Visual Techniques

Source: http://vega0ne.deviantart.com/art/VEGAONE-DE-2008-74572058?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Adesigns%2Fweb&qo=17

Visual Techniques:

-Contrast

-Complexity

-Active

-Instability

-Irregularity

-Variation

-Depth

-Opacity

Source: http://jk89.deviantart.com/art/Imago-62914298?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Adesigns%2Fweb&qo=3

Visual Techniques:

-Simplicity

-Unity 

-Statis

-Consistency

-Balance
-Flatness

The two posted designs above are related to my area of interests, Visual Communications, and especially related since it is website design. The designs are related because both are trying to get information across to the target audience, however they differ in the way the information is structured to do so. In the first website the designer uses techniques like irregularity and variation. The designer used a bunch of different designs and combined them together in a type of collage. This is different from the second image because of its use of consistency and unity. All related information is in the same square and all the squares are connected together to make a rectangle. The first image also uses depth and opacity to give the design a feeling of dimension. Numerous things are covering other designs giving it the 3D type feel. The second is flat and there is no opacity, everything is just to next to each other. The first design uses complexity is activeness versus simplicity and stasis like the second. Both designs are able to convey the information across to the reader, however they differ in the fact that the first chose to use a more extravagant, crazy style while the second chose to go with the more professional & simple look. 

Contrast

 

Source: http://shurka.deviantart.com/art/the-contrast-31350543?q=boost%3Apopular%20contrast%20color&qo=1

The design above is an example of using contrast in a successful manner. The contrast in hue represents the two different emotions that the image is trying to portray. The left side of the image has a warm, happy, positive feeling to it, and even could be interpreted as the sun. The right side of the image is more negative and mysterious. The green could represent envy, while the blue could represent the mysteries of the sea. The purple and black also add to this mysterious and scary feel. The technique used in the making of this design was to reflect two opposites combined as one, representing two different moods. The reader is able to compare the differences and understand the overall meaning of the design. Without the use of color contrast in this design the reader would not easily be able to tell the difference between the sides. If the whole image only contained the colors blue, purple, green, & black the reader would not be able to see the positive emotion of the image.

 

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicWDp1Q-kQRftiUJjYkh8qWbitY1zD934xIsDk492lCnrE8faPPa1uK5RW8q9lh5lA_9XQVj0XtvlRJKV43Iaezu9aQrSUyS8PkEGMHZaL4kZNiACGq1Fxwaa3H7YkBDD97paPW5KEuWE/s1600/bad+site.png

The webdesign above demonstrates a poor use of contrast and leads to a failed design. The contrast in hue and saturation throughout the site is horrible. The designer tries to make to many things stand out at once making the reader confused at what they should look at first. For example, the letters A-Z stand out because of the bright green behind them, but the letters are the least of importance compared to everything else on the website. Furthermore, the improper use of contrast makes the website appear to give more importance to the Democratic Party because of how much blue there is compared to red. However, the website actually is for both parties, giving neither one more importance. The designer should of used less colors and made the overall theme of the website similar colors and have what is really important in bright colors. There is also poor contrast in terms of shape. The website has so many different sized squares and rectangles that nothing stands out. Because of the designer's improper use of contrast, the design is an ultimate fail.

Movement/Motion - Implied Motion

The image above represents implied motion in design of a person running away from gunshots. For one, Gestalt's Law of Continuation means that we expect for the lines coming from the bullets to continue. Therefore, the bullets are implied to be moving forward as well. Even though this picture is frozen, we understand it as motion because of our knowledge of what running looks like. Also, because of prior knowledge of the world we know that the bullets will continue to go in the direction they are already in. Bullets do not shoot and then randomly change direction. The man's hair is also blown back because of the force of running against the wind representing motion. Lastly, the artist uses Dondis Guidelines for balance and imbalance to represent this implied motion. One leg is up in the air and the other is out in front on the ground. By looking at this design we understand that this legs we continuously be opposite from one another, which represents running.

The movement implied in this design is what makes this design so intriguing to look at. This designed sculpture has a spiral effect and because of Gestalt Law of Continuation we expect this spiral to continue representing motion. This design also has an abstract side to it, where it appears that many of the pieces should be falling in various directions. The designers use of direction can be also be seen. Each piece of the sculpture is slanted in a certain way and implies that it should continue to fall in that direction. There is also implied motion because of the cutouts from the pieces. It appears as if there are two spirals right next to each other. The cutouts could be compared to something like a snake that is slithering through the ground leaving a trail of its path. Thus, implied motion can see be in this object in several ways from the spiral continuing to go upward to each piece implying that it is about to fall to the direction of its slant.

Dimension/Depth/Space/Scale

 Source: http://adverka.deviantart.com/art/depth-21899593?q=boost%3Apopular%20Depth&qo=49

 The image above relates to my area of interests and planned major because it is a picture taken in San Francisco and the picture contains multiple size and depth perception cues. For starters, overlap can be seen by looking at how some of the polls are on overlapping the polls behind them. They also overlap the background giving them the visual perception that they are in front of those objects. Another element of depth perception that can be seen is texture gradient. The dirt and rocks on the ground get smaller towards the background and lose all detail and thus, look almost like a plain color. Linear perspective is also in this picture and can be seen by looking at the roof. The parallel lines on the roof converge as they get further away. Lastly, the image has dimension. This visual perspective can be seen by the shape of all the objects in the image, giving it a tunnel feel and if the image was to continue in the background everything would come together to a vanishing point.

Tone & Color

Source: http://cyzra.deviantart.com/art/Character-Design-No-64-251149732?q=boost%3Apopular%20design&qo=141

I chose this character design as my example for tone and color because both these features are important elements in how this design operates. This design is an example of the juxtaposition of tone, which Dondis in A Primer of Visual Literacy describes as "the intensity of darkness or lightness of anything seen". The variations of light in this picture is what gives it its meaning. The darkness used for this design give it a darker and more evil feeling. The designer also made use of tone by making everything dark except for what he felt important. The light behind the character represents the importance of the character and the fire represents evil.Tone is also interacting with texture because of the design of fire's reference to the reality of fire. 

Color, as an important element, is operating in this design through the use of the colors red, yellow, and orange. These are used because of the symbolic meaning that they have. Red is the color of fire and blood and thus, is used here to signify danger, power, anger etc. The dark orange represents deceit and distrust. Yellow, the color of sunshine, can be associated with intellect and energy. All these colors together give a combined meaning of a dangerous, powerful, intelligent character. All these colors are associated with emotions and since we are human we are able to understand them. Because of the black background, all these colors stand out even more and add more meaning to the overall design representing the "pop-out effect". According to Jane Veeder's lecture, "color perception is highly dependent upon context and contrast with other colors". If the background of this image was not black, but a color on the yellow-red scale, it would not have the same strength of meaning attached. Movement is another one of Dondis elements that can be observed in association with color. Behind the character the color is yellow and as the you go further out from the character the color gets orange and then dark orange. The color represents that the character is moving forward away from the light source. Color, tone, texture, and movement are all working together in this design to give maximum meaning to the observer.

Blog Exercise - The Basic Elements (Web Design)

Web Design - The Basic Elements

http://html5readiness.com/

MOVEMENT

The web design pictured above is a perfect example of one of the Dondis Basic Elements; movement. Movement can be observed from the image above by the different colored dotted lines shooting outward. It gives the impression that they are shooting outward away from the middle bottom of the design towards future development. It is using change, sequence, and progression to reflect its results. For example, change can be seen by going to the website and putting your mouse over one of the lines on the bottom middle of the page and see which browser is capable of what and when. Progression can be seen by clicking the different years and see the advancements each browser has made. Lastly, sequence can be seen by looking at how every browser advanced every year. The role of movement in this web design is to show each browsers advancements over the years and in what areas. Thus, when the reader experiences this design they are able to understand the overall progress in all the different areas of browser advancement.

http://ntt.cc/2010/08/13/40-amazing-fresh-good-design-html5-websites.html

TEXTURE

This web design is an example of texture, another one of Dondis Basic Elements. The design of this website makes use of texture with the background image. The mountains, orange and green smudge, and fog removes the flatness of a design and gives it an interesting and realistic feel. By removing the flatness, the website is then given depth and an intriguing look. It gives an illusion and feeling that you are outside looking at this mountain in foggy weather. The texture of this design gives the whole website an outdoor mountain feel because no matter what part of the website you go to, you still see the background image. It tells a lot about the purpose for the website. The role of texture in this design is to give a more realistic feeling to the website. If the reader went to this website to research information about outdoor activities, they would trust the information coming from this website more than a website without the texture because of the realistic feeling the texture gives.

http://www.kerve.co.uk/

SCALE

 Another one of Dondis basic elements can be seen in the design above; scale. Scale, which is a measuring tool, is used in this design with typography and the different text sizes of the various words. The designer obviously gave the bigger font sizes to the words that he wanted to have more importance. The designer's choice in using different font sizes, styles, and positions gives the web site a more effective and powerful meaning. The role of scale in this design is to give certain words more significance than others but still include a lot of information at the same time. The reader will see the bigger texts first and understand some key words about the website's message and then if interested will look further at the smaller words and get a more overall understanding of the website.

Visual Thinking Research

 The first puzzle my roommate and I completed can be found here: http://www.puzzles.com/PuzzlePlayground/NextSquare/NextSquare.htm

My attempt:

 Roommate's attempt:

When solving these puzzles my roommate completed his almost right away while it took me a couple minutes to solve and I didn't even end up being correct. My method at solving this puzzle was to use pattern seeking. I tried to find some pattern between the squares and what I came up with was that the first and third box had one line and the second and fourth had two lines so I figured that the question mark box ha to be C considering the fact that it was the only answer box with one line. This didn't seem like a very likely pattern, but I couldn't figure out anything else that seemed to work. My roommate on the other hand got his answer right away because he looked at the overall picture first. He noticed that the lines in each square actually made up a number and each box was the next number; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. In this way he was using from another viewpoint because numbers are not normally seen in this way. He also used pattern completion because he saw the number pattern and was able to complete it successfully.

 The second puzzle my roommate and I completed can be found here:http://www.puzzles.com/PuzzlePlayground/ThreeBracelets/ThreeBracelets.htm

 My attempt:

Roommate's attempt:

 

With this puzzle both and me and my roommate finished around the same time and both of us got the correct answer. In my completion of the puzzle I used matching and rotation. I rotated the paper so I could look at all three circles from the same angle and noticed that one of the triangles was facing the wrong direction and therefore did not match. My roommate also used matching but his method was different. He started at the same shape on each figure and then moved his finger one by one to the next shape on all figures and realized that after doing this a few times one of the triangles was backwards.