Interactions Between the 3 Levels

Representational

In whole this exhibit design represents a human brain and its function. Certain characteristics such as its round shape helps represent a brain. Its representational brain components of the exhibition design serve as functional purposes. This design relates to the others levels, symbolic and abstract, in the same way representational forms are used to create abstract and symbolic recreations.

Abstract

This is an abstract design of a tree. Though it represents an object in our world it takes an abstract form because of the abstract functional elements such as the design elements of color and composition. This design represents a tree but changes in the design drastically change our visual idea of an actual tree. Its relation to the other levels comes from the original influence of a tree being representational and the design ultimately being symbolic in the end.

Symbolic

This symbol denotes transportation and bus stops on maps. Its simple design makes it easy to understand and decipher its meaning. Relating to the other levels, this symbol representational value is perceived with our perception of actual busses and the abstract value is similar. It takes a simpler less realistic interpretation of a bus making it abstract.

Week 14 Application Exercise

This design for a salt and pepper shaker uses representational cloud forms. The design makes putting salt and pepper on your food a bit more interesting. The salt and pepper being squeezed out represents clouds emitting rain. This rubber shaker directly correlates to the actions of an actual cloud making the design representational. To ensure a clear understanding of this design these cloud salt shakers by Anderson Horta are actually rubber. To avoid beating the salt shaker when it gets clogged you are actually able to squeeze the salt or pepper out.

This is an abstract representation of a house. My conclusion derives from the actual shape and characteristics of the house. My visual perception of a house is compromised by this structure because of its design looking more like a compound for sciences or some facility. This example falls under the category of concept-based abstraction. It satisfies the concept of a house but takes a shape like no other. Similar to this concept house is the subject of concept cars. Concepts are meant to be advanced, abstract and out of this world.

This is a symbol that is internationally known. The handicap symbol signifies access or privileges granted to those who qualify as being handicap. The symbol denotes a persons inability to walk without aid. Similar to its meaning, the design shows a person in a chair. The design is very simple but very successful because of its relation to injury. Injury is so often related to wheel chairs making this design successful and easily understood around the world.

Visual Techniques

- Contrast
- Unity
- Balance
- Flatness
- Simplicity
- Transparency
- Stasis

- Transparency
- Instability
- Variation
- Stasis
- Variation
- Intricacy

                       Both posters show an assortment of similar and different visual techniques. For instance both  posters effectively use transparency as a visual technique. As you can see, in both designs, objects are being placed on top of each other using transparency. Another visual technique seen in both designs is stasis. The activity of the design is expressed through this technique. For example both designs show no real motion giving the viewer a different understanding as opposed to a design which presents movement or energy. On another note both designs are composed of many differences. Unlike the second poster design, balance is well composed in the first example. The "Show and Tell" poster stays away from balance by re-arranging the letters in a large variation of positions, providing an absence of balance. The first poster does the opposite by positioning the letters in the center and on top of each other. Another difference between the two posters is variation. The first design lacks variation while the second poster expresses a large amount of variation with changes in font, color, and positioning. This variation also highlights the greater amount of intricacy in the second poster. Last but not least the first poster exemplifies simplicity  on a greater level than the second poster design. By having a very simple order and a small amount of elemental units, it refrains from the characteristics of complexity.

Week 11 Contrast

This illustration is a great example of contrast. It successfully uses contrast in color and line to highlight the coke bottle and the top half of the man. Using color to create this high contrast, the coke bottle and the top half of the man really stand out. This contrast communicates to the viewer. It takes away confusion and causes the viewer to focus on the coke bottle or the aspects that are colored in. The context also makes the colors of the bottle and top of the man stand out. A lighter background color could of been used to enhance this effect but it then would of enhanced the lines of the portion not colored in a little too much, taking away from the focus of the man and his coke bottle.

This is an excellent example of bad contrast. First of all the contrast is to minimal. The color contrast used makes it hard to read the text. Obviously someone wasn't very cautious when they chose the colors in this design. The color contrast only makes this design unattractive and unsuccessful rather than visually easier to understand or read.  Also the context in this design harms the success of the design making some colors look lighter showing less contrast.

Implied Motion

This image communicates the idea of implied motion in design very well. The motion is not actually shown but suggested through the characteristics of the font design. The type is stretched and folded to illuminate a certain idea through motion. In this case, the squeezing, stretching, and folding of the letters, emphasize the necessity of big spaces for big ideas. Also certain characteristics in this poster such as variation in scale and tone suggest movement. Besides the type, the grey box in the background also helps emphasize the motion. The letters look like they are being squeezed out of the grey box, again emphasizing the point that, "big ideas need big spaces".

This image incorporates a lot of implied motion. The colored lines and other objects such as the elephant, bicycle, and deer emphasize motion. For example the elephant looks like it is moving because of its stance. It is a perfect example of expectation in implied motion. Based on prior experience in the world, we can interpret how an elephant looks when it is moving. The deer also shows movement with the help of the streamline of colors and its stance which makes it look like it is walking. Another element that shows implied motion is the direction of the stars and line. They imply a shooting movement because there direction going upwards.

Dimension/Depth/Space/Scale

         This is a very interesting and unique design. If you cant tell, the wall in the center of the image is actually wallpaper. The wallpaper sets up an illusion which when applied to a wall will make a room look larger. The designer used relative size, linear perspective, and depth cues to achieve the effectiveness of the wallpaper. As you can tell the objects closest in the image appear to be larger than those in the further background. By changing the size of the objects in the wallpaper the designer successfully makes the room look larger because objects closer in distance look relatively larger. Another way the designer enhances the distance of the room is by using linear perspective. He or she makes the lines of the room converge as they reach a farther point. A larger convergence indicates a greater distance.

Tone and Color

         In this particular design for the word "speak" there is a lot of tonal information in the crowd of people. The picture contains a lot of absolute black that shows dimension. The tonal range gives depth to objects such as all the top hats.
        The tone in this design works well with color. The black and white tonal range of the picture works to enhance the boldness or emphasis of the word "speak" with the combination of the color red. The use of color highlights the main feature of the design.
        The color, because it is the only bright color in the design, is used to bring attention to the writing. The context effects the relationship of tone and the font color because of the contrast shared between  the colors black, white, and red. Similar to the concept of where an image context's effects tone in relation to type design.
        Color also interacts with the element of shape. The grid of squares centralizes the type and also fuses the picture with the type in a way.