Exaggeration; Simplicity Economy, Brightness, Ascent, Sequentially,
Clarity
Humor, Color, Reflection
The Magus John Fowles
Exaggeration; Complexity, Intricacy, Movement, Repetition, Activeness,
Spontaneity
I
tried to find two images which portray the two opposite ends of polar- pair visual
techniques and use the quite different combinations to achieve purpose behind the
design.
Let’s
compare and contrast two images and see what techniques make them work.
First picture is Shiny smooth legs -
the ad for Panasonic and second one is
Russian version of the audiobook cover The
Magus by writer John Fowles. Both of them
utilizes exaggeration as the one of the dominant way to communicate the idea behind
the design, but the rest of the techniques that help the designers to achieve
that are quite the opposite. The Panasonic ad is fairly balanced and easy to navigate. Designer uses girlish pink color as the main color to make it appealing to female audience and few other colors (colors
of depilatory device and dog). Image is light and flirty. The Magus design on the
other hands is complex full of intricate details it utilize movement unlike Panasonic
Ad. The Magus designer wants to catch the viewers by giving
up the visual hint that book will contain some mystery and main techniques by which is become
possible are dramatic tone on top, that contrasting
with a little bit of soft colors of the woman and flowers on the left low corner and splashes of yellow in windows. The Magus doesn't have any specific accent, designer just wants your eyes
scan the image and guess what all this images has to do with each other.
Shiny smooth legs' designer
wants you to pay attention to specific part of the ad the reflection of the dog
on the right leg. Patterns on The Magus are repetitive and
Panasonic ad doesn't have any. The Panasonic ad has sequence viewer sees; shinny legs >dog> and what is causing it >depilatory devise; The Magus doesn't have any special sequence it goes around both, though, have some element of unpredictably. In case of Shiny smooth legs' it is reflection of the dog.
What
makes the main impact in both designs is exaggeration which helps to
communicate the metaphor. In case of Panasonic ad it is legs that are so smooth
and shiny that even dog can see it face. In case of The Magus it
is blindfolded man who has some kind of illusion going on in his head and he is
clueless what is next.