Design Portfolio

1) “The study of gestalt originated in Germany in the 1920s. It is a form of psychology that is interested in higher order cognitive processes relative to behaviorism. The aspects of gestalt theory that interests designers are related to gestalt’s investigations of visual perception, principally the relationship between the parts and the whole of visual experience.”

-http://daphne.palomar.edu/design/gestalt.html

2) “Gestalt psychology of gestaltism (German: Gestalt – “shape” or “figure”) of the Berlin School is a theory of mind and brain positing that the operational principle of the brain is holistic, parallel, and analog, with self-organizing tendencies, or that the whole is different from the sum of its parts. The Gestalt effect refers to the form-forming capability of our senses, particularly with respect to the visual recognition of figures and whole forms instead of just a collection of simple lines and curves. In psychology, gestaltism is often opposed to structuralism and Wundt. “

-http://www.scribd.com/doc/19252004/Gestalt-Psychology-or-Gestaltism

3) “Gestalt is also known as the “Law of Simplicity” or the “Law of Pragnanz” (the entire figure or configuration), which states that every stimulus is perceived in its most simple form.”

-http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/gestalt_principles.htm

My Gestalt Images:

Above: A row of martini glasses or houses.

Above:Two birds and nest or a mustache and mouth.

Above: Gestalt – “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

There are many examples of symbols carrying different meanings across cultures. Something as simple as a hand gesture can hold many different meanings. Back in 1992 in Australia, George Bush Senior help up the letter “V” with his pointer and middle finger, intending a message of victory. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize the direction the palm faced held different connotations. As he signaled the crowd with the back of his hand facing the crowd, people became offended because in Austrailia this means “up yours mate” or ” go – you/know/what- yourself.”

Colors also have cross-cultural meanings. For example, the color white is often associated with purity, innocence, cleanliness, in western cultures. This is why white is worn by brides and associated with marriage. In contrast, Eastern cultures associate white with mourning and funerals. Color is a huge part of design and personally my favorite element of design. I use a lot of color in my work, but I must be cognizant of how my colors may affect other people.

Like I said earlier, designers must be aware of cultural differences and the implications their design could have on another society. In 2004, Nike released an commercial titled “Chamber of Fear” that drew controversy in China. The ad starred basketball player Lebron James (rookie of the year at the time) defeating kunfu masters, Chinese women in traditional attire, and dragons. The Chinese banned the ads from their television networks because they were insulting to Chinese culture. Not only did it diminish important cultural symbols to the Chinese such as dragons, it sent the message that American culture is superior to or more powerful than Chinese culture.

Sources:

http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=18843

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-12/22/content_402383.htm

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/11/09/up-yours-louis-walsh-and-the-top-ten-celeb-v-sign-flashes-115875-21808843/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White

Icons, indices, and symbols are various kinds of signs though they are often confused or used interchangeably. The following examples should help clarify the differences among them.

Icon –

This is an icon because it is a recognized visual representation of a gas pump. The pictorial representation is directly related to the concept.

Works for Icon since it is universally recognized as sign of Los Angeles and movie making.

The danger: electricity sign is an icon because the visuals are clearly demonstrating a universal warning to beware of electrical consequences.

Index -

This is an index because it is providing information for the viewer. In this case, the viewer would come to the conclusion that the escalator is to the right.

Works for index example because definitely shows meaning through illustration.

This duck crossing sign is an example of an index because it is informing the viewer to be aware of the potential presence of ducks and ducklings. It can be assumed that the driver should try and avoid them, even though it does not directly say so on the sign.

Symbol -

The swastika is a symbol because its visual form is not a logical, direct representation of what it stands for. The swastika has cultural significance and experience has taught people to associate it with racist German Nazis and WWII.

This works for symbol example as it does not have a direct logical connection to what it represents but has been learned as luck, Irish, St. Patricks Day, etc.

The rainbow is a symbol of gay pride. Rainbows have nothing to do with homosexuality, but the image has become associated with it.

(All images are linked to their source)

This last point Chisholm made, incorporating the disabled into the development, is so important. A person who doesn’t struggle with these various impairments can never fully understand or appreciate how it affects web interaction. “Bringing them to the table,” as Chisholm puts it, can bring a wealth of valuable insights and solutions. Personally, I find web accessibility somewhat daunting. In my AAS degree, I didn’t cover much more than simple image alt tags. This barely scratches the surface of making a website accessible. Web accessibility involves considering usability for many different disability genres, such as visual, auditory, motor/mobility, and cognitive. From color blindness to dyslexia to seizure conditions (which can be triggered by flashing effects), how can I make sure my website is fully accessible? I agree with Chisholm, the technologies – whether it be the browsers or the design programs – need to be developed to make accessible alternatives more intuitive.

Web accessibility is of course very important, but it seems that it is not all black and white. Until it becomes better taught and better understood, it is the designer’s role to ensure a website meets the disabled person’s needs. Like Chisholm said, “the wheelchair doesn’t make the building inaccessible, it’s the stairs.” Surely, there is an effective solution for web accessibility which is currently inefficient within many websites. Honestly, I think inadequate accessibility within many sites boils down to laziness because it does add a lot more work. Google seems to enjoy taking on gigantic projects in their effort to take over the internet. Maybe they should venture on a new accessibility project. Surely if they can digitize every book ever written they can “accessitize” every website…

http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=18043

http://www.w3.org/WAI/

Definitions:

An interruption is a break in uniformity or continuity (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). As it applies to art and design, interruption can be described as the disruption of a composition’s uniformity, continuity, repetition, rhythm, or harmony. In art and design, emphasis exists when stress or importance is given to certain components (Landa). Therefore, “Interruptions as Emphasis” is when the disruption becomes the most prominent or the focal point. Interruptions can break up the monotony of a design and create visually stimulating variety.

Examples of Interruptions:

"Encourage Opinions" by Robin Cameron

Carry Me There by Amy Ruppel

Scheharazade Remix by Maja Sten

Poster For Peace by U.G. Sato

Unnamed Title & Artist - From "World Graphic Design" by Geoffrey Caban

Dessins by Jacques Camus

Interruptions in Graphic Design:

The Avon Gorge Fly Poster Graffiti by Heath Bunting

Galactic Tutorial Poster by Spoon Graphics

Hitchcock For Haiti by Matt Needle

Reasons to Stop Smoking

Anne & Andrew’s Designs of Interruptions:

(Andrew)

(Anne)

(Anne)

Sources:

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Graphic Design Solutions, Robin Landa

Art Deco Textiles, Alain-Rene Hardy

World Graphic Design, Geoffrey Caban

Over & Over, Mike Perry

http://irational.org/heath/avon_gorge_fly_poster_graffiti/

http://pikaland.com/2010/01/20/carry-me-there

http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials

http://designyoutrust.com/2010/02/11/hitchcock-4-haiti/

http://designyoutrust.com/2010/02/09/63-reasons-to-stop-smoking/

The experiment involved two parts. During the first session, the test subjects were shown five unrelated photographs. Then a screen appeared with what appeared to be a bunch of organic black shapes scattered randomly. What the test subjects would hopefully identify within these shapes was that they created a horse and rider. The participant was instructed to click through a series of 20 steps; after each step the black shapes moved slightly closer together. If at any point the participant recognized the black shapes forming an image, they were to say what they saw aloud.

For session two, the same process took place, except that the first five photographs shown were of animals. This was to see if the similar body forms to the horse and similar subject matter would trigger recognition of the horse and rider image earlier.

My first test subject was my mother. After clicking through the 20 steps in session one, she hadn’t identified any image from the black shapes. Then she mumbled, “Well, I thought maybe I saw a Santa Clause face or something…” I thought this was interesting because one of the five images prior to session one was Christmas related and had a couple Santa figurines in it. After clicking through the 20 steps again in session two, she still had not identified the horse and rider. She noted one of the individual black shapes resembled a duck bill to her. Again, it seems her perceptions were based on the previous five images which were of animals.

The second participant was a 28 year old male. After clicking through all 20 steps in session one, he hadn’t identified the horse a rider. His only comment was he thought he saw a face briefly. After looking at step 20 for about five seconds in session two, he identified the horse, but not the rider. He said it was the shape of the horse’s front legs that triggered his recognition.

My final test subject was a 30 year old female. She isn’t a designer, per say, but she has an excellent eye for good design, illustration, interior design, and is very crafty. She identified a horse and rider on step 16 from session one. After seeing the images of animals in session two, she found the horse and rider identifiable at step 13.

What I found most fascinating about this experiment was how my first two test subjects were really influenced by the first five images. What they saw in the black shapes were dramatically effected by the context of what else they had been seeing. This is an important takeaway as a designer. I must consider the visual context that will surround my designs and how that will affect people’s perceptions of what I create.

Berger concludes the first chapter by showing how art reproduction now creates complete misrepresentations of art. For example, a historical piece of art can now be cropped and placed in a magazine ad to serve a purpose that is completely unrelated to the art’s original meaning. Unfortunately, Berger believes this has transformed the image of art into something disposable and lacking value. However, he also believes a “new kind of power” is attainable if images are used with better intentions. “Within it [the new kind of power] we could begin to define our experiences more precisely…the experience of seeking to give meaning to our lives, or trying to understand the history of which we can become active agents” (Berger, p. 33).

He urges us to no longer focus so much on the meaning of art but rather on its purpose. I find this fascinating as a recently graduated graphic designer because it strikes a personal chord. Though I have always had a passion for art and I enjoy design, I have often been conflicted with the purpose I would be serving throughout my career. Often, modern design doesn’t have the best intentions; it doesn’t usually align with this new kind of power Berger speaks of. The majority of modern design really boils down to consumerism and encourages materialistic agendas. All of these products that design attempts to sell, in my opinion, often detract from living the kind of meaningful life Berger is encouraging. Berger’s perspective on the purposes art should serve truly make me ponder the realm of modern design, its integrity, and the personal role I want to play in it all as a designer.

Berger, J. (1972). Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Books.

Before Gilchrist begins unravelling this tangled web, he emphasizes the importance of understanding some key terms: Distal Stimulus, Proximal Stimulus, and Percept. Distal Stimulus refers to the object or environment itself with no regard to the viewer and his perceptions. Proximal Stimulus is the state of light reflecting from the object or environment to the eyes, producing an image. Finally, Percept relates to the human’s perceptions of the appearance. Gilchrist also makes an important differentiation between the terms lightness and brightness as they are often confused or considered the same. Lightness is perceived reflectance; a surface reflects a % of the light it receives – this is reflectance. On the other hand, brightness is perceived luminance; luminance is the amount of light reflected by a surface into the eye, a product of both reflectance and illumination intensity.

Gilchrist also sets the records straight for the misused term contrast. As he described three various uses for the term contrast, one seemed to tie in well with the element of tone. In class, tone was loosely defined as grays and neutrals. “Contrast often refers merely to the ratio (sometimes difference) between the luminance on one side of an edge (or gradient) and the luminance on the other side.” (Gilchrist, 2006) The role light plays in our ability to see so many tones expands the original “grays and neutrals” definition much further. Also, it seems to me that because contrast results from the ratio of light, our perceptions of an object’s tone can vary based on its surroundings; tone is contextual.

I always knew that the human’s visual system was unique, but I was unaware of the significant impact light had on our perceptions. Though I experienced several “what did I just read?” moments in the introduction of Seeing Black and White, I still found the information fascinating. Gilchrist really does write for the laymen to ensure clear understanding. Because of this effort, I would be interested in finishing his book. Even with the minor increase of visual perception knowledge I now have thanks to Gilchrist, I see the world around me differently.

Gilchrist, A. (2006). Seeing Black and White. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/lwtclearningcommons/Doc?=id=10160536&ppg=12

Texture

The texture of this building is hard and rough. The tactile experience with this material would feel uneven, scratchy, and rugged to the hand.

This building from the 2008 Beijing Olympics creates a perceived texture. It looks as though it would feel like smooth, slightly raised pebbles.

Shape/Form

The shape of the Seattle EMP is very irregular, asymmetrical, and unpredictable. It contains many rounded, organic forms.

The ‘shells’ atop the Sydney Opera house are another good example demonstrating interesting shape in architecture. These triangular shapes were actually constructed as segments from a sphere.

Value

I thought this was an interesting structure demonstrating value because even though the external metal material has one value, the way the sun creates highlights and shadows creates many different values.

Because the Seattle Space Needle is black and white, it creates extreme value contrast. Obviously, white is the lightest in value and black is the darkest.

The architecture company I chose to post contact information is located in Lynnwood, where I live. Greenworks specializes in green architectural design.

177th Place Southwest
Lynnwood, WA 98037

425.787.1000