1.4 What do we really look at?
Eye tracking
By using the eye tracking technology we will get to know what the user tends to actually look into the poster, how the eye movements go throughtout the design and what is focused more and what is not.
Results and discussion
Considering the above observations, the first visible element is the face of the kid, whether it is the raw primal image or the original poster. But a lot of attention is gone on the number "99" which though is in a thin font tend to stand out in a unique way. Also, some try to look at what is placed on the left bottom part of the poster, which is because the text is white placed over a contrast black background. To conclude, the flow of attention goes first to the face, then to the top and then to the bottom, to put in simple terms, if someone is to see this poster in a public place, they would first look at the figure(which is the most prominent), then try to read the text on the top to understand what the picture is about and then read the details at the bottom to know more about the topic.
1.5 Conclusion
A revised “primal sketch”
Implications for graphic design
Considering the above observations it can be said that there is always an/one element in the poster which is the show stopper. No matter where you see the poster from, people are first going to see that and then try to read what it implies. Like in this poster, the human's face along with the whole figure itself is the focus point. Also, it being in a bright red color makes it stand out against the black and white background. The text isn't focused that much, but is acting as a foreground here, like only visible enough to show what people are supposed to read.
2. Emotions
We will study emotions in graphic design in this order:
- Are we affected?
- Do we feel with it (empathy)?
- Which mood is conveyed?
2.1 Are we affected?
As Mizerski, R.W. & White, J.D. quoted in 1986, "Regardless of the specific manner in which the various links are formed, associating emotional reponses with brand-related cues should result in a positive image that would facilitate the purchase and consumption of the product."
Emotion is a special inner movement, like "I am moved!" It's a concurrent affection in the body.
By affect, we (who?) understand that to affect is a short-term cause and comparitively easy to manipulate or change, which leads to arousal of emotions and moods that are long-term and usually difficult to change.
What are we affected by in graphic design?
There are many aspects in graphic design that we are affected by. When we see a visual there is always an emotional arousal to it. It can be hats, sympathy, love, affection, neutrality or sometimes it can just be nothing at all. Likewise the colors and text, sizes of the shapes used in the visual can affect us tremendously. For example, a bright red color can give us a warning sensation, or a too bold text can depict that the text is very important.
Affect grid
First, what is affect? Affect is a simple primitive non-reflective feeling. Humans can be affected by anything and evrything. Now, by using the affect grid, one can know what their current mood is by when they look at a visual. There are two dimensions used in this scale. One dimension is pleasant and unpleasant feelings, while the other one is high arousal and sleepiness.
By using the affect grid we can check how the poster is exactly affecting the viewer.A study using the affect grid.
2.2 Do we feel with it (empathy)?
Often we are not directly affected but just consider the graphic design emotionally: what does it express to us?
Considering the study so far, it is evident that humans tend to empathize with a design if considered emotionally. We are affected if there are visuals that arouse all basic human emotions like anger, love, hate, happiness, sadness, even disgust and surprise.
Expressions from humans
In graphic design, we can distinctly categorize human expressions. Like in the poster we are studying, there is a human figure present which has some expressions on his face, though not loud enough it shows that where there is a human present, naturally expressions follow the lead.What else can be felt?
We can sense by hearig, vision, smell, touch, taste, pressure, temperature, pain by looking at graphic design. Let's see how it works.
This poster can affect the eye when we see it reverse as there is a human present in very bright red suit against the black and white background.
It is quite obvious that graphic design affects the eye and mouth when we see image of food and drinks. We see a poster that has a picture of may be a sausy burger and fries along with coke and brownie, our mouth waters, craves for the same immediately. But the poster that we are currently studying does not have any eye to mouth connection as it does not ahve visuals that stimulates our food cravings.
When see visuals of flowers, frangnances, or even food, or visuals like fire, smoke, candles, we naturally have this tendency of immediately associating these visuals to the smells that we know of them. But the poster studied here does have any such element in it present.
The eye and hand is affected when we see visuals of clothing like silk, cotton, leather, or materials like wood, steel, rubber, or textures of rough and smooth surfaces, and much more. In this poster the kid is wearing a jumpsuite which can be felt and sensed with our hand. Or evn the dashboard of the car can sensed, felt with our hands as we drive the car. Also, the touch of a human is evidently present here.
It is evident that the eye and body is affected when we look at the kid in car. It automatically takes us to the feeling of a kid laughing or crying or talking sweetly and playing around in the car.
Here, the object car or the color red and back. We tend to keep the temperature either low or high in the car when we drive. That temperature is felt on our skin. Also, the colors are more towards a warm color pallete which indicates temperature felt.
2.3 Which mood is conveyed?
We talk in terms of mood, atmosphere, overall impression …
On a mood board we lay out the studied graphic design alongside other designs of this genre. We can then cluster by overall impression.
Using a semantic differential for assessing emotional aspects (2.1–2.3)
Let's now try to assess all the aspects of emotions present in this graphic design.
The following categories seems perfect to describe our poster
A semantic differential scale is a survey or questionnaire rating scale that asks people to mark their attitude towards a given object by asking them to select a position on a scale between two opposite adjectives.
Construction of a semantic differential
Results and Discussion
From all the above observations, it can concluded that humans have an emotional arousal when they see anything or everything. Emotions like stress, excitement, pleasant and unpleasant feelings, sleepiness, relaxation, sleepiness and much more. Apart from these emotions, human sensations like vision, smell, touch, hearing too have an affect when we see certain visual. Moods like feeling gloomy, loud, demanding, silent are too felt at some extent.
Conclusion – Implications for design
Emotions are everyday occurances in human. Everything and anything affects us emotionally. Emotions when used in design properly can have a long term effect on humans. We tend to remember things are we are emotionally connected with. Hence, it is very crucial to consider the human emotions rightly when showing something.
3. Construction
Construction refers to a composition of design which involves the arrangement of the format, or how the elements are aligned or placed in a design, is there a perfect balance between elements, is there is a interaction between the arrangement suggested. It is important to know all these aspects because they are the deciding factors in whether the visual is going to catch attention or not.
3.1 What is it made of?
3.2 Where is what?
3.2.1 Which arrangement is suggested by the format?
3.2.2 How are elements arranged?
3.2.3 Is there balance?
3.2.4 Is there a guiding principle (e.g. a grid)?
3.3 Does the arrangement suggest meaning?
I don't think there is any meaning that reflects out of the arrangement suggested here. It's a poster that talks about a photography exhibition, so it is quite obvious that a photo is going to be there representing the topic. But that when out in combination with the text doesn't really suggest anything.
Conclusion-Implications of Design
Arrangement of elements in graphic design is a very crucial and challenging part at times. What has to to placed where, how it has to be placed, whether a verticle arrangement is to be followed or a horizontal, or some other arrangement altogether. Similarly the right usage of color also determines whether a design is going to work or not. If one uses red to show peace, it is definately going to mislead the viewers. Hence, using the right colors along with the right arrangement of elements is a huge deciding factor for any design to have a long term affect on humans
4. Semiosis
Semiosis can be described as a study of signs. A sign is a thing that represents an object to an interpreter. Historians indicate that they are among the forerunners of the semiotics Plato and Aristotle, through their studies on signs and how they could be interpreted, their languages and perceptions. In the process of semiosis, there are three (03) ways in which a sign conceptualizes something, and they are: ICONIC(similarity), SYMBOLIC(convention) AND INDEX(correlation).
4.1 Visual Rhetoric
Visual rhetoric, in a nutshell, refers to how humans are persuaded by the things we see. It is a part of communication where we interpret and make meaning out of the world around us.
How do the signs try to express meaning?
Signs are any kind of visual graphics created to display information to a particular audience. However, signs do not have any meaning by themselves, we give them meaning when we interpret them.
For example the symbol for International symbol for access. No matter where we see this sign we know that area, place, room is accessible to users with wheelchair. Often, we also this sign on trains, stations, public toilets, airports and many more such public places.
Some rhetorical tropes for graphic design -
Let's try to find out Visual Rhetoric in our poster.
4.2 Multimodality
Multimodality is an inter-disciplinary approach that states communication and representation to be more than just language.
Conclusion
Implications for graphic design
5. Aesthetics
Aesthetics can be narrowly defined as the theory of beauty. What is beautiful, what is not, what is attractive, whats hurts the eyes
Modernism has relegated the idea of beauty to function, so “form follows function”. A commitment to “beauty” is seen as problematic. That design should not be about “beautifying” is a common statement. However, this very discourse of modernism has concealed that modernism is an aesthetic in itself! Meanwhile, we as designers deal with aesthetic judgements all the time. Therefore, the first and most important task is to become more aware of our own aesthetic biases.
5.1 A first assessment of what I love and hate
5.2 Sorting out the good and bad from the beautiful and ugly
Following Kant’s aesthetic (Critique of Judgment, 1790), the aesthetic judgement is not concerned with questions like: Is this working, is this good design? To get closer to our aesthetic judgement, we try to separate the “good” and the “bad” from the “beautiful” and “ugly”.
5.3 Detailed exploration of my aesthetic preferences
Now we can more elaborately talk about what we love here. Try to find aspects of “free play” (Kant).
Also don’t shy away from “beauty as a symbol of morality” (Kant, Critique of Judgment: §59) – “We call buildings or trees majestic and splendid, or fields laughing and cheerful; even colors are called innocent, modest, tender, because they arouse sensations analogous to the consciousness of a state of mind effected by moral judgment.” (§59) This is the transition to life style: where your aesthetic preferences reflect a way of living, a practice. A will to conform, a will to distinguish. Try to capture this.
5.4 Final verdict about the poster
Show your poster again, gather all judgements – please add other’s judgements here to for contrast: what has the potential for pleasure here?
Implications for design …
Especially: for you as a designer!
We as designers need to think beyond rules. To have a certain arrangement for a design to be visible is important. But at the same time knowing whether the arrangement really goes with the image, colors or font is also important. We need to be naive at times. We need to think from a lay mans perspective. Whether the elements in design are beautiful enough to attract viewers or they are just plain ugly. Considering the aesthetics is extremely important.
6. Socio-cultural background and Discourse
We are now finally and surely in society with our poster! How does society shape it and how does the poster “actively” take part in society?
6.1 For what purpose was this designed?
The poster is an actual photograph used to show that the there is an exhibition of photos clicked in 1990 by a photographer.
6.2 Who designed this for whom?
The designer is unknown, even though the photo used is clicked by a photographer, Nelly Rau-Häring. The target audience is quite broad, like even general public can be interested to see how Berlin was in 1990, and also for photographers who want to see the angle, type of photos clicked, the aspects used in the camera to click the photos, etc.
6.3 What technique was used?
Considering the use of an actual photograph, it can be said that the poster was designed in Adobe Photoshop. The technique for printing used was offset because it gives a high quality output, and also because it has to be printed in bulk.
6.4 To which style does this refer?
6.5 What is the socio-cultural precondition for this?
First, the photograph was choosen by the photographer himself, because he is the best judgment to what is going to attract the audience. The he asked the designer to design it in a fashion where the photograph is visible prominently. After the design is approved, it is sent for printing. Thenafter the final task is to send out to distributors so that they can paste it throughout the city, in public and private spaces where there is a rush of passer-bys every single day.
6.6 What is the discourse?
What does the poster assume as understood? What does the poster NOT say/show? Why? What is obviously a taboo?
Let's talk about other posters as well.
7. Practices
Back to life. Where graphic design is not important. It happens!
A day in the life of a poster or the whole life from birth to death
"The Lost Soul"
"One day you will find me, amongst all you've forgotten
May be you will see me in the corners of your favorite street
Or in that silent ally, where no one ever passes from
Until then I will lay between the stories of my lost friends
And yearn for the yesterdays filled with memories of curiosity
Waiting for you to rediscover me in undeniably misery"