Three Concepts

From what we have read in both texts, I really enjoyed Kimball/Hawkins chapter three. I enjoy reading and learning about theories because theories are not set in stone. They can change and be manipulated depending on the circumstance. In document design the same thought can be attributed to designs that seem to break all the “rules” (theories), but still seem to work within the specific target audience. It intrigues me to think out side the “box” and to take chances because this is how advancements happen. Now I am not saying I am an advancer in anyway, but thinking outside the box allows a creative side that I believe more people should embrace in them selves. Once again I am getting off on a tangent so, lets get to the three concepts that caught my attention the most from chapter three.

Concept one – Grouping –

Grouping catches my mind the most because it is a concept that is not really thought about at the conscious level when looking at a design. Grouping allows the mind to relax while looking at a design, allowing the eyes to have an ease of flow through a document. There are four topics that are discussed under the grouping section, as followed: proximity, similarity, continuation, and common region. Although these four topics are cited as laws, they are still important aspects that can change or influence other theories.

Concept two – Ecological Perception –

Under ecological perception we come across some very interesting terms. First is Affordance, or “the qualities of an object that allow us to use them.” Second is usability, the study of how a user interacts with an object and or product. I like to think about affordance because, as I’ve said before, we tend to not think about how products work. We know how products work though because of affordance and the ability of the human mind to do without thinking, or theorized by thinking with the unconscious mind. This then brings in the notion of usability. How can a product be useful and designed in order to take account of affordance and the ability of the mind to act on impulse “without much thought?” Our mind is trained to recognize things that are easy to use in order to not over flow the ability to make conscious decisions. A user will become unenthused to use a product if the product requires too much thought. Usability allows us to understand what works for us/users, and what doesn’t work for us/users when using a product. If we as designers understand these concepts when designing something, you will be able to save time and money.

Concept three – Theories on visual culture -
Visual culture fascinates me because our visual sense is so powerful. What is taught and comprehended in one culture might mean something completely different in another that fascinates me the most. Visual culture conveys a whole wide range of identities that can change from one place to another. For instance when an American see’s the colors red, white, and blue, most will think of our country values and reasoning of the United States. If the same colors are seen in another culture those American values and thoughts of reasoning are not conveyed in the same way. They view the color scheme in a completely different way. It is important to understand these differences in cultures when you are trying to reach users that cross visual cultural boundaries. As a designer you do not want to offend the people you are trying to capture, in most cases at least.