Like many psychology-related areas of study, the power of the image puts fancy words, terms and explanations to a bunch of things we do subconsciously. Such as the term semiotics attributing symbolic meaning to an image such as the American flag or a stop sign. And the principal visual hierarchy, which explains why it’s important to use different typefaces and sizes to order information for readers. And closure, which helps us draw conclusions without a complete image or all of the information.
A lot of this reading seemed like common sense. But we have to be aware of these “duh” principals to use them strategically to our advantage – as we design, layout and share images in our communications work. It was fascinating to see real-world examples of these principals. I was really wowed by putting human nature to the test and loved how the blog gave us the opportunity to use our own perceptions about the shared images to prove the theories and principals. The YouTube video with Bobby McFerrin shows how our brains fill in the missing pieces and perform. Such examples presented a really engaging way to learn about the principals and understand why as communications students we should understand the natural perceptions and assumptions the brains of our viewers will make.
Imagery is a universal language. The potential for connection, understanding, and emotion is incredible. As amateurs with still so much to learn in the realm of design, we have to remember to think beyond pretty colors or shapes that feel right to us. There is a science behind it and this was a great introduction to how we can use the behavioral and psychological studies to help us become better designers and communicators.