Gestalt

For this assignment we were asked to create four posters resembling for different words: Closure, Proximity, Similarity, and Continuity. We had to use different shapes to create each poster and they had to be in black and white. Each of the terms were defined as follows by Gestalt:

- Closure: We attach meaning to visual displays.

- Proximity: We group things that are physically close to one another, in a meaningful way.

- Similarity: We group similar objects together in a meaningful way.

- Continuity: We look for unity in objects.

Gestalts main concept is that "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts". While creating these posters I was able to demonstrate Gestalt's theory by evaluating the components that you create, both by themselves and within the context of the layouts in which they are appearing. Three things I focused on while creating the posters were:

Connotation

Does the visual style of this component tie in with the theme it ought to convey? Is every sub-component within the element working toward the same thematic goal? Would if be helpful to show the logo or compositional element to others in order to find out if they perceive it the same way as you?

All of the posters I created effectively demonstrated the connotations of the words they were representing. I was able to use different black and white shapes to demonstrate each word. For the Closure poster, all of the elements are working together to create the same thematic goal: the appearance of the white circle. All of the elements in the Proximity poster are working together to demonstrate the word because if one was missing, the connotation would not be understand because there would be no clearly defined grouping arrangement. For the Similarity poster I was able to demonstrate the connotation of this word by arranging multiple small shapes, into one large image of that shape. This shows how you can group similar objects together in a meaningful way. For the continuity poster I was able to use two different shapes, a circle and a rectangle to demonstrate the connotation of the word. The human eye is able to connect the rectangle on all sides of the triangle by seeing the unity in the objects.

Attributes

Are you satisfied with the visual weight, structure, color and presentation style of the logo or graphic element? Do the elements stand out clearly and are they in thematic agreement with the backdrop? Will the color scheme of each element fit in well with the scheme of the larger layout in which they are placed? Are the elements intended for broad use (i.e., a logo?) If so, have they been designed in such a way that they can be presented in a wide variety of sizes and displayed in various sorts of media?

When creating all of my posters, I kept the above question about attributes in mind. In this case, there wasn't much attributes to change for each poster since they all had to be in black and white. I mainly focused on the visual weight and size of each of the shapes I used. I made sure they were all equally sized to the other shapes so that the grouping and arrangement would be obvious. They are all able to effectively stand out on the back drop because of the great amount of contrast between black and white. All of these posters were designed so that they can be presented in a different variety of sizes or colors if one wished to do so.

Placement

Should this component be given a starring or a supporting role within the layout? Should it call attention to itself or go virtually unnoticed? What sort of placement should this graphic element be given within composition? Should it's edges align with other elements with the layout?

Placement was one of, if not the most important things to thing about while creating these posters. All of the words were demonstrated with shapes and the connotations of these words could only be understand through appropriate alignment and arrangement of the shapes. Each of the shapes in each poster were placed in that position with purpose. Each of the edges had to line up with one another and although this was on purpose, it should go unnoticed. By this I mean that the viewer should be able to see that white circle in the closure poster without noticing that it was created by what was missing from the black squares.

I think this poster effectively exemplifies the connotation of closure. I was able to use for black squares, missing the inner bottom corners, to create a white circle with the blank space.

This poster effectively demonstrates the connotation of proximity. I create two different groupings of a + sign to show the difference of grouping things close together as opposed to farther apart. Both use the same image to show how proximity differs.

This poster appropriately demonstrates the connotation of Similarity. I used to different groupings of small shapes to create a large image of the shape. In the first grouping, I used lots of small triangles and arranged them to appear as one large triangle. For the second grouping, I used lots of small circles and arranged them to appear as one large circle.

This poster effectively demonstrates the connotation of Continuity. I was able to use a circle and a  rectangle to create this poster. Even though one half of the rectangle is underneath one side of the circle it appears as though the rectangle is continuous through the entire circle's edge.