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.