Finding smiles and Gestalt in everyday items.

So, where the heck have I been? I'm sorry it's been so long since my last blog post, but as of August I'm now a grad student getting my Masters Degree in interactive design. I also teach two classes at The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and this fall I designed a brand new niche magazine for the Central New York region called Central New York Sports Magazine. Oh yeah and I have a family that never sees me anymore. Good thing they love me.

So what's new on the Gestalt front?

I keep on seeing, time and time again, TV commercials using figure/ground ambiguity as their main visuals. Why? To grab the attention of the viewer.

Figure/ground: An image (figure) is separated from its surroundings (ground). This is how contrast in a design is created. When the figure and the ground become ambiguous, it can create an interesting image.



I think that this American Express Commercial does this so well. I'm a big fan of simple design and this commercial succeeds on all levels. They don't hit you over the head with the visuals, but the use of figure/ground makes you stop in your tracks and watch the commercial to see just how many everyday objects they find that have a happy or sad face. Isn't this the goal of any advertisement? To get and keep your attention and not have you change the channel or get up for a bathroom break.

Gestalt saves the day!