Visual communication and Visual communication theories

“It is the theory that decides what can be observed.” Albert Einstein, 1879-1955 Physicist, Educator, Patent Clerk

Prepared by Danielle Oser, APR

Concerned with what the brain sees – visual cues

Too many images to process and remember Cells note the stimulation and passes it on to your mind without considering it

Max Wertheimer German psychologist,

1910 See the scene outside

although partially blocked

“Flipbook” effect Eye takes in all the visual

stimuli – brain arranges the sensation into a coherent image

Photomosaics by Robert Silvers

http://photomosaic.com/portfolio.html

Max Weterhimer

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Objects that look similar will automatically be grouped together by the brain

Dissimilarity creates visual interest

Christoph Niemann

Brain more closely associates objects close together than it does an object that is farther apart

Brain seeks as much as possible a smooth continuation of a perceived movement

Also refers to objects that are partially blocked by a foreground object with a viewer’s mind continuing the line in order to achieve a kind of graphic closure

Viewers mentally group the arrows because they all point in the same direction

Opposite directions create tension because the viewer will not see it as part of the group

Create more noticeable print and screen media designs

• “The Whole is Different from the Sum of its Parts”

Insights can be learned when attention is turned to the entire image

Diane Arbus, 1971

Julian Hochberg, 1970 Emphasizes the viewers

eye movements in an active state of perception

Eyes are constantly in motion when scanning an image

Viewers construct a scene with short-lived eye fixations that the mind combines to a whole

Help designers capture attention

Content Driven

A sign is something that stands for something else The meaning behind any sign must be learned, understood

397 CE First proposed the study

of signs First to write about the

link between symbolism and nature

Swiss linguist Helped establish the

symbolic interpretation of signs

American Philosopher Helps establish the field

of semiotics in the US Defines 3 types of signs

Iconic Indexical Symbolic

Easiest to interpret Closely resemble the thing that they represent

What is the iconic sign here?

Iconic signs have the strongest one-on-one connection between the image and what it represents

What is the indexical sign here?

Logical, common-sense connection to the thing or idea they represent rather than a direct resemblance to the object

Learn signs through everyday experiences

No logical or representational connection

Must be taught Social, Cultural

considerations influence symbolic signs

• Symbolic

• Symbolic

Symbols tied to religious faith often evoke the strongest emotional response

Semiotics has evolved into a theory of perception that involves the use of images in unexpected ways

What is the symbolic sign here?

Hint (it’s not an image)

Example of cultural relativism Historical reference

Columbus Discovering Land

Codes: An amalgamation of hundreds of ideas and/or elements into one convenient concept

A collection of signs that cause the viewers to make assumptions about what is seen

Note our family here

Group of signs that cause the viewer to make mental comparisons

Transfer of meaning from one set of signs to another

Often sexual references and “shock” ads Phallic symbols

associated with alcohol, tobacco and lipstick

Several signs that combine to form a new composite message

Meaning must be derived by the viewer

Music often uses several signs to create a new complex message

Signs can enhance the visual experience, educate, entertain and persuade a viewer

Our link with all the images we have ever seen

Triggers memories that change the image meaning

A person’s mental state is projected onto an inanimate object or generalized statement

Individuals reveal personality traits by deriving meaning from oddly formed shapes

Seeing a face or other figure in an inanimate object

Preconceived expectations about how a scene should appear often leads to false or missed visual perceptions

• Expectation

Guido Daniele

Did you see it?

We usually focus only on significant details within a scene

Mind ignores visual stimuli that are part of a person’s everyday activities

One way to avoid habituation is to actively think about new images when one sees them

Walker Evans Series of images of common tools that demonstrated the habituation aspect of the cognitive approach

Edward Weston

A stimulus will be noticed more if it has meaning for an individual

“The more you know, the more you see”

Too many competing formats create confusion, distraction

Also occurs when there are too many outside stimuli Music Advertising

Criticized for having too many visual displays on the screen at one time

Culture determines the importance of the signs that affect the people who live with and among us

What you notice may be a factor of race, age, gender, weight, ethnicity

We think with words Profoundly affect our

understanding and recall of an image

We must look at the world closely to create designs that attract attention and be mindful of the varied messages that come from images