Legibility and Tone of voice

To effectively communicate an idea visually the work needs to be legible. Legibility is mainly affected by several key factors. These include; size, arrangement/alignment, typeface, style/media, colour and context.

A large motorway billboard with large text. A bus stop advert with more smaller text .

When composing a piece of work it is vital that the end size of the product is taken into account. Say you were creating a large billboard for an advert; you will need to consider the amount and size of the text. It will need to be large enough to be read at a glance and possibly at speed (if the billboard is situated next to a motorway). Yet if you were to create the same work for an advert inside a bus shelter the viewer will have more time to read the details. More text can be used and the size could be smaller.

Be careful about using large bodies of text. Not only can it be discouraging to read the viewer can easily get lost reading it. By grouping the text into paragraphs and limiting the word count to 10-15 per line it becomes more legible.

Decorative typeface. Whilst it can work well when spaced accordingly and as a header, when used for bodies of text it can cause confusion and become illegible.

The style of a piece of work and font used can not only cause confusion if used in the wrong context but also affect the legibility of the work. The sample below would work great for advertising a traditional arts and craft fair, but will be contradictory if used in advertising for a computer fair. Due to the complexity of the font, it is more legible when seen big, so for it to be most legible it would be read easier when used as a title/header.

Yellow and black used effectively as a danger sign.

Colour can also play an important role in the legibility of a piece of work. When dealing with text it is important to understand the idea of recessive and advancing colour combinations. The colour yellow is recessive. When yellow text is placed on a white background it fades and becomes illegible, but when combined with black it stands out. This colour combination is used a lot with important signs that need to be read to avoid danger.

Colour can also make maps easier to read. A black and white detailed map can be confusing and easy to get lost in. With some simple colour coding the map will be easier to read and understand.

The tone of voice used in a piece of work can make it more effective at reaching a target audience and create an effective piece visual communication.

The use of opposing fonts and words.

The strength (or stroke) of text works better if it supports the message it is trying to say. The use of a bold , large font to convey a sensitive word, and vice versa, contradicts the messages intent. The same can be said about the typeface used. A softer, delicate , feminine, italic typeface is more effectively communicative to an audience that follow artistry, whilst a bold, masculine and brash typeface would associate more closely to graphic novel fans.

The context of the work and audience directs the tone of voice used. The use of large graffiti style fonts are used to reach a hip-hop culture, they will not have the same desired effect towards explaining the legislation of leaving land to fallow to farmers.

The colour scheme can also affect the piece of work. Colours have long been associated with emotions and themes. Red is a colour associated with love, passion, bloodlust and fire. It would not communicate the notion of purity and calmness.

A poster promoting the Misfits using ‘Halloween’ colour scheme.

The traditional colour scheme for Halloween is orange, vivid green and black. Combined with scratchy, dripping fonts and disturbing words an effective tone of voice is used to portray Halloween. Whilst anything horrifying is not limited to these colours, you will find that these colours with amplify the message towards a Halloween. If these colours were to be used to support the message of meditation, there will be a feeling of discord and dispute.

All fonts, symbols, colours, images, layouts and overall size of ideas should reflect the research into the target audience and its use. When explored effectively the message will be communicated and understood without confusion.

Links and resources:

http://www.myadbase.com/cgi-bin/guide.cgi?page=billboard_advertising_costs_sizes_options

http://www.outdooradvertisingltd.co.uk/pages/bus-stop-advertising.php

http://www.layoutshq.com/preview/528605/wow%20confusing.html

http://bsdstudio.com/blog/category/typography/

http://www.123rf.com/photo_3647954_a-skull-and-crossbones-danger-sign.html

http://store.cinderblock.com/shop-cinder-block-halloween-store-misfits-skulls-skeletons-ghosts-t-shirts-costumes

Research and Inspiration

Why is research important? Through research we gain a deeper understanding of the subject, other artists, make sure we don’t redo the same thing, the work has more depth to it, we don’t settle for the first idea, and for our own self-development and gratification.

We are doing a project on Birmingham’s architecture, it is very easy just to take a photo of a building and be done with it. Just how many people have taken the same photo of that building? With research we have found more interesting ways to approach it- by looking at buildings histories, their uses, their functions. With the research and development we can produce our own unique and original take on the subject. The images we therefore produce will be more interesting, more gratifying and have more depth.

 

Berlin House Birmingham before demolition, Cannon House now standing where Berlin House once stood, the market place Birmingham before demolition.

Research can also either confirm assumptions or can turn them upside down. My first impressions on the blitz and its subsequent damage upon the buildings in Birmingham were totally inaccurate. As it happens, very few building was damaged due to it. The only building in the city centre to be significantly damaged was the market square. The other lost building in the city centre were demolished due to being beyond repair or cleared as part of redevelopment schemes designed to improve the area economically.

After some exploring of Birmingham, I began noticing the reflections. By researching into reflective surfaces I can break it down into its aspects and traits that I can further develop in my work. The mimicry of old building in the new, the nature of particular surfaces, and the distortions on the surface of water.

Escher ‘Hand reflecting globe’ 1935, ‘Balcony’ 1945.

 Escher was constantly researching and developing. If you look at his work ‘Hand reflecting globe, 1935’ you can see how he used the same principles of the reflective surface in a later work ‘Balcony, 1945’.  Through his regular research and development in his earlier works; the regular division of a plane, irregular filling of a plane, spatial rings and surfaces, mirror images, sphere reflections, inversions and relativities he was then able to create pieces of work that are both mesmerising and hypnotic, full of depth and portrays the fact that he knew his subject material thoroughly.

Through constant enquiry, looking and collecting we deepen and broaden our visual language. All of these sketches, doodles, paper, materials, photos, ideas, textures and descriptions can prove useful later on.

Sudley Castle gatehouse, etching of gatehouse, Neolithic tomb. 

Several years ago I took a trip to Sudley Castle; in the area was a Neolithic tomb, a gate house and plenty of fields. I collected several images that day, but did nothing with them until several years later, when I used the gatehouse image to explore etching techniques.  The image of the tomb may just look like a wall of stone, but I still treasure it, for me I can look at this image and remember the long walk through muddy fields, the misty atmosphere and the sharing of lunch with some birds whilst sitting atop it. What’s to say I do not use this image in a few years’ time, perhaps researching in more depth the feelings and patterns I found that day.

By collecting these visual inspirations we are opening our mind to different possibilities. That card you kept for sentimental value or the postcard you have kept just because you like it may have properties that you can use later on. Many years ago a friend of mine was excited about a glass covered in soft glue spikes; it was only recently I used the same principle to create a 3-d hedgehog with my daughter for a school project. 

Sunlight reflecting on building, reflective window, distorting water reflection.

For the project on building I have found myself looking at reflections. All those years spent collecting reflective things are helping me to develop my work. I can delve into the nature of the reflective surfaces and textures, looking at the refractive properties and the distortions created.

The collection and research of items and topics is a vital process in the development of ideas. With these we are able to progress and advance our work. Who know maybe my excessive collection and expertise of beads will come into play in the future.

Links and resources;

http://www.postcardworld.co.uk/cards/subject/novelty/htl.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Birmingham_Market_Hall.PNG

http://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-b/birmingham-the-city-centre/

http://liberallifestyles.com/?p=1621

http://www.andrewlipson.com/escher/balcony.html