Colour SchemesGestalt

Gestalt

Colour SchemesGestaltGestalt is the German word for "form”

The essential point of gestalt is that in perception the whole is different

from the sum of its parts.The sum of the parts

The ‘whole’

Form The whole is

more thanthe sum of its parts

Colour SchemesGestalt

These mind puzzles, firstly you may see a vase or see 2 heads facing each other

Gestalt engages us with the picture.

Colour SchemesGestalt

Gestalt is often used in logo design because it engages the viewer

By Phil von (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ALogo_v.m.jpg

Woman Power logo from a women’s movement of the 1970’s (Germany) - source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Womanpower_logo.svg

By Rob Janoff [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Apple_Computer_Logo_rainbow.svg

By Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/t/press_room_image_files) [Public domain], via Wikimedia. Source: Commonshttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ALogo_Youtube.svg

Colour SchemesGestalt

Use gestalt to:

•liven up your work•challenge the viewer•to get the view to look more closely at the work

Colour SchemesGestaltGestalt theory can be broken down into different theories or laws, such as:

•Law of Prägnanz•Proximity•Similarity•Closure•Figure and ground•Good continuation•Open form

This presentation looks at the laws. However, the best way to understand them is to pick your own examples which simply give the impression the whole is more than the sum of the parts

Colour SchemesGestalt”Law of Praganz"

A figure will be appear “complete” or “good” (e.g.

symmetrical, simple, and regular).

Here the figure looks as if it is a square with an overlapping

circle, not a flat surface of lines.

This is called Law of Prägnanz.

Colour SchemesGestaltThe brain perceives well-organized patterns

rather than separate component parts

Just 24 black circles arranged on a page?

Or also 3 lines and a square?

Even though there are 24 black circles, the brain perceives lines and

a square.

This is the law of Proximity because elements close together will appear

as a coherent object.

Colour SchemesGestaltEven though there are 24 black circles, the brain perceives lines and a square also

as 3 lines as a square

Colour SchemesGestaltLaw of Similarity

Elements that look similar will be perceived as part

of the same form.

Colour SchemesGestalt

as 2 parts

Colour SchemesGestaltLaw of Closure

There are 4 parts arranged on the page, such that another shape

appears, a white square.

Patterns take precedence over the parts. In the example the whole

consists of a square and the 4 parts, so the whole is more. 'The whole is

more than the sum of its parts.

Colour SchemesGestaltLaw of Closure

The form that appears on the left becomes a “C”

when placed next to other letters.

This is because subconsciously we close

the gaps to form the letter “C”.

BACHC

Colour SchemesGestaltFigure & Ground

The brain can ‘see’ a foreground and

background, instead of a flat surface.

Similar parts may appear as the foreground on top of a

background to give the impression of two “whole”

parts, instead of a single flat surface.

The well-known artist Escher often created works in which figure and ground

interchanged.

Foreground

Background

Colour SchemesGestalt

The shape can appear as a white square on a circle, or as a circle with a square hole.

??

+or

Figure & Ground

Colour SchemesGestaltLaw of Good Continuation

The eye tends to continue contours if there is an

implied direction.

The eye “fills” in the remaining pattern.

In graphic design, gestalt theory allows us to change how viewers respond to a

design ....

Colour SchemesGestaltCreating an Open Form

The image on the left is formal, static and

uninteresting.

The image on the right has been cropped. Parts

of the image have disappeared from view, so

the viewer has to complete the picture.

Entry points now exist and the viewer has become

actively involved.Entry

points to the picture.

Colour SchemesGestaltCreating an Open Form

The static image on the left does possess

entry points for the viewer.

The image on the left has many entry points

to actively involve the viewer

Designs and compositions which actively involve the

viewer always do better that those

which do not

Colour SchemesGestaltExample: applying gestalt to change poster design

The picture on the right has become more abstract and challenging

This the original, quirky and light-hearted design

The end result has a “chewed” appearance - the viewer has to engage with it more

Colour SchemesGestaltColours can affect one another

A colour can appear differently if it is close to another contrasting colour.

Which colour square below matches the colour of the text?

M O T I V A T I O N

Here the black makes the lettering appear white, where as in fact the white is an off-white or grey colour.

1 2