PROJECT 1: Notes from Prof. Taylor

Here's the handout from Prof. Taylor in class today. The copier decided to spit out the copies AFTER I left the copy room. I'll have the hard copies in class on Thursday. - paul

poster project

For the poster project, we were told to choose a charity event. I chose an event called Mr. SU that will be part on in the spring. A portion of the proceeds will be given to the Boys and Girls club. I chose to use the san serif typeface called Gazette MT Std for the header and Dorchester Script MT Std. for the Mr. SU part of the poster. I chose to use Dorchester Script because I like the look of the “M”, with the loop in the middle and I like the “S” because it looks like the print version of a “s” instead of the cursive version. This allows the name of the event-Mr. SU-can be read more easily because the cursive “s” is sometimes misunderstood. I chose a script for this part because I wanted it to look a little feminine since it is a male pageant. I wanted to bring some masculinity to the poster, so I decided to use san serif. I think of this type family as more masculine than serif. I chose the Gazette typeface because it is simple and straightforward.

I decided to use a sash for the main focus of the design since that is normally a part of the prize for pageant winners. I also used a small trace of a crown, another part of normal pageant prizes, to fill some of the space in the poster. I aligned the text to the right in both the header and the information at the bottom to make effective use of the white space in the left and keep everything aligned. The colors are chosen based on the colors of the school since this event is based on school spirit, among other things. The background is a radius gradient, in the shape of a spotlight. The background was not planned, but it brings some color to the poster and it is a plus that It looks like a spotlight, since that can also be related to a pageant.

POSTER PROJECT

I chose to do my poster on an event that I am very passionate about. St Mary’s Children’s Hospital is a place where children are admitted to when they have experienced injuries from a horrifying accident such as drunk driving or a burn from a fire. After doing community service at this hospital, it made me realize how fortunate I am and appreciate life much more. Each year there is an honorary member of the hospital being honored and all proceeds from the dinner, known as “The Tribute Dinner”, go to St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital.

In terms of the way I went about my design, I wanted my poster to look childish. I entitled my event, “A Helping Hand To Change The World”, so I decided to trace a hand and color the inside of the hand so it resembles a globe. The image was simple and flat at first so I added some dimension to the hand. I thought the hand would catch the reader’s eye because the visual and the headline seemed to tie together well. I chose a bold typeface so the headline was visible. While designing, my goal was to have the poster convey that it is advertising a good cause.

Poster Project

My when i went to upload my poster from my flash drive, the was type was not there, so i attempted to scan my poster from my home computer and also show the poster without the type.I wanted to have an attention-grabbing headline to draw the reader in, which I believe I did with “The Toys Are Back In Town”. This poster is intended for high school students who will not be staring at it for too long, so it has to draw them in right away. From the headline it leads down to the title of the event, followed by the general information, and finally to the visual.

The visuals are intended to contrast with the blue background, which may have been lost in the printing, as the background came out much darker than intended. The combination of the holiday feel of the type and color and the toys accomplish the goal of getting the reader to think about what toys they have lying around that they can donate.

For my headline I chose to use the Futura family, as this allowed for the “Toys” and “Town” to jump out at the reader in a big and bold way. “Toys” and “Town” are in condensed extra bold, while the rest of the words are in condensed medium. The information below the title is Futura medium.

The title of the event is in Montype Corsiva, which gives the event the holiday feel that the event is trying to push.

Since my background is a photo, there is no real color scheme, except for the blue background, which makes the toys jump out at the reader. For the color of the type I chose to stick with basic red, green and white, as this is a holiday event and the Christmas colors give that holiday feel.

Poster Design: Andrew Tredinnick

The event that I chose to create a poster for was a 5K ran by the Junior Women’s Club in my town to raise money for a hospital that helps with veteran’s medical care. The cause for the event was changed in 2004 after second lieutenant John Wroblewski was killed in Iraq. Wroblewski, commonly called “Wrobo,” had graduated from the high school in my town and was a highly skilled athlete. I chose this event because I have taken part in it, and because I am a friend with one of the women in the club.

I knew it would be a great idea to embody the patriotism linked with this event as the proceeds go to help specifically veterans. My graphic displayed both the activity (running) and also displayed the American flag when each piece was put together. I was determined to use patriotic colors to display the pride in the event and our nation. I knew that I wanted to attract people who cared for our country, but were willing to run or walk for the cause. For this purpose I used the headline, “Run for the free in the home of the brave,” which is a play on our national anthem. I hoped everyone would be familiar with the national anthem, and I altered the color of the words “free” and “brave” because they show qualities of our nation and our armed forces. The definitions of my colors are, red: C=15 M=100 Y=100 K=0 and blue: C=100 M=90 Y=0 K=0.

Week Seven- Project Post

I wanted to do my poster design on the Boundless Playgrounds Annual Build and I knew that I wanted to do something with a girl on a swing. I wanted the image to be the main component of the design with her long, flowing hair leading to my headline of “Play Your Part”. For the main headline, I wanted to do a pun off of the word play and “Play Your Part” is the name of a Girl Talk song but it was perfect for my poster because it played off of the words play and part giving it a sense of volunteering.

For the image of the girl, I did a live trace of a photograph of a girl on a swing in Illustrator and then I dulled down the colors and softened the image. I figured I would make better use of whitespace with a landscape poster than with a portrait poster. So I positioned the girl so that it would look like she was swinging in from the side of the page with her long, flowing hair leading the eye to the headline that I did in Handwriting Dakota Regular because I wanted something that was fun and playful. The eye then leads down to the event information, for which I used Lucida Bright Regular, and then finally down to the Luke’s Love logo.

Also my actual poster has a warm yellow background and the tones in the image are shades of yellow and red, but for some reason when I upload it it turns bright blue.

Inspiration for the Next Project

Week 6: Allure of Color-- Matt Colon

The use of color in this poster for the upcoming film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is actually pretty lacking. The eye is not necessarily drawn anywhere in particular at first, because nothing truly stands out. The boy stands out, to an extent, because of the dull white, which stands out somewhat from the surrounding dull browns, but all in all the color palette is very subdued. It's even tough to distinguish the monster from the background. It's not necessarily a bad thing, and there could be any number of reasons for this-- creating a more realistic appearance, drawing from the more subdued hues used in the original story book, etc.

The color of the typeface in the quote and title at the bottom was taken from the boy's suit, though made brighter so as to be more easily visible, demonstrating some use of color continuity. Otherwise, not much about this poster helps draw the eye in or call attention to it. Simply due to how popular the story is, people will notice it regardless of the poster design, but in general more should be done to catch the viewer's eye.

Thursday's Class Links on Color

Here are the links from today's class:

michaelschwab.com

mohawkstreet.com

kuler.adobe.com

colorstrology.com

mariaclaudiacortes.com/colors/colors.html

pantone.com

Thanks,

Prof. Taylor

Current Event: FONTROVERSY!

This was in the news last week. A lawsuit over fonts.

Check out the link for more details over the Font Bureau's suit against NBC.

Color: Andrew Tredinnick

I found the color use in this advertisement to be very eye catching. The ad is covered with red which reinforces the idea of domination within the game of monopoly. The color has a rich essence which enables it to make the hotel or building look particularly up-scale. The only figure in the picture that is not in red is the man the background of the photo. Through color use and the actions taking place in the advertisement, you can tell that this man is not an employee of the hotel, but rather probably owns the hotel. This is most likely possible because he does not fall into the restrictions of the color red because he can do whatever he wants. Notice that the man is wearing a neutral color, not anything that would strike the eye or contrast with the entire background of the photo. The advertisement is effective in taking the red out of the monopoly logo and creating an unique environment with that color. The advertiser took no risks with color in this ad as it is almost certain that the deep red will catch almost anyone's attention. They also did not have to worry about putting text on the ad because the white shows up very well and is easy to read against the strong background.

MLB Postseason Ad

This advertisement for MLB Postseason effectively incorporates color principles to create an exciting, bold advertisement that mirrors the passion of baseball playoffs. First off, the red background immediately draws in attention to the picture. This is an effective use of gestalt principles, with red being the most visceral, attention-grabbing color. The background's red shading, becoming increasingly brighther toward the middle of the advertisement, accentuates the bold red color, making the viewer's eye move into the center of the picture. This progression allows for the reader to associate the baseball stars depicted (Vlad Guerrero, Ryan Howard, Josh Beckett, Carlos Zambrano) with the passionate red background- an effective use of gestalt principles.

The "Postseason" banner is also particularly effective. Its golden color outline establishes a different pattern from the redness of the rest of the advertisement. The viewer's eye will immediately shift downward with the arm motion of the two pitchers on the bottom of the four-player collage. Thus, now the energetic red and its accompanied baseball players are paired with the golden "Postseason typography. From the use of gestalt color principles, the advertisement effectively generates interest for MLB's postseason in a tasteful, passionate manner.

Fendi Plays with Color

So, I really like this Fendi ad, and what they did with color. I love that the background, the model, and the models dress are very translucent and kind of faded and the bags just POP with color. The pink, green, and yellow, really stand out. I also think it's interesting that the creative director put the REALLY warm color (yellow) smack dab in the middle over a target (the design on the models dress). I also think the color combination compliments each other well (maybe not necessarily to wear all together, but this is a summer ad--so they could be worn together, or alone).

Color

This ad uses color very effectively.  I think the best use of the color in this ad was having the model wear an orange dress.  Because orange is the warmest color that can be used, it really helps to draw the eye into the necklace. Once the necklace is seen, your eyes are also drawn to the red of her fingernails.  Because red is another warm color, it is natural for the eye to go there next.  This draws attention to the ring on her finger.  From there it is also apparent that the finger touching her lip is also pointing towards her earring. Once all the jewelry is seen, the last thing to be noticed is the brand. The warmer shades on her eyes help to draw attention to the designer, but some of the name is lost in the light of her forehead.  The cool blue background also helps to create a contrast with the rest of the ad.  Overall, I would say that the warm orange and reds, along with the gold in the jewelry itself ensures that the viewer's eye goes to all of the pieces in the ad.  Because the designer is an expensive Italian designer, I would also say that the ad portrays expensive well through the use of color, and font, as well as the way in which the model is photographed.

Hannah Doolin: Using Color

In this Michael Kors ad, the warm yellow color draws you eye to the ad immediately. You cannot help but stop and see what this ad is for. The yellow lines, which look like rays of sun, bring your eye to the dress, which is also a warm color of red or orange. The black lines of the dress stand out against the yellow background, which is a good way to make the product the main focus of the ad. However, I think that the color of the brand name, Michael Kors, could have been chosen more carefully. The white type doesn't stand out very well against the light yellow. Perhaps this was a conscious decision if the designer wanted the clothes to be the main focus. Maybe they thought that if the clothes in the ad stood out enough, the reader would take the time to look for the designer name.

Color

This advertisement for Michael Moore's new film, "Capitalism: a love story", uses color effectively to both draw the readers' attention, but also to reinforce the theme of the movie. Since the film is about capitalism in the United States, the red, white and blue patriotic colors that are used emphasize to the reader what it is the poster is advertising. By choosing red as a background color, the entire poster pops at first glance. This warm red is set off by the blue star in the center of the poster which provides a nice contrast since blue is a cool color and complementary to red. By choosing white as the type color, the text stands out against the colorful background. The white text at the top of the poster acts as an entry point, drawing the readers eye in, while the rest of the white text down the poster draws the readers eyes down and guides them through the design. The color use in this poster is both simple and effective, producing an overall good design.

This advertisement used color very effectively, in that it's basic message is the color. Going "green" represents saving the earth and the ad is completely that color. It coincides with the basic message and the color scheme. When you think of green you think of the earth and things growing and that is exactly what the visual illustrates. The earth is pictured along with the small plants sprouting up against the bright white background. There are different shades of green to break up the monotony of using just the same green and adding shading. This is such and obvious use of color you cannot help but realize the message without the use of text. This advertisement for going green is an excellent use of color.

Kristen Jones

Color Ad

I think this ad shows poor use of color. Sure there is a little pop of color in the ad, but I do not think this is helping the advertisement. XBox is supposed to be fun, but this advertisement is only black and white and a little bit of color, which does not convey the idea of fun. It is sort of boring to me. When I passed by this picture I thought about it not using color well and looked at the blog post to see if I could do bad use. I think that it would have been better if there was a bigger pop of color, like the remote or something of that sort to convey that the game is the fun--or the "pop" that we are looking for.

Color ad

This ad for Porsche really caught my eye for it's effective use of color. Porsche is an expensive, high class, sophisticated brand. Their advertisements are simple, and to the point, because they don't need to prove themselves. This ad is a perfect example of their simple style. The gold background accentuates the sophistication of the car. The blur of the color makes it seem as if the car is going at a very high speed. Furthermore, the black specks in the gold background bring more accent to the black Porsche in the picture. The reader is automatically drawn to the car because of the way the color is setup in the ad. The white in the lines of the road bring the reader down to the text. Overall, this ad has an effective use of color, because it makes the viewer see the car for what it stands for; wealth and power.

-Briana Bartel

Not Such a Great Use of Color

Although this movie advertisement does a great job in presenting symmetry, I do not think the designer does such a great job in the use of color. The flowers really stand out along with the actresses names underneath which drew my attention. However, since the movie is entitled "Bride Wars", I think the attention should really be drawn to the gowns and in this advertisement, the gowns are lost in the background since the color is very much similar. In order to better the ad and draw more attention, I think the background should be a different color and it would make it much more effective.

Extended Office Hours

Hey guys,

As deadline for the poster project approaches, I wanted to post some extended office hours this weekend and Monday when I'll be available to consult on your projects.

Sunday: 3:00-5:00 p.m. (Open lab help session)
Monday: 10:00-3:00; 6:30-8p.m. (includes reg. office hours)

And as always I'm available by appointment too.

Color Articles (Part 2)

Check out more articles on designing with color:

Color Articles (Part 1)

Check out this article on color use!

Color Post

This is a poster for a movie made a couple of years back called "Daywatch." A theme of this movie is the importance/contrast of night and day, which is on display perfectly here. The contrast of the grays and dark blues of the night and the yellows and oranges of the day work beautifully together and draw the attention of the viewer. The two opposite sides of the color wheel are shown here, following the rule that opposites attract, which I believe is true here. The left side of the poster is dark, brooding and dramatic while the left holds its own, its hot colors demanding attention. Even having no idea what this film is about, this poster would get most people at the very least intrigued enough to want to learn more.

WEEK 6 Starter Post: Color

Color really matters. When you select clothes or school supplies - your choices are guided by many concepts - personal preferences, how a color makes you feel, how our different cultures even assign meaning to colors. Many of you have already tried your hand at designing with color in the resume project and can attest that it's easier said than done - a lot of consideration take place to use color effectively (and the same goes for typefaces).

I found an article at the Color + Design blog that gives some basic info on color theory and designing. Take a look at what that author is saying and then locate a great (or terrible) use of color in print, online or by taking a photo! Sky's the limit.

Post a jpeg of your example to the blog and talk about how the choices of color work well with the design's intended message and how color functions within the greater design.

Don't forget to title your post and put labels on it (your name, any elements of your post that would easily identify it - e.g. Tide ad or Wired Magazine layout).

Claire Bourque: Color Allure

I was first drawn to this movie advertisement because of the color use. The background, which is also the visual, is a photograph put into all different shades of purple. Purple is a color that draws people in because it is a bold choice. It is not commonly used on such a large scale. Also, purple is not usually considered a warm color, but it seems to take on more of a warm violet shade here. This mono-color choice instantly makes this a simple yet alluring poster. Only one color is needed for that picture to say everything that's there. Without the distraction of the color, it allows the emotion within the photograph to come out. It is contrasted perfectly with a warm gold and white with all of the type. Grouping with proximity was done well here. The awards/nominations are place all together at the top in the warm gold, so that you are drawn in, but not distracted. From there you move to the next group, which is the tag line for the movie. After that, the actors of the movie are listed together, but it also ties to the director down below. I especially love the way the letters are positioned in the movie title to portray the shape and color of a cloud. This is a very alluring and gestalt-full advertisement.

Claire Bourque: Gestalt

This ad for Apple and the Environment uses the gestalt principles in a few ways. The rule of similarity is used with the typeface reoccurring throughout but in different shades and sizes. Also, the illustrations below are all done in the same color and style that appears to be hand drawn. This leads to the next rule that was used- simplicity. The illustrations are so simple that they appear to be drawn by a child and scribbled in. The message is still clearly portrayed though. Working to save the environment is simple and easy. The last rule that applies to the illustration is repetition. Although the images are different, they are all similar in size and color. They are also connected by the repeated plus sign.

Week Six- Allure of Color

The iPod advertisements and commercials for Apple are a classic example of effective use of color according to the gestalt principles. They are highly effective with their use of color contrast and consistency always using the black silhouette of the person dancing to the beat of the music against a background of bright, vibrant colors, with the iPod product in white so that it stand out against the silhouette and colored- background.

The ads are so distinctive, consistent, and stylish that they are easily recognizable and distinguishable from other ads thus adding to Apple's brand value. They have no hidden meanings or esoteric references, they are just simple, straightforward, and extremely effective.

Gestalt's rule of simplicity, proximity, and closure were implemented very well with the dell logo. The proximity of the "E" in the word visually sets their logo apart from most words; making it extremely distinctive. The "e" is shifted in almost a 90 degree angle forming the space of a diamond, implementing the rule of closure. You can visualize the diamond without the full shape. Also the rule of simplicity is focus from the crisp blue block lettering and the plain white back drop is simple and complimentary. It is a familiar image and very recognizable. Dell used three principles from Gestalt with a very basic design.

-Kristen Jones

Week Five | Finding Gestalt

This poster utilizes a few of the gestalt principles.  The rule of similarity is present throughout the poster.  Not only was it creative to have reoccurring red "peeping" throughout the design, but it also works well with the fact that it falls under the similarity principle.  The poster is also fairly simple.  Peeping tom is the main take away here and it is written in a very clear and simple way.  The principle of repetition is also relevant in a couple ways.  The w/ pigeon john under the peeping tom headline is written in the same font in a smaller size.  Overall, the pictures used throughout the poster are presented in a similar and repetitive way as they are all done in black and white and were edited to be presented in similar styles.

Gestalt

The rule of proximity is demonstrated in this picture. The picture is really effective because of the proximity of the figures. The proximity of the figures in the picture create a unified whole that is recognizable immediately up looking at the picture.




The picture above demonstrates the rule of similarity. The triangles all look very similar, and because of this people naturally perceive them as a group or pattern. The triangles appear to be a single unit because of their similarity. The purpose of the picture is communicated effectively because (1) the triangles are similar and create the image of a sun and (2) the yellow against the black background really make the sun POP.

This poster for the movie "Dead Ringers" is a perfect example of gestalt design at use. There are not actually three whole heads in the image, however there appears to be. Due to the close proximity of the two partial faces on the left and right and the face shape that appears between them, we view the whole image rather than the individual parts and see three heads. Depending on how you focus on the picture though, you see different things. The image is definitely a play off the text on the top of the poster. The red text on the bottom of the poster also uses similarity as a principle of gestalt design. The viewer pairs "Dead" and "Ringer" together rather than the text "David Cronenberg's" with the word below it because of the way the the two bottom words are so similar in size.

Finding Gestalt

The rule of figure/ground in the gestalt theory is found in this image design. This is an old optical illusion, you have probably seen it before. It is whatever the mind would like to choose: a man playing a sax or a woman's face. These optical illusions are used a lot over the Internet, and gain interest from viewers because of the ability for the picture to be whatever your mind can see. Some people can see both, the man and the woman, while others can only view one. This aspect of the image is the reason people are enticed by it, and the reason it falls under the gestalt theory.

Week 4: Finding Gestalt

The classic visual illusion that has become a staple of optical tricks on the internet is actually running off the Gestalt principle of figure/ground and closure. Neither the faces nor the vase are clearly defined on their own-- they are only visible in relation to the other. Depending on whether you view the black section or white section as the figure and which as the ground, different images are seen.

The Gestalt principle of figure/ground can be used to add dimensionality to something-- being able to view things from multiple perspectives and the ability to see things in completely different ways can help to bring the viewer in and engage the audience more effectively. It works best when kept simple, however, lest you risk confusing the audience with something too complex to be able to take in quickly. A complicated design with no depth definitions can just come across as a mess if one isn't careful.

Gestalt: Andrew Tredinnick

The advertisement about Christmas is a fitting example of good use of gestalt principles. The central image possesses many of the qualities of gestalt. Its proximity to the sentence, "We're so in the mood for Christmas, allows the viewer to see the relationship between the pencil, or Christmas tree and the tag line. I think it is fair to say that the pencil carries qualities of continuation as the beam of light from the top of the pencil illuminates the idea the ad is trying to portray. Also, the pencil leads you down the page where you can see who is responsible for the advertisement. I think it is also important to note the choice of color. The green background and the red pencil display the two common colors associated with Christmas. Overall I think the ad is very clever as it displays the creative aspect of its company and also envelops the Christmas spirit.

The advertisement for M&M's candy is another good example of gestalt principles. I think the most important principle in this ad is the figure/ground, because since they put the M&Ms on a white background they seemingly pop off the page with their color and shape. The brown is used in both the keyboard and title and it creates a notion of chocolate which made me particularly hungry. The point is straight forward and the idea is clever. The keyboard represents that you can put anything you want on the candy as well as the fact that you can do it online. The reader is able to pull the motivation for the ad simply based on the shape and letters on the candy which seems to show the principle of closure.

Week Five: Finding Gestalt- Katlynn Brunkhorst

This was a poster that I found on the Syracuse University website. Not only does it speak strongly to the ideas behind the Gestalt theory with its simple fonts and graphics, but it represents how the university is moving forward when it comes to typography.
I'm trying to figure out what the new font family is, but this school year, the university moved away from it's old font and decided to redesign it's website to make it more navigable and easy to read. One aspect of the site that I'm really impressed with is the "Green Univercity" page, which deals solely with sustainability.

This green color (and the green movement) is very popular right now. I like how they have associated our school color with the green motto, and included to tree to represent growth and school spirit.

It follows the rule of proximity very nicely. The kerning between the letters fills the whole space, but also follows the simplistic rule. It's repetitious because it previews an updated version of an older sustainability logo, and uses fonts from other places on campus to strike a familiar chord.

I noticed the clear, direct message, and thought to myself if I was actually following the directive. Maybe now I will start to "green the orange" more effectively by doing my part. Clearly, the university is doing there part by starting out with a great poster campaign.

Great use of gestalt principle

I thought this was a good example of the use of gestalt principle. It gives off the message clearly. Since the message on the advertisement says "see more clearly", I like how the designer used a very clear background. One looking at the advertisement does not get lost while viewing it, but rather knows exactly what the advertisement is trying to represent. It is very clear, clean, and concise. I like how the designer made it clear that the picture was of a blue sky and green grass. The eye glasses in the middle draws attention to the viewer right away. This advertisement is an example of a great use of gestalt principles.

Gestalt Principle

The Gestalt Principle deals with the structure of an ad, poster, etc. I chose this first ad, because I was drawn to the simplicity. At first glance, you can see the word Tommy written three times down the page. From this, one is already able to guess that this is for the broadway play called Tommy. This similarity of text brings the reader down the page as they continue to follow the words. The text and shape of the word Tommy is what allows the poster to be recognizable. The text inside of Tommy, which I'm guessing has some sort of relevance to the play, leads you into the "Y" of the third Tommy. Furthermore, the red used in the text leads the eye to the red text surrounding the final Tommy.

I was drawn to this next ad because of the trumpet. The use of grounding allows the trumpet to lead you down the page, while filling in letters for "Save the Music." This poster is simple. The use of simplicity is what makes it appealing. I was drawn in by the use of the cool green, which is also used in the VH1 logo. The simple statement becomes the focus of the advertisement, because the trumpet leads you into the message and down the page.

-Briana Bartel

Hannah Doolin: Finding Gestalt

The Iron & Wine concert poster uses several gestalt principles, making it a very effective design. It first uses similarity by using white flowers and vines to contrast the brown leaves. Because the flowers and vines are white, we can more easily see the shape of the lion because the eyes, nose, and whiskers stand out from the rest of the image. Proximity is also utilized. Because the flowers and leaves are all close together, we look at them as a whole and are then able to see the shape of the lion come through (we see the image because of closure). Continuation is used where the brown vine reaches down towards the text and connects with the "&" symbol. This leads our eye directly to the band's name and concert location and the bottom of the poster. The image itself is attractive enough to grab the attention of someone walking by, and the design methods used in the poster cause the reader to fully examine the information provided.

The Spoon concert poster uses very similar principles to the Iron & Wine poster. We are able to see the house because of closure. The house is really made up of lines and shapes which do not touch, but since we recognize this familiar form, we know that it is in fact a house. The house is seen as one uniform image because of the proximity of the shapes that make it up.

This poster for a Michael Jackson film coming out in theaters this month shows an example of one aspect of the Gestalt Theory. Specifically, it contains the rule of figure/ground. In other words, it shows the silhouette of Michael Jackson filled with images and photos that work together to form his body. At first glance, your mind sees this silhouette of a person, upon further investigation you discover that it is Michael Jackson due to the photos on the inside of the mysterious outline.

The optical illusion of this design lies in its simplicity and interesting take on a minimalist design. The poster itself is really clean, taking advantage of white space and a dominant image. Also, the type at the top is a traditional all caps Serif font that compliments the overall streamline look of the poster. Also, the background of the poster resembles smoke as if the figure were performing on stage. This simple detail adds another layer and dimension to the design.

Gestalt Theory

Here are some examples of gestalt theory in movie posters.

The first is from the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street." Anyone interested in seeing this movie is familiar with the villain, and all they need to see is the brim of his hat, a hint of his sweater, and most importantly that clawed hand, and they know it's Freddy Krueger. This is the rule of simplicity. The black and red of the poster add to the darkness and fear the poster is intended to instill.

Second is a poster from "Lord of War." Again, this is simply a picture of Nic Cage's head, but when looked at closely, you can see that his entire face is made of ammunition. What seems like the rule of simplicity, and still is if the viewer sees simply the face, is actually the use of figure/ground taking a bunch of small objects (the ammunition) to create a big one (the face).

Week 5 - STARTER POST

In Chapter 5, Amy Arnston talks about gestalt theory and the principles of similarity, proximity, continuation, closure, and figure/ground. We’ll be discussing this theory more next week, but take a look a this brief primer article on gestalt to get a better hold on it.

These can be applied to analyze design and show how a particular concept works using them. Whether its continuation bringing you through a design, closure allowing you to understand the image even if it’s not all there. This set of posters does that well.

In the True Blood promo, you have red – which immediately makes you think of blood, and the silhouettes of two figures, one a vamp.

With Loretta Lynn’s concert poster, notice how the image of a guitar and of Loretta are both there and communicate what that tells you about the type of concert this will be (for those of you who aren’t Loretta fans).

Below you see the principle of similarity at work – we notice both the eraser and the italicized white “I” because they are different from the similar elements grouped around them. This is a powerful tool to help accent your messages when communicating visually.

Assignment: take a look through the definitions in the article linked above or in the glossary of Arnston’s text and find an example in a poster or image design online. Discuss what principles are at work and how they make the design effective or ineffective (if used poorly). Use the principle names as labels for your post to develop a catalog of examples.

Links from Today's Class

In case you want to explore them more or share with friends and family, here's a round-up of today's links from class -

College Humor:
Font Fight
Font Conference

Cooper Black mockumentary
BEHIND THE TYPEFACE: Cooper Black

Flash Animation Typefaces:
Awesome music and type!

10/1 TYPE CHALLENGE

Be the first to correctly identify the typeface used in Newhouse signage for offices, classrooms, etc. within the building and win this week's Starbucks gift card (Note: this is the typeface used on the color-coded signs around N1-3).

E-mail your responses to Prof. Taylor!


Check back later for a photo example of the typeface used. This will be challenging, but it IS in the Adobe library/Extensis suitcase.