Visual Techniques

Image taken from: Containerlist

This illustration by Milton Glaser incorporates many visual techniques, such as:
Boldness
Instability
Exaggeration
Distortion
Spontaneity
Intricacy
Sharpness
Activness

 

Image taken from: Pinterest.com

Above is an illustration by the artist Noma Bar that incorporates the following visual techniques:

Subtlety

Juxatposition

Simplicity

Balance

Understatement

Economy

Symmetry

Opacity

Sharpness

Accent

When I look at these two pieces of graphic design, the differences between them are quite striking. The illustration by Milton Glaser is full of vibrant colors, activity, and details, denoting a fun and playful picture of a performing band. The combination of visual techniques at play are all working together to enhance the sensation of activity, and to give the appearance of what it is like to visit a live music performance. In contrast, the illustration by Noma Bar is very somber and simplistic. By simply dividing the number eleven by merely using two colors he conjures the likeness of the World Trade Center, and by adding the silhouette of a falling man he further accentuates this perception. This illustration is using simple means to create a message that most people can relate to. The two illustration are quite different, in fact they are almost each others perfect opposites.

Contrast

The LP cover for the album Remain in Light by the Talking Heads, was designed by Tibor Kalman, and is a great example of how to use contrast in design. Most obvious is the contrast in color, as he covered the band members faces in red pixelated paint. Aside from using a contrasting color, he also makes a clear break with convention he used very poor refinement in covering the faces up, creating even more contrast in the way of form. Not only did Kalman make a statement with the remarkable contrast between the faces and the colors, he also manipulated the typeface to make it stand out more. He did so by inverting the A:s in the band name. But with the already stark contrast in color and form, the change in the typeface is not as obvious.

Wine labels are important communicators and greatly influence the buyer as to what wine bottle to buy. That is why it is important for the wine maker to have a label that stands out and has received proper consideration in its design elements. This label for the wine Aquinas however, has not received much of this consideration as it in fact seeks to create harmony in its design. The name in the top is perfectly balanced by the text box in the bottom and it uses only the slightest of contrasting queues in the color scheme to highlight the name and grape variety. Chances are that a customer at a wine shop will not spend much time contemplating this wine bottle for purchase as it fails to communicate its excellence to the consumer. It may be true that the intent is to give a distinguished and elegant appearance, communicating a sophisticated wine, but if this was the intent, then the design should have at least used some embellishments to make it communicate this message better. As it stands it merely gives a bland and dull impression without any strong contrasting attributes to make it stand out more and give it a sense of identity.

Design in Motion

 Implied Movement

 http://www.coroflot.com/Fumi1223/Graphic-Art-and-Design

Graphic Design for print rarely has actual moving parts. However we do make assumptions of movement in the design, based on our previous experience and knowledge, as well as our own desires to interpret what we see. So when looking at the above illustration by famous designer Tibor Kalman, it is hard to disregard the apparent directionality and movement of the diagonal lines that along with the illustration of an umbrella implies that it is raining. Since rain is a common phenomenon and part of everyone's life this message is easy to deduce. Of course, nothing is actually moving in the design, and what we see are merely lines and shapes that we interpret based on our knowledge of the world. Not only is our knowledge of the world part of why we understand the design, our desire to make sense of what we see also helps to interpret the illustration. If a person with no experience of rain or umbrellas would watch this poster, they might have a hard time to see falling rain, but their desire to understand the image would most likely allow them to see a different meaning of movement.

http://www.colorsmagazine.com/magazine/10

 Tibor Kalman was also the chief editor for the magazine Colors, where he was responsible for an abundance of interesting and controversial designs. On the cover to this issue we see street kids from Rio de Janeiro who are surfing on the top of a speeding train. The speed and directionality in this picture is clearly visible by watching the hair and clothing of the boys. Their hair is blown back by the draft that the train causes, and their clothing is blowing in the wind. They are also leaning into the wind as to not fall over, bracing to stay on the train. With the one point perspective in the shot, all lines are converging in the center, giving the photograph a sense of direction. The surrounding landscape is obscured in a blur as the camera fails to focus on it, due to the speed of the train, adding an additional sense of speed and motion to the picture.