Gestalt Principles within Logo Design

Gestalt is a German word meaning ‘shape’ or ‘form’, and is also the name for a form of visual psychology. Gestalt psychology tries to understand the laws of our ability to acquire and maintain meaningful perceptions in an apparently chaotic world [1]. In order to understand this chaos, the theory has a number of laws and principles. These include: Figure and Ground, Proximity, Similarity, Continuity, Closure, Common fate, Past Experience and Good Gestalt and can be applied to everything we see. The law of good Gestalt tells us that as individuals perceive the world, they eliminate complexity and unfamiliarity so they can view the world in its simplest form. However, for the purpose of this essay I will be focusing my attention on the figure-ground principle.
One particular area where Gestalt really shows its influence is through the perception of optical illusions.  Rubin’s vase, perhaps one of the world’s most famous optical illusions depicts a white silhouette of a vase upon a black background. However, where one person may see a vase, another may only see two facial profiles looking at one another in the black negative space. In my case I see both as a whole image, neither one taking up more of my attention or interest. This illusion works this way because of the Gestalt psychology figure-ground principle as the vase and the faces are somewhat hidden in the negative space of their opposites. 

Figure 1 [2] An example of Rubin's Vase. For original image click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubin_vase#/media/File:Rubin2.jpg

This principle of figure and ground is very popular in another area of the visual world, branding and logo design. Perhaps the most famous and skilful use of this is delivered to us by FedEx. ‘What’s special about the FedEx logo isn’t the vibrant colours or the bold lettering. It’s the white arrow between the E and the x. The FedEx logo is legendary among designers. It has won over 40 design awards and was ranked as one of the eight best logos in the last 35 years in the 35th Anniversary American Icon issue of Rolling Stone magazine.’ [3] This simple white arrow could mean speed, direction, precision, all aspects that subtly represent the company as a skilled and proficient courier service. 

Figure 2 [4] FedEx company logo, 1994. For original image click here: http://twistedsifter.com/2011/08/20-clever-logos-with-hidden-symbolism/  

Another confirmation that perhaps the most important area of design is ‘in between the gaps’, comes in the form of not one but two Zoos. And is it me but does something look strangely familiar about that first logo? This logo for the Pittsburgh Zoo has a definite similarity to the Rubin’s vase that I researched earlier, if a little more animalistic. 

Figure 3 [4] Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium logo. For original image click here: http://twistedsifter.com/2011/08/20-clever-logos-with-hidden-symbolism/

 The combination of giraffe legs and sky-scrapers, in this instance, gives that extra little snippet of information about the location.

Figure 4 [4] Bronx Zoo logo. For original image click here: http://twistedsifter.com/2011/08/20-clever-logos-with-hidden-symbolism/

In conclusion then, the use of negative space and the gestalt figure-ground principle can be very useful within logo design; the supposedly ‘unseen and invisible’ providing subtle information to type and image, and improving brand identity all at once.

References

[1] Wikipedia.org, 2015.
[2] Smithson, J. 2007.
[3] May, M. FastCoDesign.com. 2012.
[4] TwistedSifter.com, 2011.

Bibliography

May, M. FastCoDesign.com. 2012. The Story Behind The Famous FedEx Logo, And Why It Works. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from:http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671067/the-story-behind-the-famous-fedex-logo-and-why-it-works

Scholarpedia.org. 2011. Gestalt Principles. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Gestalt_principles#Figure-ground_articulation

Smithson, J. Wikipedia.org. 2007. Rubin’s Vase. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubin_vase#/media/File:Rubin2.jpg

TwistedSifter.com. 2011. 20 Clever Logos with Hidden Symbolism. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://twistedsifter.com/2011/08/20-clever-logos-with-hidden-symbolism/

Wikipedia.org. 2015. Gestalt Psychology. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_psychology 

The Supermom

Women are represented in many different ways throughout the media, in film, TV, animation, advertising and publishing. One such representation would be that of a mother, or in the case of this essay, ‘The Supermom’. The supermom, the identity construction of the working mother, grew out of the 1970s as a product of both second wave feminist sensibilities about the capabilities of women (women can do it all!), and a social reality that mandated that even strong, empowered women be “good mothers”. Since the super heroine was founded on characteristics of strength and independence, her ideological connection to Mothers is empowering [1]. Although this is applied more to mothers who double as superheroes, I feel as though this is also the case for mothers of dysfunctional families. And dysfunctional families don’t come any crazier than ‘The Simpsons’. 

Figure 1 [2] Marge Simpson. For original image click here: http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Marge_Simpson

 Marge is predominantly a homemaker, but does have her wilder side. Loving and supportive, her devotion to her family may be strained at times but is never broken [3]. Despite the lack of supernatural abilities or powers, I feel as though Marge is a definite Supermom. She is a brilliant mother, housewife, sex symbol, friend, and in episodes such as ‘The Great Wife Hope’ she kicks ass too. Her ability to keep tabs on her three kids, her husband and their antics, is what I consider to be her greatest superpower. 

Another similar example of this incredible ability comes from the mother of a slightly… ruder family. 

Figure 2 [4] Lois Griffin. For original image click here: http://familyguy.wikia.com/wiki/Lois_Griffin 

Mrs Griffin is a similar example, also a Supermom, maybe just a little rougher around the edges. What with Family Guy being a more adult, grown up show, it is only natural that this mother figure be a little more vulgar in her attitudes and actions towards her dysfunctional family. Despite this, she is still caring, motherly, sexy, and is able to keep a level-head in the situations that her outlandish and eccentric family get into. 

That being said, a level-head may be more useful for my next example…

Figure 3 [5] Helen Parr, or Elastigirl as she is more commonly known. For original image click here: http://pixar.wikia.com/Helen_Parr

My last example of the Supermom trope really is a little more super than the rest. Helen Parr or Elastigirl as she is known by her alter ego, has the added difficulty of dealing with family who can turn invisible, run at the speed of sound and throw cars around like they’re balloons. For me at least, this character really is the epitome of this Supermom character type. She may not have a career as such, but her job is to raise the heroes of tomorrow, an essential job that could have dire consequences if it was done wrong.
Usually, when an Action Girl is confronted with motherhood, she usually has two choices. She could accept the baby and her "fate" to ‘stay in the Kitchen’; or she can keep her Action Girl status by losing her baby by giving it up for adoption if it gets born [6]. The fact that all three of my Action Girl turned supermoms have embraced motherhood with open arms is a testament to their fictional characters.

References

[1] D’Amore, L M. 2012.
[2] Simpsons.wikia.com, 2015.
[3] TVTropes.org, 2015.
[4] FamilyGuy.wikia.com, 2015.
[5] Pixar.wikia.com, 2015.
[6]TVTropes.org, 2015.

Bibliography

D’Amore, L M. 2012. ‘The Accidental Supermom’-Superheroines and Maternal performativity, 1963-1980. The Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 45, No. 6, Page 1226. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Family Guy Wiki. 2015. Lois Griffin. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: 

http://familyguy.wikia.com/wiki/Lois_Griffin

Pixar Wiki. 2015. Helen Parr. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://pixar.wikia.com/Helen_Parr 

The Simpsons Wiki. 2015. Marge Simpson. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Marge_Simpson

TV Tropes. 2015. Action Mom. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ActionMom 

TV Tropes. 2015. Characters: The Simpsons. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TheSimpsonsTheSimpsonFamily 

Character and Archetype

In this essay I will be looking at antagonists, or more commonly, Villains. An antagonist is, by the oxford dictionary definition, a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something[1]. This someone or something is usually the protagonist, so it is the Antagonist who usually provides the conflict for this character.[2] In some cases the protagonist and antagonist are more closely linked, and may or may not be a physical being. Often a cause of conflict within a narrative will be a manifestation of a dark or evil trait from inside the hero, like a personal demon that the hero has to face on their own.
One such example of this comes from the graphic novel series adapted into a 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs the World. 

Figure 1 [3] NegaScott character sketch for the movie, 2008. For original click here: http://scottpilgrim.wikia.com/wiki/NegaScott

Figure 2 [3] Michael Cera as NegaScott for the film adaptation, 2010. For original click here: http://scottpilgrim.wikia.com/wiki/NegaScott 

Despite having to physically defeat Ramona’s seven evil ex’s, Scott’s main battle is himself, in the form of Nega Scott. NegaScott is Scott Pilgrim's alter ego and dark side, and represents his forgotten past mistakes. NegaScott is the manifestation of all of Scott's callousness, spite, faults, and flaws, and rather than accepting them and himself, he runs from them, thus creating this physical persona [3]. After his final evil ex battle with Gideon Graves, Scott is faced with his own personal battle with an enemy that represents his inner demons. This is an enemy meant only for Scott, after all this antagonist is technically just a dark side of the main protagonist.
A similar enemy to this one comes from the 1995 film Jumanji. 

Figure 3 [4] Sam Parrish, Alan's father, as played by Jonathan Hyde in Jumanji, 1995. For original click here: http://lotacharm.angelfire.com/moviemain/jkl/galimgs/gjuman05.jpg

Figure 4 [5] Van Pelt, Alan's jungle hunter, also played by Jonathan Hyde in Jumanji, 1995. For original click here: http://jonathanhyde.net/index.php/nggallery/page/2?page_id=34 

The board game is ultimately responsible for every bad thing that happens in the story [6]. However, although the physical obstacles come from the board game it could be said that our protagonist’s main enemy is his rocky relationship with his father. Their argument before young Alan is sucked into the game has enough of an effect on their relationship that the psychotic hunter character of Van Pelt within Jumanji is also played by the same actor as Sam Parrish, Alan’s father. This link between the two characters reveals a lot about Alan’s opinion on his father and I believe that this similarity in their appearance stands for the fear and malcontent that was brought up in their spat.

Figure 5 [7] Scrap yard fight scene from Superman III, 1983. For original click here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/superman-iii/w1280/superman-iii.jpg

A similar example of this ‘personal enemy’ idea comes from a slightly older film, Superman III. In this film an adversary of Superman creates a synthetic version of kryptonite, his famous weakness. In this case, the mineral turns Superman evil and eventually splits him into two people. Bizarro and Clark Kent, the embodiment of Superman's remaining good qualities, engage in an epic battle at a deserted junkyard, where Clark emerges victorious and Bizarro fades from sight [8]. This is an enemy that only Superman can defeat, himself.
So in more than one case it would appear as though a physical antagonist is not the only threat. As in real life it would appear as though sometimes our worst enemies are the ones that only we can face. Personal demons and internal struggles are as real as the ‘wicked witch’ or the ‘evil overlord’. 

References

[1] OxfordDictionaries.com
[2] TVTropes.org
[3] ScottPilgrim.wikia.com, 2015.
[4] lotacharm.angelfire.com
[5] JonathanHyde.net
[6] TVTropes.org
[7] S3.Amazonawas.com
[8] Superman.wikia.com

Bibliography

Jonathan Hyde. 2015. Image of Van Pelt. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://jonathanhyde.net/index.php/nggallery/page/2?page_id=34

Lotacharm.angelfire.com. Image of Sam Parrish. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: 

http://lotacharm.angelfire.com/moviemain/jkl/galimgs/gjuman05.jpg

OxfordDictionaries.com. 2015. Definition of antagonist. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/antagonist

ScottPilgrim.wikia.com. 2014. Both images of NegaScott and character information. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://scottpilgrim.wikia.com/wiki/NegaScott

Superman Wiki. 2013. Superman III. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from:

http://superman.wikia.com/wiki/Superman_III

S3.amazonaws.com. 2015. Image of scrap yard fight scene from Superman III. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/superman-iii/w1280/superman-iii.jpg

TVTropes.org. 2014. Definition of Antagonist. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheAntagonist 

TVTropes.org. 2015. Film: Jumanji, used for information and dates. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Jumanji 

Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism loosely means Humanlike[1]. This usually means applying human characteristics like expressions and clothing to animals, giving animal features to human characters or combining a little bit of both. In some situations, anthropomorphism comes from one extreme to another when a human is turned into an animal for the sake of the narrative. The classic narrative of the Prince being turned into a frog or a witch casting a spell to animalize someone who has wronged her is one as old as written literature. This is literary technique most often used as a punishment as a result of the human character’s actions. 

One classic example of this transformation would be the character Nick Bottom from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

Figure 1 [2] Nick Bottom and Titania, Queen of the Faeries as Illustrated by Arthur Rackham, published 1909. For original image click here: http://www.artpassions.net/cgi-bin/rackham.pl?../galleries/rackham/msd/msd41_bottom_titania.jpg

This character thinks of himself as a bit of a Thespian and is so confident of his abilities to the point that he believes he can do anything [3]. This egotism leads Puck, a servant to the fairy king, to transform his head into a donkey’s, perhaps mirroring his ass-like behaviour. Upon his change from an animal-headed human back to his human state, he wakes from the spell to somewhat of revelation. He exclaims ‘I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was: man is but an ass [4]. His time as an anthropomorphised human has given him a change of heart and attitude, and he approaches his co-stars as equals rather than extras. 

Figure 2 [5] Emperor Kuzco's human form. 2000. For original follow this link: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Kuzco

Figure 3 [5] Emperor Kuzco's llama form. 2000. For original image follow this link: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Kuzco

 Another example of this human-to-animal anthropomorphic transformation comes from the 2000 Disney film, The Emperor’s New Groove. This film sees the titular Emperor, Kuzco, transformed into a Llama by the film’s main villain. Although this action is due to the villain’s egotistical plan, it eventually leads to a friendship forming between this vain, self-centred young ruler and one of his subjects. Because of this friendship the Emperor ultimately changes his mind and his ways to benefit his new friend and his family. It’s almost as if his transformation has an effect on his thoughts and ultimately has an adverse effect on the narrative. I’m starting to see a pattern emerging here…

Figure 5 [6] Queen Elinor in her human form. 2012. For original image follow this link: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Queen_Elinor 

Figure 6 [6] Queen Elinor in her bear form. 2012. For original image follow this link: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Queen_Elinor 

In the 2012 film Brave, our main character Merida, uses a witch’s spell to ‘change her mum’s mind’ about being married off for the sake of their clan. What she doesn’t realise is that the spell ‘changes her mind’, and the rest her into a bear. This forces the two of them to work together to reverse the spell, also allowing them to become closer and put their petty arguments aside. By the end of the film, the two characters are closer than ever and all issues that happened before the change are resolved by the new ideas and relationships that come about after the reversal of the spell.
It would appear then, that if a particular character of literary or filmic fiction needs their mind or opinions changing, then turning them into an animal, be that Donkey, Llama or Bear, may be a good idea.

References

[1] TVTropes.org, 2015.
[2] ArtPassions.net, 2015.
[3] TVTropes.org, 2015.
[4] Shakespeare.mit.edu, 2015.
[5] The Disney Wiki, 2015.
[6] The Disney Wiki, 2015.

Bibliography

Arthur Rackham Society. 2012 List of Illustrations. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: 

http://arthur-rackham-society.org/links.html

Art Passions. Illustration of Nick Bottom and Titania. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from:  

http://www.artpassions.net/cgi-bin/rackham.pl?../galleries/rackham/msd/msd41_bottom_titania.jpg

The Disney Wiki. 2015. Images of Emperor Kuzco. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from:  

http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Kuzco

The Disney Wiki. 2015. Images of Queen Elinor. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from:
http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Queen_Elinor

Shakespeare MIT, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 1590-96. Quotation of Bottom. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/midsummer/full.html

TV Tropes. 2015. Characters: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/AMidsummerNightsDream 

TV Tropes. 2015. Sliding Scale of Anthropomorphism. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism 

Wikipedia. 2015. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. [Online] [Accessed from 2015] Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream