8/14/2019 Newviews2 Display
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Less Reality: More MeaningQuantifying imagery for the visual communicator.
StuartMedley, EdithCowan University
Typography as a dening term has become
interchangeable with graphic design, thanks
largely to the International Typographic Style
o the Swiss. While ont choice and application
are seen as o paramount importance, image
choicevirtually hal o the communication
design equationis neglected in the theory and
in practice is let to the instinct o the designer.
A silhouette or
graphic impactt
the major unc
detection.
A grey-scale image isonly slightly
removedrom realismbutimmediately
suggests relationships betweenthe ele-
ments thata colour photograph
does not.
The colour photographisour closest
analogue tovisible reality.Photographs
are very goodatshowingus specifc
people andthings,butthey are pressed
intoservice by designers or other tasks
towhichthey are lesssuited.
Photography:ArnoldNewman
Swiss modernism as the benchmark o
20th century graphic design theory has an
ill-inormed reliance on realism through
photography: the inormational richness
and depth o the photographic image is at
odds with the imperative or the generic, the
symbolic (Lupton and Miller, 1999, p.133)
In 2000, 77% o awarded Australian graphic
designs contained photographic imagery
compared to 32% with illustrated imagery,
and 9% whose content was type only.
This refects a long trend that may just be
changing. In 2008, 53% contained photo-
graphic imagery compared to 30% with
illustrated imagery and 16% type only.
The Swisstypographersprescribed photo-
graphy as the way topresentimages in
graphic design.
Design:JosephMller-Brockmann
The problemospecifcity has
beenknownsince photographys
inception.Photography works
bestwhenshowing usa real
person,place or thing.
Photography:ArnoldNewman
Psychology, art history and education are all ahead o graphic design with regard to quantiying t
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