Theory

Question 1


GESTALT THEORY:

Answer 1

organization is central to all mental activity and how the brain functions 


Question 2

Law of Pragnanz:

Answer 2

reality is organized or reduced to the simplest form possible

- for example: we see the image above (olympic rings) as a series of circles rather than as many much more complicated shapes

- because of how our brains work, we can only focus on one thing at a time

the whole is understood to be different than the sum of it’s parts (we have a holistic view of our world)

Question 3

Four Parts/Laws

Answer 3

Closure: objects grouped together are seen as a whole. We tend to ignore gaps and complete contour lines. Our minds fill in missing information to create familiar shapes and images. EG: WWF Logo

Continuance: The eye is compelled to move through one object and continue to another object following a dominant form

Proximity: objects near each other tend to be grouped together.

Similarity: items tend to group similar items together

Question 4

SEMIOTIC THEORY:

Answer 4

Semiotic design refers to communication of a message using signs and symbols


Question 5

1. Semantic:

Answer 5

relationship between an object and it’s meaning

• what is the meaning of the object?

• do the object and the message work together?

Road Signs, message/meaning and form

Question 6


2. Syntactic:

Answer 6

relationship between element


- what is the new meaning when elements are placed together on the page?

How elements in the composition relate to one another, must relate successfully

Question 7

3. Pragmatic:

Answer 7

relationship between an object and it’s user (and the message has to be suitable for the target market)


- is it understandable?

- is it clear what to do?

object/form and the viewer (the from that you chose connects with your target market)

Question 8


ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY:

Answer 8

our interpretation of information is influenced by how it’s organized

Question 9

Ways of organizing information (or DESIGN CONVENTIONS)

Answer 9

Alphabetical Order

Categorical

Continuum (comparison)

Time/Chronological Order

Location

- table of contents

- folders/computer drives

- geographically (maps)

Question 10

VISUAL Hierarchy

Answer 10

what holds the most weight and importance on a page

maximum amount of elements in a design: 8