A presentation by Yue Liu on pages 51-89, Mullet and Sano

Introduction || Rules ||Principals || Common Errors || Techniques

I. Introduction

Scale, contrast and proportion are about the interrelationships among the parts and also on the parts themselves.

Definitions:

Scale describes the relative size or magnitude of a given design element in relation to other design elements and the composition as a whole. (Page 51) --The feeling of a design fitting its space and its surrounding

Contrast results from noticeable differences along a common visual dimension that can be observed between elements in a composition. (Page 52) --Visual distinctions

Proportion deals in ratios rather than fixed sizes. It determines the balance and harmony of the relation between elements. (Page 52) -- The rapport between two dimensions

Advantages:

• Differentiation. Contrast is essential for differentiating elements from one another.
• Emphasis. Scale and contrast can be used to emphasize important elements or areas in the composition.
• Activity. Scale and contrast move the viewer's eyes through the composition in predictable sequence that can be used to support a particular communication goal.
• Interest. Scale and contrast add visual interest to a composition by juxtaposing elements with strongly opposed visual qualities to create tension, drama, and excitement.

II. Rules

Retinal variables: size, value, hue (chromatic color), orientation, texture, shape, and position.

The fundamental units of visual communication

Four styles of perception:

• Associative: ignores variation on one visual dimension in reading the remainder of the display. All variables except size and value.
• Selective: isolate all instances of a given category and perceptually groups them into a single image. All variables except shape.
• Ordered: determine the relative ordering of values along a perceptual dimension. Position, size, and value are ordered in human perceptions.





• Quantitative: determine the amount of difference between two ordered values. Position and size are quantitative.

The length of visual variables:

Shape is the longest visual variable.
Orientation is the shortest dimension.

III. Principles

Proportion sets the rhythm of the display; the scale of its components determines its forcefulness and their contrasts determine its excitability.

• Clarity. Clear enough to convey the intended distinctions.
• Harmony. Harmonious relation between the elements in the display.
• Activity. Strong contrasts to product an effective dynamic within the display.
• Restraint. Sufficiently restrained to permit the viewer to remain in control of the experience.

1. Clarity.

   • Contrast is effective when clearly intentional.
   • Clarity in the role of each element in the ensemble.
   • Single-minded focus on communication.
     
     
     

2. Harmony.

   • Pleasing interaction of the parts.
   • Golden section.   value = ( sqrt ( 5 ) - 1 ) / 2 = 0.618
     
     

3. Activity.

   • Strong contrasts, but few in numbers.
   • Limited to one or a few dimensions.
   • Contrasts are conscious, few and never overwhelming.
     
     

   
   

4. Restraint.

   • Limiting contrasts to those needed
   • Enhancing the selective perception
   • Extracting meaningful information from the display

     

IV. Common Errors

Common errors involve the following two aspects:

• Contrasts that are too sharp or not sharp enough.
• Figures that relate poorly to their ground.

The common errors are:

• Insufficient contrast. Make the elements difficult to distinguish.
• Excessive contrast. Make chaos.
• Visual interference. Contrasts on one visual dimension often disrupt the processing of visual information on other dimensions.
• Spatial tension. Controls are placed too closely to one another.
• Overextension. Windows are too large for the information they contain.
• Awkward dimension. Windows relate poorly to the screen or window context within which they appear.

V. Techniques

1. Establishing perceptual layers.
   • Squint test. Using one eye to identify the features of interest and reduce the light and disrupt the focus.
   • Using scale and contrast to divide the display into a few distinct regions or layers.
   • Effective perceptual layering helps the viewer to selectively read information in one group with a minimum of interference from the others.
2. Sharpening visual distinctions.
   • Sharpening is a technique that ensures that contrast between elements is adequate for effective discrimination or aesthetic effect.
   • Sharpening to create meaningful distinctions.
   • Sharpening is clearly intentional and fulfills a specific communication goal.
3. Integrating figure and ground.
   • Figure and ground be approximately equal in terms of their scale and visual weight.
   • Figure and ground exist in a state of balance and stability.
   • Figure and ground act to reinforce one another.
   • To maximize visual integration, internal element should have an adequate margin area.