OUGD404: Study Task 04 - How Do You Read? Figure & Ground

Figure & Ground 

The eye differentiates an object from it's surrounding area. Balancing figure and ground can make the perceived image more clear.

The part we pay attention to is the figure which is a positive shape. In a simple composition there may only be one figure and in a complex composition there will be several things to notice. As we look from one to another they each become figure in turn. Recognisable objects (subject matter) are easy to see as figure. Ground is everything that is not figure. An attention shifts from figure to figure the ground also shifts so that an object can go from figure to ground and back.

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White Space

White space refers to the canvas and page space left between different elements of your design. you may have also heard it referred to as negative space. White space is seen as a luxury or lifestyle. White space is not always white, any colour can be used as white space as long as it appeals to the same principles as white space.

Active white space - you make a conscious effort to add, it is asymmetrical, more dynamic and active.
Passive white space - this is the white space which is more natural, for example the area between words on a lane or space which surrounds a logo or graphic element.

 GLAMOUR Magazine:

 In advertisements a lot of whitespace is used. It is seen as a luxury. It is effective when the ground of the image is quite plain in advertisements so that it can focus on the product. It is also effective to have the brand name so prominent so that the consumer is aware that it is an advertisement instead of just a photograph.

It is also effective to have a contrast between negative space as exemplified by the image above. The text has a white ground to make the text more prominent and the image has a darker ground around the figure to make the person stand out. This appeals to younger people such as teens and young adults because the image is impactful and the text is easy to read. There is a clean divide between the two so that you can flick through it or read in-depth into it. The text is an example of passive white space.

NEST Magazine:

 There is a lot of white space used for this. This is effective when displaying art work because then it can focus on the actual piece to make it look clean and professional. Again, white space is seen as a luxury so it makes the piece look more prestigious. It is effective and the art work looks really impactful and bold. This is an example of active white space.