Blog Exercise: Visual Techniques

Visual Techniques List 1:
Tone Contrast, flow, composition contrast,
hierarchy, sharpness, movement, transparency, bold 

Visual Techniques List 2:
Flow, hierarchy, repetition, irregularity, subtle, variation, functional  

Compare and contrast: The top photo of a poster is created more organically and its visual hierarchy creates a flow that brings us around the poster, viewing each aspect. Asymmetrical design, with bold colors and figures make it eye catching. Using a more structured style, the second photo is functional and the flow is created through repetition. The varying block sizes create a hierarchy that flows through the spread. Both examples, although formed differently, have a subtle sophistication with a punch of design. Simple enough to get the message across, but also visually interesting to get the viewers attention.  

Blog Exercise: Contrast

Here the contrast is working well with each of the elements. The model is able to be the star of the cover while the type around him is still legible. The pops of color contrast the neutral colors and draw the eye in. Adding to that is the contrast in type size, which creates a hierarchy of what to read. Eventually leading the viewers eyes around the entire cover.  

This is an example of poor contrast. It is over saturated with colors, photos and type. There is no room to breathe in this cover, so the viewer is unsure of where to start. Most of the type is the same size in competing loud colors with no contrast to demand hierarchy. Then the collage of people's heads each require attention, building onto the confusion. The color blocks of separation do not aid in creating contrast for the viewer. 

Blog Assignment: Design Success and Failure / Syntactical Guidelines

 Success

Fail

















These two posters have various similar qualities, however the one that succeeds is able to communicate its message more clearly. In the success poster the typography is balanced and the negative space around the figure brings attention to the center, then draws the eye to the title with the pop of color. In the failed poster, it is difficult to determine the typography hierarchy. There is so much type in varying sizes that it consumes the necessary negative space it needs to breathe. The grouping of figures is also distracting and presents itself as one jumbled blob instead of a visual story.