Visual Techniques

Regularity, Symmetry, Intricacy, Depth, and Episodicity.

Colorfulness, repetition, juxtaposition, depth, variation, unity, and balance.

Composition is the interpretive means for controlling the reinterpretation of a visual message by those who experience it. Both examples use similar visual techniques but in different ways. In the first image we can see regularity favoring the uniformity of the elements, clippers, tape, black and white photos. Symmetry, the axis balance, mirror image of book pages. Intricacy, heavily old style page look, vellum look. Depth, background image, the effect of light and shade to imitate dimension. In the second image we appreciate colorfulness and a garden feel throughout the composition. through the repetition of flowers and the grass we get that feel. Juxtaposing the camera and the flowers side by side for a better interpretation/intention of the design. Depth thought the clouds and rainbow on the back to release it from its flatness. Variation of different kinds flowers and colors. Unity of variety to perceive it as a whole, rather than the sum of its parts and a well balanced composition. Through the usage of all these different techniques we can admired a well defined message in web design.

Contrast

Contrast is the most fundamental and the most critical technique in visual design and communication. As a concept it embodies the essence of polarities we use to construct meaning, such as Light without Dark, Good without Bad, Big without Small etc. Confusion and ambiguity in contrast are generally not effective in design or communication. We define meaning.

In this example FRONTLINE Flea & Tick Spray has make a remarkable Ad. Using a gigantic picture of a dog scratching, putting on the ground and representing people passing by as the fleas makes this Ad a success. The use of contrast in scale was use successfully. Scale requires comparison, in this case between the gigantic dog and the tiny people walking by, we are able to understand the meaning without having to read what's advertising, it just make sense.

In this other Ad contrast was intended using color yet it didn't succeed. Context influences our perception of color, yes this Ad is using color to draw our attention to that specific area and it succeed, but the BIG question is, what exactly is emphasizing? For what reason was this area selected? Every time you look at it, there's nothing of importance there. There's just the beginning of the message but nothing else. Is it telling us that we should begin to read from there, top to bottom, left to right? We already know that. That area is so stress by the color and its position that is impossible to look at something else, even its content. Confusion and ambiguity in contrast are generally not effective in design or communication, thus making this Ad a failure. I found this example while ridding BART. Amazing how this kind of Ads are actually out there.