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Are there rules for design?

Early last century, psycholo-

gists in Austria and Germanydeveloped a school of psy-

chology called Gestalt, which

attempts to explain human

behavior in terms of pat-

tern seeking. Gestalt theory

explains how the eye orga-

nizes visual experiences and

how the brain interprets them.

Gestalt is not design, but

knowing the visual principles

of Gestalt will give you a valu-able design toolbox.

By Bob Dahlquist with the

Before & After staff

Oursenseofbalanceaffectseverythingwe see

equilib-

Continued

Before&After

Gestalt theory: Equilibrium 0676

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Continued


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2of7Gestalt theory: Equilibrium

2of7

Find equilibrium in nature

Consciously or not, our sense o balance deeply inuences our visual judgments. TheGestalt principle oequilibriumaddresses the stability we seek in everything we see.

In nature, an object tends towards a

stable, resting state, as seen in a water

droplet: Splashed water beads up

draws inwardand comes to rest in a

circle. This is a stable state.

Equilibrium is everywhere! (Below) Notice how our eye is pulled to the center.

Our eye is most comfortable at the center, the point of greatest equilibrium.

Plant seed Lime wedge Pumpkin

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CBS

by William Golden

Woolmark

by Francesco Saroglia

Ralston Purina

by William Danorth

Look at me! (Below) Equilibrium gives these logos rest, stability and permanence.

Each one commands your extreme attention, because your eye is drawn towards the center.

Mimicking nature, we create equi-

librium when we draw a plain dot.

Like the droplet, a dot is a shape at

rest, under no tension. This shape

displays equilibrium.

Create equilibrium in objects

A water droplet, in its simplest orm, is a dot that pulls your eye to the center.This similar concept has been applied to amous logos and trademarks.

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Equilibrium in placement

Our eye is naturally drawn to the center o a feld. An object placed elsewheredraws our eye away and toward the object and edge, which creates tension.

The dot far off center

results in tension from

three elements tugging

at your eyethe center,

the dot and the edge.

Tension Ambiguity Equilibrium

Neither centered nor

clearly off center, our

eye struggles with this

ambiguity.

Equilibrium at work. Our

eye recognizes that the

dot is in the center. Ten-

sion ceases. The composi-

tion comes to rest.

(Often-overlooked fact:

The paper is not a passive

carrier but an active part

of any composition.)

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Create equilibrium in your layout

Every element has shape, direction and value. Create equilibrium by arrangingelements and adjusting values so the primary visual weight is in the center. For

interest, you can then create tension within the equilibrium.

Equilibrium

The centered layout is balanced,

stable, in repose.

Equilibrium with tension

The visual weight is in the center.

The center itself is asymmetrical

and active.

Tension

Elements gathered all the way to the

left yield an unbalanced, active page.

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Beore & Ater magazine

Before & After has been sharing its practical approach

to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world

has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before &

After is dedicated to making graphic design understand-

able, useful and even fun for everyone.

John McWade Publisher and creative director

Gaye McWade Associate publisher

Dexter Mark Abellera Staff designer

Beore & Ater magazine

323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678

Telephone 916-784-3880

Fax 916-784-3995

E-mail [email protected]

www http://www.bamagazine.com

Copyright 2008 Beore & Ater magazine

ISSN 1049-0035. All rights reservedYou may pass along a free copy of this article to others

by clicking here.You may not alter this article, and you

may not charge for it. You may quote brief sections

for review; please credit Before & After magazine, and

let us know. To link Before & After magazine to your

Web site, use this URL: http://www.bamagazine.com.

For all other permissions, please contact us.

Subscribe to Beore & Ater

Subscribe to Beore & Ater, and become a

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E-mail this articleTo pass along a ree copy o this article to

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Gestalttheory:Equ

ilibrium

0676

0676Gestalttheory:Equilibrium

Arethererulesfordesign?

Earlylastcentury,p

sycholo-

gistsinAustriaand

Germany

developedaschoolofpsy-

chologycalledGest

alt,which

attemptstoexplain

human

behaviorintermso

fpat-

ternseeking.Gestalttheory

explainshowtheeyeorga-

nizesvisualexperie

ncesand

howthebraininterpretsthem.

Gestaltisnotdesign,but

knowingthevisual

principles

ofGestaltwillgiveyouavalu-

abledesigntoolbox

.

ByBobDahlquistwiththe

Before&Aftersta

ff

Oursen

seofbalanceaffectsev

erythingwe

see

eq

ui

lib

-

Findequilibriuminnature

Consciouslyornot,oursenseofbalancedeeplyinfluencesourvisualjudgments.The

Gestaltprincipleofequilibriumaddresses

thestabilityweseekineverythingwesee.

Innature,anobjecttendstowardsa

stable,restingstate,asseeninawat

er

droplet:Splashedwaterbeadsup

drawsinwardandcomestorestina

circle.T

hisisastablestate.

Equilibr

iumiseverywhere!(Below)Noticehowoureyeispulledtothecenter.

Oureyeismostcomfortableatthecenter,

thepointofgreatestequilibrium.

Pla

ntseed

Limewedge

Pumpkin
http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/http://www.bamagazine.com/


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amagazine.com

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Gestalttheory:Equilibrium

0676


CBS

byWilliamGolden

Woolmark

byF

rancescoSaroglia

RalstonPurina

byWilliamDanforth

Lookatme!(Below)Equilibriumgivestheselogosrest,stabilityandpermanence.

Eachonecommandsyourextremeattention,becauseyoureyeisdrawntow

ardsthecenter.

Mimick

ingnature,wecreateequi-

librium

whenwedrawaplaindot.

Likethedroplet,adotisashapeat

rest,un

dernotension.Thisshape

display

sequilibrium.

Createequilibriuminobjects

Awaterdroplet,in

itssimplestform,isadotthatpullsyoureyetothecenter.

Thissimilarconcepthasbeenappliedtofa

mouslogosandtradem

arks.

Equilibriuminpla

cement

Oureyeisnaturallydrawntothecenterof

afield.Anobjectplaced

elsewhere

drawsoureyeawayandtowardtheobject

andedge,whichcreates

tension.

Thedotfaroffcenter

resultsintensionfrom

threeelementstugging

atyoureyethecenter,

thedotandtheedge.

Tension

Ambiguity

Equilibrium

Neith

ercenterednor

clear

lyoffcenter,our

eyestruggleswiththis

ambiguity.

Equilibriumatwork

.Our

eyerecognizesthatthe

dotisinthecenter.

Ten-

sionceases.Theco

mposi-

tioncomestorest.

(Often-overlookedfact:

Thepaperisnotap

assive

carrierbutanactivepart

ofanycomposition.)


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amagazine.com

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0676


Createequilibrium

inyourlayout

Everyelementhas

shape,directionandvalue.Createequilibriumbyarranging

elementsandadjustingvaluessotheprimaryvisualweightisinth

ecenter.For

interest,youcanth

encreatetensionwithintheequilibrium.

Equilibrium

Thecenteredlayoutisbalanced,

stable,inrepose.

Equilibriumwithtensio

n

Thevisualweightisinthe

center.

Thecenteritselfisasymmetrical

andactive.

Tension

Elementsgatheredallthewaytoth

e

le

ftyieldanunbalanced,activepage.

2

008

A

NNUAL

R

EPORT

Specializing

inInternationalTrade,Business

C

onsultationand

InformationTechnologyServices

GLOBALNETWORK

SOLUTIONS

2008ANNUALREPORT

Specializing

inInternational

Trade,BusinessConsultationand


GLOBALNETW

ORK

SOLUTIONS

Specializing


Consultationand

Info

rmationTechnologyServices

GLOBA

LNETWORK

SOLUTIONS

2008ANNUALREPORT

Articleresources

6 49

710

811

Colors

C58M30Y100K5

C0M0Y0K100

12

13

12

13

Ty

pefaces

1F

uturaBold|14pt

2Trajan|35/38pt

3F

uturaLight|14/18.5pt

Im

ages

Im

ages:iStockphoto.com

4(599110)

5(

6656607)

6(110668)

7(395496)

8(

301688)

9(CBS.com)

10

(Wool.com)

11

(Purina.com)

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Before&Aftermag

azine

Before&Afterhasbeensharingitspracticalapproach

tographicdesignsinc

e1990.Becauseourmodernworld

hasmadedesignerso

fusall(readyornot),Before&

Afterisdedicatedtom

akinggraphicdesignunderstand

-

able,usefulandeven

funforeveryone.

JohnMcWadePublisherandcreativedirector

GayeMcWadeAssociatepublisher

DexterMarkAbelle

raStaffdesigner

Before&Aftermag

azine

323LincolnStreet,Ro

seville,CA95678

Telephone916-784-3

880

Fax916-784-3995

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wwwhttp://www.bamagazine.com

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