Hierarchy in Design

In this book cover for A Clockwork Orange, David Pelham has managed to distill the main character of the book into an abstracted silhouette of a man with one eye covered in makeup (Friedman). The bright colors combined with the different shapes all work to direct the preattentive channels in the brain to focus on the eye, a symbol for the main character and significant for the aesthetic of the story. The unnatural roundness of the eye breaks from the outline of a man and conflicts with our image of how a person should look like, making it stand out. The fact that the eye is also slightly off center in the frame makes it break the balance of the composition which brings it even more to attention. The white of the eye stands in high contrast to the black eyeliner as well as the vibrant background colors. After focusing on the eye, the viewer is lead to observe the figure as a whole, and especially the bowler hat stands out with its dark black contrasting the red background. Then, at the top of the book cover, the title draws attention to itself with the use of yellow lettering on a red background. These are the main attributes in guiding the eye. After these features have been observed the viewer can start scanning the rest of the frame, finding aspects like the logo for Penguin Publishing in the upper corner, or what the person in the picture is wearing.




Friedman, Vitaly. "Excellent Book Covers and Paperbacks | Smashing Magazine." Smashing Magazine. N.p., 14 Apr. 2008. Web. 18 Oct. 2012.

Top Down Approach

The legendary Paul Rand, who is famous for his work at IBM, and a master of of the play on negative and positive space, is the source behind this ad. He masterfully grabs attention by his use of colors and bold illustrations to create an image that sticks out. The representation of a person holding binoculars is instantaneously recognizable, as are the shapes of a car and a roadway. These images evokes the notion that the person is on the look out and that traffic might have something to do with it. Since it is a very simplistic illustration with use of only four colors, there is not much distraction from the main illustration, and focus can be put on a top down approach to interpreting the message. By scanning the ad further, the message becomes clear as the headline explains the illustration further. As the eyes travel from the illustration, the brain struggles to solve the riddle it has produced, and as the headline explains the idea further, the riddle can be solved, and the observer can find satisfaction in understanding the message.

Good vs Bad Vis Com

In this example for the bikenyc campaign, the message is to leave the car at home and take your bike instead. To enhance this message the design been sharpened by tilting the text and giving it texture as if it was part of the pavement. I breaks away from the traditionally balanced and leveled properties of text, and creates an integrated, active visual within the photograph. This integration between the text and the road really works well to illustrate to the viewer that bikers belong on the streets. The birds eye perspective and the yellow taxis also work well to illustrate New York and gives the ad that recognizable and attention grabbing quality that is so important.

Here is an example from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles where the visual syntax does not work well to communicate the message. The main message regarding Point Insurance Reduction Program as been transposed on top of the "&" symbol, obscuring the text and making it illegible. But the fact that this text is also placed to the left, and off center while there is still a lot of space toward the middle, makes the placing quite ambiguous and confusing. It offsets the balance in the  ad and creates disharmony in a bad way. The addition of the photograph to the right in the ad has not been incorporated into the rest of the ad in a satisfying way, causing uncertainty as to how it fits in to the rest of the ad. It also offsets the balance and creates an illusion that the headline "NYS DMV" is not centered. 

Symbol of the Economy

The photo I have posted is of a man in his 30's. He has short dark hair, a short beard and mustache, and he is wearing a block long sleeved shirt with no collar. The picture is in black and white and shows the man from his shoulders up. His hair comes down in a widows peak and his eyes and mouth are squeezed shut as if he expecting something painful to happen. He is positioned off center to the right in the frame and he is holding up his right hand in which he is holding a camera with a big zoom lens. The lens is pointed towards his temple and his thumb is positioned on the trigger. In the bottom of the picture there is a text saying "How To Survive a Down Economy As A Photographer".

When I look at this picture I get the sense that this man is at the end of his rope and is about to stage a suicide. But since a camera is being used instead of a gun the message is not that grim. Instead it in a humorous way is trying to make light of the fact that there is no way to overcome the bad economy, which at first makes me laugh. However, the economy is no laughing matter, but sometimes that is all one can do, otherwise one would go insane. So although the photo is trying to be funny, it also makes me think about the hardships many people face in tough times, and the ways they cope with these struggles. Even though my first reaction is to smile at the photo, I also feel empathy with the person in the picture.

• The text that reads "How To Survive a Down Economy As A Photographer" is a symbol for the meaning of those words, namely denoting: This is a guide for how someone who works in photography can sustain himself when the financial situation is bad. The way these words interact with the photograph also creates a sense of irony or sarcasm, since the subject in the picture supposedly is trying to kill himself with his camera.
• The way the person is holding the camera to his temple symbolizes the action of suicide by shooting a gun to the head. This gesture has become universal for suicide as people might mimic this by putting a finger to the temple to symbolize a gun, but in this case the finger has been replaced by the camera lens.

The absence of color gives the photo a more serious attribute, resembling a picture in a newspaper or a documentary. This denotes the severity of the actions taken by the man in the picture. The absence of color also denotes that there is little to feel good about in the situation, as color is generally used to describe happy occasions. Aside from that, there is also the use of the close up in a landscape oriented photo which places the man two thirds of the way to the right in the frame. With the addition of the hand and camera in the left part of the frame, the photo finds balance between these two elements. The camera is also pointing straight to the man's head, making your eyes travel to the expression on his face. As the eyes keep scanning the photo they go from the face to the camera and then end up at the negative text in the lower right hand corner. This aspect of the composition further enhances the impressions described above.

Three levels of meaning

In this rendering of a poster for the movie "The Spirit", an art school student from the Art Institute of California - San Diego did a great job in combining elements from bot representational, abstractions, and symbols to create an effective means of communicating the essence of this movie.

First of all the use of the city skyline works well to convey the big city scenery in which this story unfolds. Although the skyline has been slightly abstracted through photo manipulation it still clearly communicates in what environment this movie is taking place. Without it the poster would be more arbitrary and less distinct. But this representational image is not the main focus of this poster. It also becomes enhanced what seen in relationship with the abstracted form of a man and the symbolic use of text and logotype to create a cohesive expression of danger and action.

The main focus is given to the abstracted silhouette of a man in a trench coat, hat, and red tie. This abstracted visual of a man takes center stage and instantly communicates a sense of mystique and danger. The folded up collar and lack of pupils in the eyes gives a sense of covert affairs and cruel intentions. The man also communicates a sense of daring and boldness, especially with the red tie that is easily recognizable as a trade mark for this shadowy figure, and he is flying his colors bravely. Furthermore, the poster is laid out much like a wanted poster, giving the impression that we are dealing with some sort of crime or vigilantism. Something that is further explained by the symbols of the poster, and given a setting by the representation of the city.

To further enhance the meaning of the poster, there are also symbols to explain its meaning further. The use of letters to form words like "warning" and "this city is protected by" in capital letters further explains the meaning of the poster and also uses a play on words for a Wanted poster. The explanation for who this movie is about is given by the logotype for The Spirit, which for someone who is familiar with the comic book by Frank Miller would instantly recognize. This logotype, combined with the use of the abstracted red tie and the skyline of the city sends a clear message of what this movie is about, and who it is intended for.

Representing, Abstract, Symbols

Here we can see the logotype and brand for the Artwood guitar by Ibanez. The design of the elements that symbolizes this information is in the form of type that has been inlaid into the head of the guitar. The word Ibanez has been treated with a specific font that has become the trademark for this particular brand of guitar and has a bold cursive appearance to it, that is easily recognizable for someone who is familiar with the roman alphabet. Below this logotype is the symbol for the specific model of guitar in the form of the letters A and W intertwined in a artful manner, with the purpose of denoting the Artwood insignia. This information is not as easily obtained as it requires a deeper knowledge of guitars and the significance of the symbol in question. Both of these examples of symbolism have been reduced to a simplistic form that is intended to effectively convey their message and meaning.

On the body of the same guitar we find this pick guard that is meant to protect the wooden body of the guitar from scratches. More abstract in its appearance, it bears no direct resemblance of anything obvious. Its form is in a sense derived from its purpose, and allowed an artistic representation in its curvature and color pattern. The intention for the shape and color of the pick guard is to artfully blend with the aesthetic of the guitar and to provide a tasteful contrast to the spruce top of the guitar. The marbled pattern gives the plastic pick guard a texture and style that breaks from the plain surface of the guitar and brings to mind a resemblance of molten lava.

The guitar itself is a carefully handcrafted piece of equipment that is designed for acoustic performance while also being pleasing to the eye. This guitar is the product of a long tradition of creating musical instruments and has been perfected over many years to combine the right materials and shapes that best suit its purpose. The designer of this guitar has also allowed himself to add his artistic touch to the guitar by having a Tree of Life made out of abalone in the neck of the guitar and in the rosette around the sound hole. The use of gilded tuners and a shiny finish also serve to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the guitar. The guitar is made out of mostly mahogany and spruce, which are not only pleasing to the eye, but also serve to enhance the sound quality of the instrument.