Impossible Objects
Optical illusions are an interesting cognitive stumble that can be explained through gestalt theory – but a simple shorthand is to say that what we are seeing doesn’t match up with what we expect to see, and the illusion is…
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Rethinking the Colour Wheel
When we’re taught the colour wheel in art class, we learn the 3-primary colour wheel. Red, yellow, and blue are the primary colours, orange, green, and violet are the secondary colours. This is where we get complementary (opposite) colours as…
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Do Not Use Comic Sans
One of my friends recently noted that when visual artists incorporate text into their work, choosing the wrong font cheapens the overall impression. The first was a video work of majestic nature projected on an entire wall, and I was…
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Gestalt in Design
Most designers know about gestalt theory as it applies to art and design. Even if you’ve never heard of the term before, the principles of this cognitive theory explain how we perceive 2-dimensional compositions, and we use them every day…
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From Whence the Ped? The Iconography of Otl Aicher
There are some examples of graphic design so universal that it’s hard to imagine anyone ever had to invent them. Who designed the first checkmark indicating approval? Lost to history. Who designed the red circle with a red line through…
