters that are being written. Likewise, when it comes to understanding the idea of the word design, one might tend to look more extensively on how the various design features are diagrammed in the background. Finally, top-down visual processing involves specific eye movements, which also applies to this image because when writing (action goal) and/or understanding the idea of the word design (cognitive goal), ones eyes move in a certain degree. For example, when writing the word design one might tend to glance at how much space is left in order to determine whether the word is going to fit on the paper before continuing to write the rest of the letters. Likewise, when it comes to understanding the idea of the word design, one might tend to glance in a certain matter at how the different design features are diagrammed and follow them in a specific path. It's this "constant re-linking between actions and cognition (looping), (Wk2_LECTURE_VisQueries-1.pdf)" that make this image a good candidate for top-down visual processing!