OUGD404 - Studio Brief 01 - Content

Content

To ensure my small publication flows well and makes sense I am going to plan out the contents of it all now and gather the information first so I can provide the visual aesthetic afterwards. 

I aim to provide about 3 full double page spreads into the principles focusing on:

- An intro into the principles
- 'The space in-between' (considering negative space)  
- Different types of relationships within figure/ground
- Current examples within the industry

To gather my information I will use the presentation given to us in lecture about the principle with support from various online articles inducting students into the principle. E.g: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/05/design-principles-space-figure-ground-relationship/ 
& 
http://daphne.palomar.edu/design/fandg.html

Introduction

Graphic Design isn't just arranging shapes on a canvas, the negative space around it is just as important as the positive elements present. 

To work more effectively with space, you must first become aware of it — learn to see the shapes that space forms and how space communicates.

Every design has figure or ground, and the relationship between them is mutually exclusive. Neither can be perceived except in relation to the other, and changing one is 

impossible without changing the other as well.

Figure and ground can enhance or detract from each other. It sets a context for how your design communicates and how it will be interpreted.

White space

"White space is to be regarded as an active element, not a passive background.” — Jan Tschichold

Consider these three panels. At the top, we see a series of black lines with an equal amount of space between them. Together, the black lines and blank space form a gray field, each contributing equally to the result. Removing the space (in the second panel) turns it into a solid black shape. It is now a single element.

In the last one, black lines have been 

removed. This activates the space, 

making it appear to be sitting on top of the gray field. The ground has become the figure and adds more depth to the design.

Different types of relationships

Stable - It’s clear what’s figure and what’s ground. One or the other usually dominates the composition.

Reversible - Both figure and ground attract the viewer’s attention equally. This creates tension, whereby either can overtake the other, leading to a dynamic design.

Ambiguous - Elements can appear to be both figure and ground simultaneously. They form equally interesting shapes, and the viewer is left to find their own entry point into the composition.