Word & Image
The focus of this section is the integration of words and images. Just as the letters of the alphabet can be combined in numerous ways to form words and convey meanings, so can visual elements be joined in innumerable ways, eith each particlar relationship generating alternative solutions. Often words carry more specific meaning than images, but images can extend and intensify the meaning of words. For this reason, words and images should act as equal partners in the forming of a message. Although a designer's first instinct is to focus on the visual aspects of the message, a successful concept is formed within the interrelationship of words and the images.
How Can a Concept Be Communicated in Visual Terms?
A concept can be defined as a well-developed thought or idea. To successfully transmit an idea, the viewer's attention must be gained. Visual communication depends upon order, and the viewer will look for a system or structure to help him or her understand the meaning of the message. Designers use visual heirarchy to arrange the visual elements according to their importance within the design. Each element in a design contributes to the information being presented — words carry the mesage, and the images explain or enhance the meaning. An image with no meaning is like a sentence that makes no sense; therefore images should be as carefully chosen as the words to construct a coherent sentence. If there is no apparent heirarchy in a message, the relative importance of the piece of informatoin becomes subjective and open to viewer interpretation. This creates an ambiguity in the message, making it unclear and possibly unreadable.
How Can I Make My Messages Memorable?
Here are a few strategies to consider:
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When you think in opposites, you impose a different point of view on any idea or word. Irony is a twist of perspective or the opposite of the literal meaning of the subject.
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The use of contrast in either your subject matter or design elements can provide an effective context for conveying meaning. The arrangement and ordering of a shape, color and form into patterns can suggest or evoke the content or message.
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Abstract ideas can give physical characteristics to inanimate objects or ideas, bringing them to life.
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Metaphors describe abstract concepts in concrete terms or explai something complicated in simple terms.
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Visual puns exist within a juxtaposition of two possibilities and give funny twists to simple ideas. The purpose is to create understanding through the visual comparison or opposites. In the same way that letters are combined to create words, symbols can be put together to create messages. A pun is created when sumbols (letters are symbols as well) are used ni a context to suggest a dual meaning. A good example of this would be Milton Glaser's promotional design for New York City, "I <3 NY"
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Defamiliarize the familiar by distortion or by transposing the usual way we think of the subject.
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Reducing something to its most elemental visual components makes the idea easily accessible. A pictogram is the visual essence of an object or thing. An example of a pictogram is the three arrows in a triangular shape to indicate recycling.
No matter what the assignment, a greative person can always make something unique out of what is given by following the design process. Never perceive the parameters of any assignment as a limitation to your creativity. A problem with no constraints is really not a problem, as there is nothing to solve.
Word & Image Relationship
A visual idea can be described as a pictoral response to an abstract thought or problem. By merging words (type) and images (pictures), a designer can create articulate messages to engage a viewer or convey information. This can be accomplished by skillful manipulation, interpretation, and possibly juxtaposition of words and images, literally or figuratively, to suggest or imply a specific or desired meaning.
The use of symbolism, analogy, metaphor, or pun may further expand your visual vocabulary.
Symbolism is the term used to describe the art or practice of using symbols. A symbol is a thing standing for or representing something else, especially a material thing taken to represent an immaterial or abstract concept. An example of a symbol is the American flag (a material object) that stands for a united group of people — a country (an abstract concept).
Analogy is ther term for a description derived from a process of reasoning from parallel or similar cases explaining what unlinke things share in common. An example of an analogy is to describe a hand that "feels as smooth as silk."
Metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is compared to another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them. An example of a metaphor is "all the world's a stage." In visual terms, one image is used to suggest another, often in collaboration with words or other images. An example is Yusaku Kamekura's magnificent Hiroshima Appeals poster (1983), depicting falling butterflies on fire to express the horrors of war.
A pun is the humorous use of a word or image to suggest alternative meanings, a play on words with more than one meaning. A visual example is an image of Donald Trump with the phrase "If he is elected, there will be hell toupee."
