All of the quotes needed for my dissertation.
WHITE
Note (sentence to remember for intro of White chapter)
In presenting the varying forms and guises of white, this chapter will ask what it does, what it says, and how this comes to be.
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In Kenya Hara's worldview, white is not a color, but a design concept. In order to understand Hara's white we must depart from a Western way of thinking and try to connect with Japanese worldview.
Hara is not a designer who likes the color white, or one who does not use color. When he uses color he does so from a search for the representation of a particular sensation, and when he attains it, he does not use additional colors that he considers superfluous to his work.
What is white?
White is a state in which all colors have faded, a pure state, free of interference. White is tranquility, it is the absolute void, it is nothing and it is everything. White is death that is revealed in sun-bleached bones in the desert, white is the pure beginning of life embodied in the whiteness of a mother's breast milk. White exists on the boundaries of life, colors exist in life, and they are never detached from nature. All colors derive from white, and are partial appearances of it. In the world white is not pure white; it appears in thousands of shades and hues, for it is situated in material. We aspire to pure white out of empathy for everything that is beyond ephemeral in our world.
Hara bemoans the loss of Japanese sensitivity to the influence of modern life. The world is colorful chaos, and when sensitivity diminishes, life and the world become gray. The chaos, however, is not gray, but dynamic changes from which new colors constantly glimmer and which we must learn to distinguish.
White emerges from the chaos as perfection, it is not a mixture or a color, it is emptiness filled with everything that repeatedly evaporates in life's dynamic. To achieve the experience of white and colors, the senses must be trained; sensitivities must be developed in order to attain sophisticated discernment. White is the source of life to which designers should aspire to bring all of us closer. [source]
a white square
within it
a white square
within it
a white square
within it
a white square
within it
a white square
within it
This verse conveys an image that is extraordinarily white. A white square appears which is whiter than the one that preceded it. The within it another white square appears which is whiter still. We can say that this series of whites is highly conceptualised, but if we think of white as sensual experience, the poem brings us closer to white's essential quality. Furthermore, picturing white as a square makes its whiteness all the more striking (White, Kenya Hara)
There is no such thing as "white". Rather, "white" exists solely in our perception. Therefore, we must not attept to search for "white". Instead, we must search for a way to feel the whiteness. Through this process, we gain an awareness of a white that is slightly whiter than the white we experience normally. [White by Kenya Hara, page 001]
Is white a color? It is like a color, yet at the same time we can also conveive it as a noncolor. What then, we must ask, is color in the first place? The mechanism of color has been organized into clear systems, themselves products of modern physics. The two most common methods of color classification are Munsell's and Ostwald's. In their systems the three elements of color - value, chroma and hue - can be explained by constructing a three dimensional circular object which allows us to visualize the physical phenomenon (i.e. color) more easily. The object thus constructed, however, does not able us to achieve a full sense of what we perceive as color. [White by Kenya Hara, page 002].
The etimology of the words shiro, or white, one of the four traditional Japanese colors, is rooted in the ancient word shiroshi, which is in turn connected to the words itoshiroshi and ichijirushi. All of these terms are based on the corporeality of things. Ichijirushi is a clear and objective condition which manifests itself in the purity of light, the lucidity embodied in a drop of water, or the force of a crashing waterfall. Shiroshi, on the other hand, is the state of consciousness we enter when we focus on these things, when our senses seem to vibrate like the strings of a koto. Over the long history, these ancient words were absorbed into the concept of "white" or shiro, and established as an aesthetic principle. [White by Kenya Hara page 006].
Bibliography:Hara, K. (2008) White. Japan: Chuokoro-Shinsha.In-line Citation:(Hara, 2008)
We can place white within this real of mutating and evolving life forms. White is the most singular and vivid image that arises from the the center of chaos. It works against the principle of mixture, revealing itself by breaking the gravity that pulls everything towards grey. White is the most extreme example of this singularity. It is not a mixed entity; it is not even a color at all. [White by Kenya Hara, page 009].
Bibliography:Hara, K. (2008) White. Japan: Chuokoro-Shinsha.In-line Citation:(Hara, 2008)
White (白) and emptiness (空) are closely intertwined. The concept of empty space (空白) brings these two things together. There is "emptiness" in white and there is also "white" in emptiness. (White by Kenya Hara, 050)
Bibliography:Hara, K. (2008) White. Japan: Chuokoro-Shinsha.In-line Citation:(Hara, 2008)
Spenser, writing rapturously of swans, claimed,
"Two fairer Birds I yet did never see:
The Snow which doth the top of Pindus strew,
Did never winter show,
Nor Jove himself when he a Swan would be
For love of leda, whiter did appear:
Yet Leda was they say as white as he,
Yet not so white as these, nor nothing near;
So purely white they were..." (White Graphics, page 8)
Some of the most potent design today uses little in the way of imagery or color at all. Take this cover for Critique magazine by James Victore, for example. The theme of the issue was "Economy" and Victore's thrifty use of black type on a white field hones us right to the message. There is very little to get in the way of the concept. On the other hand, white on white can be just as effective when used in the right context.
Like the eponymous Beatles double record, also known as The White Album, the blind embossed cover for WIRED magazine by designer John Plunkett made the magazine stand out against all the color on magazine newsstands. It screams to be picked up. [...] A nice big chunk of white space is one of the most soothing and comfortable respites from the overloaded hyperactive imagery being created in print and interactive today. (White Graphics, pag 11)
Bibliography:Finke, G. D. (2001) White graphics: The power of white in graphic design. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers.In-line Citation:(Finke, 2001)
_
"White is not white. The receptivity that senses white is what gives birth to whiteness. So we cannot look for white. We need to search instead for a way of feeling that will sense white. [...] With that ability, we will become conscious of white. " (Designing Design, pag 213, Kenya Hara)
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"The black of type is not born of the blackness of letters, but the black couples with the white of the paper. The red cross in the Red Cross logo is red not only because of the red of the cross. The red glimmers by dint of the quality of the white it is placed. A margin, be it blue or beige, inherently comprises white. A margin is neither a mere absence nor a remainder. It is white that has come into existence as the result of the filling in of a space. Sometimes, because of the margin's necessity for existence, its nonexistence imports a stronger presence than an actual margin" (Kenya Hara, pag 213, Designing Design)
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"Is white a color? It could be said to be like a color, but not a color. So what is color? As a result of modern physics, today we have clear systems by which the mechanism of color is organized: the Munsell and Ostwald color systems, established by Albert H. Munsell and Friederich Wilhelm Ostwald. Their systems represented in three dimensions based on value, chroma, and hue (the degrees of lightness and hue, as well as a scale of hue in circular form) lead us to an easy understanding of color's structure as a physical phenomenon. But we don't sense color in terms of these systems. The glossy freshness of a deep yellow yolk spilling out of a broken eggshell, or the russet color of tea in a cup are not only colors, but also textures, with materiality, in which taste and smell are also deeply enmeshed. People sense color as an amalgamation. So color is not just visual, but something relating to all of our perceptions. " (Kenya Hara, pag 214, Designing Design)
Bibliography:Hara, K., Hohle, M. K. and Naito, Y. (2007) Designing design. 2nd edition. Baden, Switzerland: Lars Müller Publishers.In-line Citation:(Hara, Hohle, and Naito, 2007)-
"[...] color is no more than a single aspect of white. Insofar as it avoids color, and thus ore strongly awakens physicality, it is a materiality; like empty space or a margin, it is pregnant with time and space. It even entails abstract concepts like absence and absolute zero" (Kenya Hara, pag 216, Designing Design)
If the color white is so prevalent in design that it is no longer noticed then it becomes philosophically invisible and it is through this invisibility that it gains its strength to spread.
(pag 66)
(DeLong and Martinson, 2013)
Bibliography:DeLong, M. and Martinson, B. (eds.) (2013) Color and design: ed. by Marilyn DeLong and Barbara Martinson. New York: Berg Publishers.
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Anne Varichon notes the manner in which Wassily Kandinsky relates to the positive silence of white as a color filled with possibilites. She says, that for Kandinsky, "white silence is not dead.... white is the oblivion before the beginning, before birth" (Varichon 2006: 15). In Concerning the Spiritual Art Kandinsky writes about the problems of breaking through silence and how white can assist in the process: "A great silence, like an impenetrable wall, shrouds its life from our understanding. White therefore has this harmony of silence which works upon us" (Kandinsky 1977: 46). (pag 67)
(DeLong and Martinson, 2013)
Bibliography:DeLong, M. and Martinson, B. (eds.) (2013) Color and design: ed. by Marilyn DeLong and Barbara Martinson. New York: Berg Publishers.
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The silence and silencing qualities of white are framed in language but the visuality of white is fraught with contradictions and ambiguities. Because of white's simultaneous being and not being, it can only ever be truly stable in a language that controls its meaning. Richard Dyer writes that white as a symbol only "remains firmly in a place at the level of language" (2001: 60)
(pag 69)
(DeLong and Martinson, 2013)
Bibliography:DeLong, M. and Martinson, B. (eds.) (2013) Color and design: ed. by Marilyn DeLong and Barbara Martinson. New York: Berg Publishers.
Modernism is known in the history and theory of design as a grand narrative. Its grandness was powered by whiteness. That whiteness remained unsaid at the time and, this is still the case in contemporary postmodern societies. (p.66)
if the color white is so prevalent in design that it is no longer noticed then it becomes philosophically invisible and it is through this invisibility that it gains its strength to spread. Invisibility's twin mechanism of power in this scenario of white surfaces is silence. (p.66)
White has the ability to offer up a space for peaceful meditative silence. However an expanse of pure, dense white on flat surfaces across large spaces with little interruption can also instill anxiety. In this way the silence of opaque white provides an emptiness for sounds to be detected as opposed to a void within which sounds are received. (p.67)
White cannot be stable in visual language alone because it escapes from the confines of its denotations into the freedom of the connotative visual space. This connotative space opens up endless visual metaphors and signs. Therefore it is the careful combination of linguistic and visual signifiers that help to situate the meaning of white in society and design. White color performs its meaning through visual language and more speciifically through the visual language in design. (p.67)
[...] white is a code for different things in different cultures with some commonalities such as the white flag of surrender. It is useful to list a few of these ways in which white is culturally and symbolically coded as means of illustrating how signs are coopted by various agencies and instill themselves over time into cultural fabrics.
White = creation
= Divinity/ Celestial power
= Purity/clean
[...]
Connellan, K. (2013) Color and design: Ed. By Marilyn DeLong and Barbara Martinson. Edited by Marilyn DeLong and Barbara Martinson. New York: Berg Publishers.
COLOUR THEORY
Color theory encompasses a multitude of definitions, concepts and design applications - enough to fill several encyclopedias. However, there are three basic categories of color theory that are logical and useful : The color wheel, color harmony, and the context of how colors are used. (Morton, 1995)
A color circle, based on red, yellow and blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then, scientists and artists have studied and designed numerous variations of this concept. Differences of opinion about the validity of one format over another continue to provoke debate. In reality, any color circle or color wheel which presents a logically arranged sequence of pure hues has merit. (Morton, 1995)
In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic. At one extreme is a visual experience that is so bland that the viewer is not engaged. The human brain will reject under-stimulating information. At the other extreme is a visual experience that is so overdone, so chaotic that the viewer can't stand to look at it. The human brain rejects what it can not organize, what it can not understand. The visual task requires that we present a logical structure. Color harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order. (Morton, 1995)
Bibliography:Morton, J. L. (1995) Basic color theory. Available at: http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory (Accessed: 4 November 2015).In-line Citation:(Morton, 1995)
Color in design is very subjective. What evokes one reaction in one person may evoke a very different reaction in somone else. Sometimes this is due to personal preference, and other times due to cultural background. Color theory is a science in itself. Studying how colors affect different people, either individually or as a group, is something some people build their careers on. And there’s a lot to it. Something as simple as changing the exact hue or saturation of a color can evoke a completely different feeling. Cultural differences mean that something that’s happy and uplifting in one country can be depressing in another.
Bibliography:Chapman, C. (2010) Color theory for designers, part 1: The meaning of color – smashing magazine. Available at: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/color-theory-for-designers-part-1-the-meaning-of-color/ (Accessed: 4 November 2015).In-line Citation:(Chapman, 2010)
[...] The notion that colour is bound up with the fate of Western culture sounds odd, and not very likely. But this is what I want to argue: that colour has been the object of extreme prejudice in Western culture. For the most part, this prejudice has remained unchecked and passed unnoticed. And yet it is a prejudice that is so all-embracing and generalized that, at one time or another, it has enrolled just about every other prejudice in its service. If its object were a furry animal, it would be protected by international law. But its object is, it is said, almost nothing, even though it is at the same time a part of almost everything and exists almost everywhere. It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say that, in the West, since Antiquity, colour has been systematically marginalized, reviled, diminished and degraded. Generations of philosophers, artists, art historians and cultural theorists of one stripe or another have kept this prejudice alive, warm, fed and groomed. As with all prejudices, its manifest form, its loathing, masks a fear: a fear of contamination and corruption by something that is unknown or appears unknowable. This loathing of colour, this fear of corruption through colour, needs a name: chromophobia.
Chromophobia manifests itself in the many and varied attempts to purge colour from culture, to devalue colour, to diminish its significance, to deny its complexity. More specifically: this purging of colour is usually accomplished in one of two ways. In the first, colour is made out to be the property of some ‘foreign’ body - usually the feminine, the oriental, the primitive, the infantile, the vulgar, the queer or the pathological. In the second, colour is relegated to the realm of the superficial, the supplementary, the inessential or the cosmetic. In one, colour is regarded as alien and therefore dangerous; in the other, it is perceived merely as a secondary quality of experience, and thus unworthy of serious consideration. Colour is dangerous, or it is trivial, or it is both. (It is typical of prejudices to conflate the sinister and the superficial.) Either way, colour is routinely excluded from the higher concerns of the Mind. It is other to the higher values of Western culture. Or perhaps culture is other to the higher values of colour. Or colour is the corruption of culture. [...]
[David Batchelor - Chromophobia]
SPACE
Negative Space Defined
Negative space is the empty or open space around an object that defines it. In layman’s terms, it is the breathing room around the subject that determines how appealing it looks. The majority of people don’t like it when designs are too crowded. Giving your subject and other objects plenty of negative space gives them much more definition. Design elements don’t visually melt into a single large blob. Instead, elements are broken down into sections, making them easier to process the information in discrete chunks. This is much easier that trying to process the entire design and all of its parts at once. Lets take a look at a few examples. (George, 2012)
Bibliography:George, J. (2012) A Solid Understanding of Negative Space - DesignFestival. Available at: http://www.sitepoint.com/a-solid-understanding-of-negative-space/ (Accessed: 26 October 2015).
[...] in graphic design, white is too often thought of as something to cover up or get rid of, not something to explore and celebrate. [...] Like all cats, White Space goes his own way. Designers would all benefit from occasionally giving the color white free rein and seeing what happens. (White Graphics, 09)
White space draws attention to whatever it contains. White space provides context, organisation, and a restful place for the eyes. It can convey a variety of moods, from a mannered, classic arrangement of type to a dramatic spotlight for a photograph.
Some of the earliest printed books show us that horror vacui, of fear of empty space, is nothing new in design. Long before graphic design had a name, typesetters were busy arranging words and pictures on paper. Illuminated manuscripts, produced when every book was hand-written and hand-drawn, are full of generous white margins. Books were so labor-intensive, and took so long to produce, that the pleasing use of white space was practical and economical. [...] Why should you? Well, as any designer knows, it just looks better. White space draws attention to whatever it contains. White space provides context, organization, and a restful place for the eyes. It can convey a variety of moods, from a mannered, classic arrangement of type to a dramatic spotlight for a photographs.
Bibliography:Finke, G. D. (2001) White Graphics: The Power of White in Graphic Design. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers.In-line Citation:(Finke, 2001)
Sci-Arts Spring Lectures Poster
Jennifer Sterling Design
White space provides a grid organising this giant poster for a series of lectures about architecture. Mysterious images, bright matte colors, and provocative arrangements of type complement the chalky white paper stock. A grid of dotted lines seems to invite the reader to cut the poster into individual rectangles, perhaps to assemble them into a book.
(White Graphics, page 81)
The designer is primarily confronted with three classes of material: a) the given material [...] Ad the material furnished him is often inadequate, vague, uninteresting, or otherwise unsuitable for visual representation, the designer's task is to re-create or restate the problem. This may involve discarding or revising much of the given material [...] (Paul Rand, Thoughts on Design, pag 12)
"[...] All designs have upheld the common priority of maximising "white space" - essentially all these blank areas of the page that surround the text. Such surfaces invite chaos, in the same way that a countertop at home collects change, mail, keys and so fort. Similarly we might scribble notes in these empty spaces that surround, and also in the gutters that separate lines of text" (John Maeda, Laws of Simplicity, pag 54)
Space is an important compositional factor that the designer must consider. If used competently, space provides visual contrast and contributes to an effective ordering system. The empty compositional space brings the visual elements alive; it is the invisible energy of the design and must be considered a dominant element. The designer must focus attention toward the activity (or inactivity) of the negative space to activate the visual elements that reside within it. Space is needed in all compositions - it is imperative to accessibility and navigation. It provides pathways, or channels, that lead the eye through the design, while directing the visual focus toward the positive areas of the compositional space (pag 78, Layout Workbook, Cullen)
Bibliography:Cullen, K. (2010) Layout Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Building Pages in Graphic Design. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers.In-line Citation:(Cullen, 2010)
Empty space might be seen akin to wasted space. Who can afford to waste? Space then is a luxury and the less you use the more you must have. More whitespace is seen as upscale and can position your brand with a higher end market. Densely filled space is seen as a way to save on cost. Leaving space empty can actually add value to your brand.
Whitespace: Less Is More In Web Design - Vanseo Design. 2015.Whitespace: Less Is More In Web Design - Vanseo Design. [ONLINE] Available at: http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/whitespace/. [Accessed 01 November 2015].
Mark Boulton, (2007), Whitespace [ONLINE]. Available at: http://alistapart.com/article/whitespace[Accessed 01 November 15].
Similarly, in
commercial visual advertising, Pracejus, Olsen and O’Guinn (2006) reported that white
space is believed to convey “elegance, power, leadership, honesty, trustworthiness, a
modem nature, and a refined taste associated with the upper social strata” by a survey of
creative directors at major advertising agencies in North America. In their empirical
study involving naïve consumers, Pracejus et al. also found that consumer perceptions of
quality, prestige, and purchase intentions were significantly influenced by the use of
white space, which mirrors the beliefs held by social-cultural art history theories and the
creative directors.
Scholarworks, S. and Loh, S. L. (2015) Effects of white space on consumer perceptions of value in e-commerce. Available at: http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7898&context=etd_theses (Accessed: 29 December 2015).
Inline Citations:
- (Scholarworks and Loh, 2015)
Space communicates volume. Although a grid must be strong and clear enough to hold rafts of information, it’s not necessary to fill every part of it. (Tondreau, 2009, p.18)Tondreau, B. (2009) Layout essentials: 100 design principles for building Grids. United States: Rockport Publishers.
HIERARCHY
"By carefully arranging type areas, spacing, size, and 'color', the typographer is able to impart to the printed page a quality which helps to dramatize the contents. He is able to translate type matter into tactile patterns. By concentrating the type area and emphasizing the margin (white space), he can reinforce, by contrast, the textural quality of the type. The resulting effect on the reader may be properly compared to the sensation produced by physical contact with metal type.
... In ordering his space and in distributing his typographic material and symbols, he is able to predetermine, to a certain point, the eye movements of the spectator" (Paul Ran, Thoughts on Design page 76-78)
In design, hierarchy is usually discussed and referred to as visual hierarchy. Visual hierarchy is extremely important in design since it controls how the human eye perceives the order of the information on the page - "it tells a story about your page site." Creating visual hierarchies makes it simple for the viewer to identify what is most important on page and what they should be looking for.
Bibliography:Gardner, S. (2014) Elements of visual design - hierarchy. Available at: https://605.wikispaces.com/Hierarchy (Accessed: 31 October 2015).In-line Citation:(Gardner, 2014)
Steven Bradley, (2009), Visual Hierarchy [ONLINE]. Available at: http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/visual-hierarchy/ [Accessed 01 November 15].
The image on the left has no hierarchy and as a result anyone visiting the page will need to do a lot of work to determine if this page is what they want. Assuming it is, the visitor has no choice, but to read every word on the page to find the bits of information they’re interested in or need to complete their task.
The image on the right on the other hand makes the page easy to scan. It’s easily scanable and won’t require much effort for the visitor to determine if she’s on the right page. Assuming she is, the page leads her quickly to the information she wants or needs.
Visual Hierarchy: How Well Does Your Design Communicate? - Vanseo Design. 2015. Visual Hierarchy: How Well Does Your Design Communicate? - Vanseo Design. [ONLINE] Available at:http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/visual-hierarchy/. [Accessed 01 November 2015].
Hierarchy depends on the complementing and contrasting relationships of visual elements. It is established by creating a clear focal point that attracts the eye to initiate viewer interaction with the design. Supporting the focal point, the melding of subordinate visual elements allows for in-depth analysis, interpretation, and understanding. When dominant and subordinate elements coalesce, the design maintains the fixed attention of the eye. The viewer begins to recognise the ordering system and is led through a logical and meaningful journey. If the visual elements demand equal attention, the eye is distracted and moves continuously around the surface of the page without direction. This type of design lacks impact, legibility and usefulness. Nothing is communicated, and the result is a visual muddle.
[...] To continue developing a strong, hierarchical system, the designer must activate the compositional factor and create visual contrast. Some compositional factor include space, scale, and quantity as well as orientation and dimension. Although each individual factor can be manipulated to achieve contrast, the designer must decide which are the most useful and coordinate their interaction within the design.
[...] Contrast is the essential factor needed to achieve successful hierarchy within the design. It effecitevely distinguishes all the visual elements that interact in the compositional space. By creating visual differences, juxtaposed elements efficiently communicate their intended meaning. [...] Decisive contrast between disparate visual elements makes the hierarchical system visually apparent and the design effectively communicates its intended messages in a logical progression. (pag 74-77)
Bibliography:Cullen, K. (2007) Layout workbook: A real-world guide to building pages in graphic design. 1st edition. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers.In-line Citation:(Cullen, 2007)
Legibility refers to the recognition of
individual letterforms and their relative position to other letters in word
formation. The design of the typeface determines legibility. An illegible
typeface will not be readable. Readibility refers to how typography is
presented to the viewer as words, lines, and paragraphs. It is influenced by
the typographic arrangement, including line lenght, leading and spacing. (p.99)
The design also explores the role of typography
as a voice that engages the viewer and leads him or her into the depths of the
written word. It is visually complex and, at times, questions readibility but
does not lose it. (Cullen, 2007, p.154)
Typography activates the pages for the viewer.
Although the visual solution may not be appropriate for many design projects,
the journals succesfully demonstrate how visual form must be a direct result of
the content. The text of the journals is about words in space; it deals
directly with spatiatility, interaction, movement, and navigation. The design
actively reflects these themes. (Cullen, 2007, p.156)
By adjusting the color of the visual elements,
the designer can reinforce content and heighten its meaning. He or she must
consider the tone of the design and use coors that complement or contrast the
attitude of the piece. For example, red connotes heat, pasion, and urgency,
whereas blue is cool and quiet. […] In addition, pairing contrasting colors
draws the eye toward specific sections of the composition. Bright and saturated
colors will have immediate impact, if used sparingly. If everything is bright
or heavily saturated, the composition will lack focus. (Cullen, 2007, p.85)
Art director/designer Shinnoske Sugisaki
faithfully presents Hayakawa’s work as “timeless design”, he says “I wanted to
make this book have [the smae] feelings as the original work.” Its presentation
is formal, allowing the work of Hayakawa to rise to the foreground without the
distraction of competing visual elements. (Cullen, 2007, p.222)
Yoshio Hayakawa: His Design, Times and Osaka is simply formatted to allow the work of Hayakawa to be respectfully featured. Each piece is composed in the center of the page to exalt its presentation. The alternating scheme of colorful backgrounds adds variety tihout interference. The viewer enters the design with ease. (Cullen, 2007, p.223)
Cullen, K. (2007) Layout workbook: A real-world guide to building pages in graphic design. 1st edn. Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers.
Micro white space is the term used to describe the smaller elements of white space in a particular design. It might be the space between letters and words or between two graphic elements next to one another. Add micro white space whenever your design needs a little more breathing room but you don’t have enough canvas left to work with. Tweaking the amount of space between your smallest elements will help them to become more noticeable and improve your design so that it doesn’t look so cluttered. -
Gendelman, V. (no date) White space in graphic design, and why it’s important. Available at: http://www.printwand.com/blog/white-space-in-graphic-design-and-why-its-important (Accessed: 14 November 2015).
Legibility refers to the typeform, how easy and individual character or alphabet is to recognize when presented in a particular font. Readibility encompassed both typeform and arrangament – how easy a text can be read. (Haslam and Baines, 2005, p.125)
Haslam, A. and Baines, P. (2005) Type and typography. 2nd edn. United States: Watson-Guptill Publications.
SIMPLICITY
If the what (the action, the how to) is easy, then, then perhaps we should be much more concerned with the why - the purpose behind decluttering, the why-to. It's true that the why is considerably more difficult to discuss, because unlike the what, which is fairly universal, the nature of the why is highly individual. [...] By simply embracing the what without the why, a person gets nowhere. [Everything That Remains]
"The process of reaching an ideal state of simplicity can be truly complex, so allow me to simplify it for you. The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. When in doubt, just remove. But be careful of what you remove" (John Maeda, Laws of Simplicity, pag 1
"Lessen what you can and conceal everything else without losing the sense of inherent value. EMBODY-ing a greater sense of quality through enhanced materials and other messaging cues is an important subtle counterbalance to SHRINK-ing and HIDE-ing the directly understood aspects of a product. Design, technology, and business work in concert to realize the final decisions that will lead to how much reduction in a product is tolerable, and how much quality it will embody in spite of its reduced state of being. Small is better when SHE'd." (In reference to the SHE explanation, John Maeda, Laws of Simplicity, pag 9)
"Simplicity and complexity need each other. The more complexity there is in the market, the more that something simpler stands out. And because technology will only continue to grow in complexity, there is a clear economic benefit to adopting a strategy of simplicity that will help set your product apart. That said, establishing a feeling of simplicity in design requires making complexity consciously available in some explicit form. This relationship can be manifest in either the same object or experience, or in contrast with other offerings in the same category - like the simplicity of the iPod in comparison to its more complex competitors in the MP3 player market" (John Maeda, Laws of Simplicity, pag 46)
"Complexity and simplicity are two symbiotic qualities. As raised in the fifth Law of DIFFERENCES, each needs the other - its respective definitions depends upon the other's existence. To realize a world of complete simplicity would mean that complexity would have to become completely eradicated. And with only simplicity remaining, how would you what is truly simple? Thus failing to achieve simplicity is an important service to humanity." (John Maeda, Laws of Simplicity, pag 84)
"Simplicity is hopelessly subtle, and many if its defining characteristics are implicit (noting that it hides in SIMPLICITY)" (John Maeda, Laws of Simplicity, pag 89)
SIMPLICITY AND WESTERN MODERNISM
The difference between emptiness and simplicity deserves an explanation. Without risking misunderstanding, I suggest the concept of 'simplicity' began with European modernism. The world came into being out of complexity. In both the East and the West, at the dawn of civilization when sole rulers governed, objects were covered with gorgeous decorations to symbolize power. Yet, with the advent of modern society, eras in which citizens were no longer ruled by royalty and titled nobility, the relationship between objects and people underwent a revolutionary change. As people began to live more freely, there came a change in the way they thought about art, ideology, literature, literature, artefacts and clothing. The idea of a necessary review of the relationship between functionality, materials and form through the perspective of rationality came into being. From the first World Exposition held in London in 1851 to the creation of Bauhaus in 1909 and the founding of Domus in 1928 in Milan by the architect Gio' Ponti, a concept of simplicity that pivoted on rationality began to penetrate world culture. Subsequently, Wstern modernism has made unfathomable contributions to modern civilization, which we continue to learn from today. (pag 11, WA: The essence of Japanese design, Kenya Hara)
Why is
“simpler” better? One explanation is that a large amount of content (and
inversely, a small amount of total white space) can cause excessive cognitive
overhead (Dalal, Quible & Wyatt, 1999). Content competes for cognitive
resources, and because human working memory is limited, excessive content
places additional load on information processing and reduces the cognitive
resources left for comprehension. Therefore, effective application of white
space allows users to direct their cognitive resources more efficiently and
effectively to task-related content.
Lee Loh, S. (2013) Effects of White Space on Consumer Perceptions of Value in E-Commerce. Available at: http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7898&context=etd_theses (Accessed: 14 November 2015).
Complexity is good. The world is complex and our tools must
work in that world, so they must match it. (Norman,no date)
When we talk about simplicity, we need to ask how
"simple" is being judged: from what point of view. (Norman, no date)
The mark of the great designer is the ability to provide the
complexity that people need in a manner that is understandable and elegant.
Simplicity should never be the goal. Complex things will require complexity. It
is the job of the designer to manage that complexity with skill and grace.
(Norman, no date)
Norman, D. (no date) Don Norman: Designing for people. Available at: http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/complexity_is_good_.html (Accessed: 19 December 2015).
Because with physical products, we have to feel we can
dominate them. As you bring order to complexity, you find a way to make the
product defer to you. Simplicity isn’t just a visual syle. It’s not just
minimalism or the absence of clutter. It involves digging through the depth of
the complexity. (Ive, 2014)
Fadda, E., Givigliano, A. and Stancati, C. (2014) The nature of social reality. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=n-GmBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=Simplicity+isn%E2%80%99t+just+a+visual+style.+It%E2%80%99s+not+just+minimalism+or+the+absence+of+clutter.+It+involves+digging+through+the+depth+of+complexity.+To+be+truly+simple,+you+have+to+go+really+deep.%E2%80%A6You+have+to+deeply+understand+the+essence+of+a+product+in+order+to+be+able+to+get+rid+of+the+parts+that+are+not+essential.+%E2%80%94Jony+Ive&source=bl&ots=DSsHbRwNzL&sig=HLHJLBRPP0bisouDh0OFB_59x0M&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwipj8nopOjJAhVI2BoKHTRSA6AQ6AEIJjAB#v=onepage&q=Simplicity%20isn%E2%80%99t%20just%20a%20visual%20style.%20It%E2%80%99s%20not%20just%20minimalism%20or%20the%20absence%20of%20clutter.%20It%20involves%20digging%20through%20the%20depth%20of%20complexity.%20To%20be%20truly%20simple%2C%20you%20have%20to%20go%20really%20deep.%E2%80%A6You%20have%20to%20deeply%20understand%20the%20essence%20of%20a%20product%20in%20order%20to%20be%20able%20to%20get%20rid%20of%20the%20parts%20that%20are%20not%20essential.%20%E2%80%94Jony%20Ive&f=false (Accessed: 19 December 2015).
Inline Citations:
- (Fadda, Givigliano, and Stancati, 2014)
Simplicity is more than just removing the arbitrary. We active simplicity by taking the time to understand the essence or core of what we are designing and then doing our best to have everything enhance that core and not disrupt it.Bradley, S. (2011) How to achieve simplicity in design. Available at: http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/simplicity/ (Accessed: 19 December 2015).
JAPANESE FLAG
The national flag of Japan is white with a red disk in the centre. We can say that the flag is a symbol that exemplifies the meaning of emptiness. The red circle has no meaning. It is simply a red circle, and nothing beyond that. [...] Accordingly, the power of a symbol goes in tandem with its receptiveness. Because the simple and abstract quality of a red circle on a white background is so equivocal, it can be filled with various images. Its composition is one case where a figure signifies something only in relation to the background. [White by Kenya Hara, 048-049]
"Advertising communication is generally thought to be the process of clarifying the point that you want your audience to comprehend, turning it into an easily understood message, choosing the appropriate media, and circulating the message. But not all advertising has to follow this method. In some cases, communication happens when the recipient, offered not a message but an empty vessel, supplies the meaning himself.
Let's take the example of Japan's national flag. The red circle in the center carries no meaing. It's just a geometric figure. People supply the meaning. [...] The interpretation depends on the interpreter. Because it is not aligned with any one interpretation, this national flag functions well, accepting all. The simple, red circle is an empty vessel. Being empty, it can accomodate the impression of every individual. This is the essence of a symbol. The symbol's function is as large as the meaing that can be attributed to it." (Kenya Hara, pag 241-242, Designing Design)
To understand Japanese design, it is helpful to understand the genealogy of the aesthetics behind it. Japan has sutained cultural homogeneity for over a thousand years and the present era is a natural continuation of this. At a glance Japanese design looks simple, but its simplicity differs from that discovered by Western modrnism, which was based on rationality. I call the simplicity of Japanese design 'emptiness'. Instead of disseminating a precise, articulate message, extreme plainness - emptiness - can invite a variety of interpretations, just like an empty vessel. The nō masks used in the traditional Japanese musical theatre wear a plain expression, with no sign of the human emotions of joy, anger, pathos or humour. Whether they appear to be crying or laughing depends on the context of the performance. The universality born from these plain expressions allows for the insertion of any emotion that might be imagined. This kind of emptiness is reflected in Japan's architecture, spaces, garden, ikebana and poetry, as well as in contemporary design. When looking at Japanese culture armed with knowledge of this concept, a number of things become apparent that perhaps we hadn't noticed before. (pag 11, WA: The essence of Japanese design, Kenya Hara)
Wa - the Japanese character that refers not only to the concept of harmony and peace but to Japan itself and Japanese culture - has evolved into a term to describe that peculiar 'Japaneseness' which Western culture finds at the heart of Japanese beauty. In design, wa refers subtly not only to the simple form and the natural material of an object but also to an internal approach to craftsmanship, art and life in general. Over time, wa has also become a prefix to denote something Japanese or in the Japanese style, such as washi (Japanese paper) or waka (Japanese poetry). [...] Our aim was to draw out the delicate thread that identifies the essence of the Japanese spirit, without reference to a particular time or to the characteristics of individual personalities, which manifests itself in shadow, silence and empty spaces, in irregularities and asymmetry, and in the perfection of the most minute thing, as if that thing represented the whole universe" (p.9)
Menegazzo, R., Piotti, S. and Hara, K. (2014) WA: The essence of Japanese design. Edited by Joe Pickard. 1st edn. Berlin: Phaidon Press.
Inline Citations:
- (Menegazzo, Piotti, and Hara, 2014)
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MUJI
MUJI was founded in Japan in 1980 as an antithesis to the
habits of consumer society at that time. On one hand, foreign-made luxury
brands were gaining popularity within an economic environment of ever-rising
prosperity. On the other, poor-quality, low-priced goods were appearing on the
market, and had a polarizing effect on consumption patterns.
MUJI was conceived as a critique of this prevailing
condition, with the purpose of restoring a vision of products that are actually
useful for the customer and maintain an ideal of the proper balance between
living and the objects that make it possible. The concept was born of the intersection
of two distinct stances: no brand (Mujirushi) and the value of good items
(ryohin). (IT, no date)
IT, M. (no date) MUJI online - welcome to the MUJI online store. Available at: http://www.muji.eu/pages/about.asp (Accessed: 25 November 2015).
MUJI's perspective is unique; in the MUJI concept, design intervenes in the making of things. This counters the rest of the world, which runs on the fuel of capital and appetite. Japan, looking upon the world from its detached location at the easter end of Asia, has built an aesthetic that is infinitely attractive to human rationality, not within luxury extravagance, but simplicity. Doesn't affluence lie within understatement? This is what MUJI asks the world.
(p. 229)
The concept of MUJI is the offspring of the good rapport between the aesthetics of the graphic designer Ikko Tanaka and the vision of Seiji Tsutsumi, an undisputed leader of Japan's distribution industry. The company came into existence in the fall of 1980. Its basic concept was the creation of a group of extremely straightforward, low-cost items by throughly simplifying the production process. (p. 232)
MUJI products earned the support of consumers, who are highly conscious of their living environment, and of opinion leaders, with their sophisticated perception. (p. 234)
In a word, the concept I propose for MUJI's advertising is emptiness. That is, advertising does not present a lucid message, but in effect, offers and empty vessel to the audience. Communication is not dispatching information from one entity or person to another, but facilitating the mutual exchange of information. Advertising communication is generally thought to be the process of clarifying the point that you want your audience to comprehend, turning it into an easily understood message, choosing the appropriate media, and circulating the message. But not all advertising has to follow this method. In some cases, communication happens when the recipient, offered not a message but an empty vessel, supplies the meaning himself. (p. 241)
Let's take the example of Japan's national flag ... (p.241)
[...] communication becomes effective only when an advertisement is offered as en empty vessel and viewers freely deposit into it their ideas and wishes. (p.242)
MUJI has many admirers, but their reasons vary. [...] Our advertising message should not represent any single one of these reasons; our ideal is to create a capacious vessel that will accommodate them all. (p.243)
The cool, accurate application of design dramatically improves the competitive power of products and the effectiveness of a corporation's communication. Once we understand that design has this kind of power, we compete for the most sophisticated methods and thus the most effective design. But what are we really after? I'd like to ask what the end result of our work is, without focusing on how the products do in the marketplace or the power of the messages. (p. 282)
Our target is neither youth or age. We don't pay any more attention than necessary to leading technology. The ethos of MUJI is interest in people. Our concern is for those who work and rest, sharing the planet of today: who create their living spaces with realistic expectations, have fun with their attire, eat safe food, sleep, go on a trip now and then, face the usual ups and downs, laughter and tears - ordinary people. MUJI's role, accomplished through more than 7,000 MUJI products, is to continue to help people have a life that's a little happier each day. (p. 295)
Hara, K., Hohle, M. K. and Naito, Y. (2007) Designing design. 2nd edn. Baden, Switzerland: Lars Müller Publishers.
Inline Citations:
- (Hara, Hohle, and Naito, 2007)
If Muji has its way in the West, IKEA may need to watch its back (Muji is making slow moves into furniture items, which is IKEA’s specialty). And shoppers in the US and Western Europe may want to brace themselves for larger Muji stores that feature innovative clothing, toys and even modular homes. Muji has 385 stores in Japan and 255 outside Japan now. While IKEA has fewer stores, its massive stores still reap more revenue ($38.9 billion in Fiscal 2013, compared to $2.2 billion for Muji for its latest Fiscal year). (paraphrased)
Muji is actually perceived as a great brand with thoughtful, innovative products. It’s like those restaurants or night clubs that use minimal marketing to draw customers.
Berlin, T. (2014) Muji executive Kei Suzuki on future growth of Japan’s ‘no brand’ retailer. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/berlinschoolofcreativeleadership/2014/08/05/interview-muji-executive-kei-suzuki-on-future-growth-of-japans-no-brand-retailer/ (Accessed: 27 November 2015).
Inline Citations:
Uniqlo competes with Muji on the clothing part of the business. They are both Japanese brands. Uniqlo is the biggest clothing retailer in this country. Its strategy is based on the selling of quality and basic clothes in different colors at an affordable price. Uniqlo is not focused on fashionable trends. This allows the brand to maintain long term relationship with its manufacturers and to make economies of scales. As for their logos, these two brands use the “no logo strategy”. None of them put their logos on their clothes. Finally, they both use a red square as a visual. Thus Uniqlo is very close to Muji regarding its strategy. However Uniqlo has a wider choice of clothes to offer than Muji, and its collection changes for every season. They also have more shops than Muji. (paraphrased)
Julienne, N. (2014) ‘Competitive framework’, Mujikea, 19 November. Available at: https://mujikea.wordpress.com/category/muji/page/2/ (Accessed: 27 November 2015).
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Muji can be described as a reaction to the glitz of Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district and other shopping centers that are filled with brand after brand, each trying to be more upscale than the last. In Japan, Muji is anti-glitz. The badge of Louis Vuitton is the polar opposite of Muji. Ironically, this desire to eliminate self-expressive benefits actually provides self-expressive benefits.
Aaker, D. (no date) ‘Muji: The No-Brand Brand’, Prophet .
In 2002, he became an adviser and art director of Muji, and raised the profile not only of the country’s most famous nonbrand brand (Mujirushi Ryohin, or Muji for short literally means “no-brand quality goods”), but at the same time effectively crafted the way Japanese design is perceived outside Japan.
Mckean, C. A. (2014) Kenya Hara: The future of design | the Japan times. Available at: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/01/04/general/value-judgments/#.VligIGThD-Y (Accessed: 27 November 2015).
Hara
describes Muji’s advertising as “not dispatching information from one entity to
another, but facilitating the mutual exchange of information. In effect, Muji’s
advertising and products offer and empty vessel for the audience to supply the
meaning themselves”. (Macnab, 2011)
“Some customers buy Muji products because they like the ecological sensitivity of the company, the low cost, the urban astethic and simple design, or just because the products do the job described.” (Macnab, 2011)
Macnab, P. M. (2011) Design by nature: Using universal forms and principles in design. Available at: https://books.google.fr/books?id=rSqP6z0Q9VoC&pg=PT49&lpg=PT49&dq=muji+advertising&source=bl&ots=5PgoVgW4eo&sig=8tWiu7LVMRBBeFkQt4-mU_y_HxI&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=cB16VPSlE8yxadrCgoAN#v=onepage&q&f=false (Accessed: 27 November 2015).
METHODOLOGIES
Grounded Theory is an inductive methodology. Although many call Grounded Theory a qualitative method, it is not. It is a general method. It is the systematic generation of theory from systematic research. It is a set of rigorous research procedures leading to the emergence of conceptual categories. These concepts/categories are related to each other as a theoretical explanation of the action(s) that continually resolves the main concern of the participants in a substantive area. Grounded Theory can be used with either qualitative or quantitative data.
Bibliography:, A. (2014) Grounded Theory Institute - The Grounded Theory Methodology of Barney G. Glaser, Ph.D - What is GT? Available at: http://www.groundedtheory.com/what-is-gt.aspx (Accessed: 25 October 2015).
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Semiotics, also called Semiology, the study of signs and sign-using behaviour. It was defined by one of its founders, the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, as the study of “the life of signs within society. (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, 2014)
Bibliography:The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica (2014) ‘semiotics | study of signs’, in Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: http://www.britannica.com/science/semiotics (Accessed: 25 October 2015).
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DESIGN: GENERAL
I understand the new design genre "Information Design" that emerged in recent years not only as web design and designing for other advanced technologies but also as the term to imply the essence of design. Designing is a kind of work to convey information or messages to others with a specific purpose. In a broad sense, design itself is information, and the process of sorting, compiling and actually conveying it to the public. Value can be added to complicated information when it is reconstructed in a more easy-to-understand, attractive way. (p.003)
Masaaki, H. (2003) Space Graphysm. Amsterdam: BIS Publishers B.V.
Cereal magazine
Leslie, J. (2013) ‘At work with: Rosa Park, cereal magazine’, At Work With, 18 March. Available at: http://magculture.com/at-work-with-rosa-park-cereal-magazine/ (Accessed: 6 January 2016).
Lawrence, R. (2015) ‘Rosa Park & Rich Stapleton’, Freunde Von Freunden, 30 January. Available at: http://www.freundevonfreunden.com/interviews/rosa-park-rich-stapleton/ (Accessed: 6 January 2016).
