The Visual Representation of Information

I live in Sugarland and there aren’t too many signs that I see around there….just the usual ones…Slow- children playing or the regular traffic signs. On my drive to the university I saw two that caught my attention. They were both the kind that would evoke a feeling of empathy in the viewer.
The first one was on a left turn – it said “Turning lane Traffic MUST yield to pedestrians.” The word MUST was in a larger font than the rest of the text. The sign did sound a little commanding because of the emphasis on the word ‘MUST”, but it was putting across an message to the viewer. It wanted the drivers to be empathetic towards pedestrians passing by instead of just speeding away, thus avoiding unnecessary collisions or accidents. I liked this sign because you could see it clearly from the left turning lane and thus was successful in its purpose.

The other sign was more informative than the first. It said “Do not dump Houston” and had some kind of a trash can graphic. It also had information of a helpline that one could call if you see someone dumping trash anywhere besides a garbage dump. This sign was less demanding than the first one. It also had more information and some graphics as well. I made the viewer aware that dumping was a crime in that area, and in turn invoked a feeling of empathy towards the city’s cleanliness & hygiene laws. I also liked the fact that it was interacting with the viewer by providing a helpline number. This made me feel more responsible and a contributor towards the city’s welfare.

Both of these signs were putting across a similar message but with different styles. However, they were both thought provoking and made the viewer empathetic towards a certain social cause.

This week focus on printed advertisements like you might find in a magazine. Here are some questions to help you get started..

Who is the audience for the ad?

How might the ad change if the audience were different?

How do the colors used in the ad contribute to the goal or purpose of the ad?

What elements of art or principles of design are used to help the ad achieve its purpose?

Are there any parts of the ad that show bias?

Does gender play a role in the ad?

Choose one ad and post your reflections here.

Tags: advertisements

For the next two weeks, focus on some aspect of your life through a purely visual means. For example, on your commute, focus on billboards and the messages they send – both apparent and hidden.

Or one day, compare the different front pages of several newspapers – what visuals did each pick to illustrate this page?

Alternatively, you could focus on ads for an event like the super bowl or ads for a particular product like cell phones.

Write your reflections and thoughts in your journal.

You can post a reply to this message describing what you are focusing on if you like and any observations you would like to share.

Welcome to our blog about the way information can be represented visually.