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.
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.
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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.
[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
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