Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Conclusion
It has been suggested that humans may be hard-wired to recognise “deep fundamental prin-
ciples of analytical design”; however, these principles “are not tied to any particular lan-
guage, culture, style, gender or technology of information display.”
20
Within this context,
the elements and principles of design act like a form of visual grammar that can be used to
encode visual communication messages in designs and visual imagery for subsequent de-
coding by the intended audience. As such, elements and principles of design act as a kind of
lingua franca in digital imagery, art and design. As such, their effectiveness is dependent on
whether the designer or artist speaks the same visual language as the intended audience or
target market.
It is widely accepted that the interface between visual imagery and human response is com-
plex and open to the influence of a range of factors including individual differences; social
and cultural differences, as well as temporal and contextual influences. Hence, it is unwise
to assume that encoding and decoding of information embedded in visual imagery occurs in
a straightforward manner. Hence, art or design outcomes can be highly subjective and idio-
syncratic, often relative to a particular time period, culture or context. Never-the-less, ele-
ments and principles of design provide a useful starting point for designers. From a practical
perspective, they represent a kind of pirate's code and can be adopted or rejected as determin-
ed by the designer. In this way, design remains a matter of “free choice and personal decision”
so that design outcomes not only reflect “the personality of its author” but also reflect the
zeit-
geist
, the spirit of the times.
6
Designing, analysing and evaluating visual imagery is not an easy task and can become
problematic in any context. Notions such as 'good' and 'bad' as well as 'taste' have the capa-
city to obfuscate objective discussion and, while personal preference and individual aesthet-
ic response are valid and hold meaning, they can hijack objective analysis and evaluation.
To circumvent this issue, a model of visual imagery analysis and evaluation was presented
and this is intended to provide an objective means to identify and discuss visual elements in
imagery and design, as well as the various principles of composition and arrangement used
by artists and designers. In addition, the model provides a hierarchy of steps for the analysis,
interpretation and evaluation of elements and principles of design in terms of their effective-
ness in conveyed information within the context of art and visual communications design.
