To download the final word version of this, go to this site:
http://www.et.byu.edu/~cneves2/Designbook/Emphasis.doc

Contrast: The most important point with contrast is, "DON'T BE A WIMP." To make contrast work it must be strong and look deliberate. Also, if items can not be made to be the same then make them drastically different. If you have contrast and it is small or looks incidental then the design just look sloppy and second class. A good example is contrasting fonts, you can't contrast 10 point font and 12 point font. They are too similar. The purpose of contrasting items it to make pages more interesting. Incidentally, it also goes a long way to organizing your work. In order to get contrast simply adjust typefaces, sizes, colors, lines, spaces, etc. Don't forget to do it strongly if you are going to do it at all.

Chapter 3 focused on Perception. The author explained that we perceive things visually and intellectually. Intellectual perception is influenced by our life experiences, the culture we live in and also the context in which we view the design. Visual perception is based more on connotations that specific objects, shapes or colors bring to our mind. For instance if we were to view text that used red and black colors and a very sharp, jagged font, our mind would draw conclusions of harsh and uncomfortable feelings even before we read the text. The opposite would exist with the use of more mild colors and softer flowing font.

__Contrast vs. Emphasis__What is the difference between contrast and emphasis? This is important because even through they work together very closely they have distinct differences. Lisa Graham (basics of design layout and topography for beginners 2nd edition) says that emphasis and contrast are like gum welded onto a shoe. Where on goes the other must follow. The difference between emphasis and contrast is that emphasis requires intellectual analysis. In this analysis it needs to be determined what the most important information is and then proceeding to visually stress that important information. Contrast focuses primarily on the visual differences between elements on a page. Contrast in not as structured as emphasis there does not need to be a logical manner to things.

Why use emphasis?
The main reason in using emphasis is to help you communicate the message that needs to be communicated. Emphasis helps readers determine the important information on your display and allows them to interpret your message faster. This process of arranging the visual elements on a page according to their order of importance and emphasis is called Visual Hierarchy. Visual Hierarchy is used to guide readers attention to the main points on your page. The most important point on your page is called the focal point. Other important points on a page are called accents.

Emphasis Techniques:

More on Contrast: Contrast occurs when two or more elements look dramatically different from one another.
According to Lisa Graham (2005, basics of design layout and topography for beginners 2nd edition) here are some ways to achieve contrast:

• Small elements with large elements
• All caps letters next to lowercase letters; elaborate decorative type next to plain sans type
• Thick and thin lines
• Warm colors with cool colors
• Black type and light gray type

This image is a perfect example of emphasis. The method that was used for emphasis in this example was lines. Notice how all of the lines draw the eye in to the middle where the logo is. Using lines that all meet in the middle is a simple way of emphasizing whatever is in the middle of the image.

Rachel
Emphasis, exaggeration, and contrast
Emphasis, exaggeration, and contrast are all used to catch the viewer’s attention. With emphasis, a visual hierarchy is employed to guide the viewer in looking at items first with the most importance, and then moving to items having less urgency to be noticed. Exageration uses overtstatement and distortion to draw the viewer’s attention to a certain element in the design. With contrast, two different styles, colors, objects, etc. are juxtaposed and visual opposition catches the viewer’s attention.

 Create your own educational wiki!HelpPublic, not yet premium Privacy Policy RSS