OUGD404 - Study Task 4 - Figure / Ground

Lecture Notes
12 / 11 / 15

Figure and Ground - The eye differentiates an object from its surrounding area. A form, silhouette, or shape is naturally perceived as figure (object), while the surrounding area is perceived as ground (background). 
Balancing figure and ground can make the perceived image clearer.
Figure - part of the composition we view is called 'figure', this is main focus with the surrounding white space being 'ground'. It is usually the smaller of the elements in the visual field. 

Ground - Everything that is not figure is ground. As attention shifts from figure to figure the ground also shifts so that an object can go from figure to ground and back. Ground is sometimes thought of as background but this is not always true. In a flat composition there is nothing behind the figure (if there was there would be the illusion of depth). The shapes are side by side.

White space does not have to be white - helps define where the viewers emphasis should be.

Active White Space - The space that you make a conscious effort to add to your design for emphasis and structure. Active white space is often asymmetrical, which makes the design look more dynamic and active.

Passive White Space - The white space that occurs naturally, such as the area between words on a line or the space surrounding a logo or graphic element.
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In the Home Issue of Creative Review we found a double page spread displaying some interesting use of figure and ground. The 'figure' elements in the article are mainly the paragraphs of text, heading text and photograph. The photograph to the right receives the most attention initially as the colours are what initially catches the viewers eye in comparison to the grayscale text.

The 'ground' is the white space present between and around the 'figure' elements. The white space on the second page is mainly passive, preventing the text and images from looking cramped. Whilst, the white space on the first page is more active. It has been used to create a contrast to the second page; the text on the first page is spread out with large chunks of white space, whereas the second page is laid out in a tighter, busier fashion. This consideration of space is reflected throughout the entire magazine. Creative Review is a renown publication for covering art and design worldwide. Their magazine must reflect these design areas and therefore show a consideration of layout design.