Form and Composition
About the Project
This project was an exploration of how meaning can be conveyed by manipulating the scale and placement of solid black squares in space. We were encouraged to test the limits of various Gestalt principles in our compositions.
We were to create five final compositions, one that conveys each of the following five words: order, tension, congestion, playfulness, and comfort.
Process
I began by brainstorming a short list of keywords that describe what each word means to me. Then I made thumbnail sketches to reflect the different keywords, or aspects of the word.
After reflecting on the initial feedback that I received on the sketches, I took some time to refine them, then continued to iterate on the strongest ideas. This time, I transferred them digitally onto Adobe Illustrator.
For the word “order,” I wanted to convey the idea of standing in an orderly line. I did this by using straight lines and even spacing, as well as the principle of continuity. I also played around with the negative space to manipulate the feeling of order.
I personally had the most fun exploring the word “tension.” I really enjoyed the idea of creating “surface tension” with the black squares, so I tried to iterate on this idea further, playing with scale to emphasize the feeling of tension. However, after receiving feedback that the “dip” where the corner touches the edge of the large square makes the composition feel less tense, I scrapped this part of the idea and experimented with different angles and shapes that could be formed at the junction where the small square on the top corner interacts with the bottom “surface level.”
For congestion, I tried different interpretations of the word, such as being trapped in a cramped room, or the “tight” feeling of something stuck within a small space. In the end, I expanded on the concept of a small object being suffocated in a cramped space. I found it interesting how my composition for “tension” and “congestion” were very similar, but expressed different meanings through small tweaks in scale and angling.
Playfulness was initially difficult for me to express because of the rigidness of the black square. However, I kept playing around with different concepts, adjusting the scale and placement of the squares to convey the spontaneity and fun that comes with “playfulness.” I received feedback that the fourth iteration looked the most fun, like a crazy haired wig on a person’s head. I was going more for a “jack-in-the-box” concept, as if something was jumping out from a box, so for my final composition, I worked on making this idea more evident.
To me, I feel the most “comfort” when I feel like I fit in and belong. I tried to convey this idea of “fitting in” by playing with the scale and angle of the squares. I felt that by having a small square fit perfectly into a larger space, the feeling of comfort and belongingness could be best expressed.
Final Thoughts
Through the process of making these compositions, I was able to put the gestalt principles in action. Something interesting that I realized is that small changes, such as the angle or scale of a square, could have a huge impact on the word that is being conveyed. Especially with my “congestion” and “tension” compositions, it was interesting how one of my iterations could have applied to both words because of the way it was composed. I also realized that in communication design, it is more important to successfully convey the meaning of a word, rather than creating a really interesting composition that conveyed a loose interpretation of the word.
