This document discusses various cognitive and perceptual theories related to visual processing and interpretation. It explains that the brain actively constructs coherent images from partial visual stimuli, and that similarity and continuity principles help group objects together. Proximity and directionality also influence how the eye and brain perceive relationships between elements in a scene. The document then introduces semiotics and discusses how signs can be iconic, indexical, or symbolic depending on their relationship to what they represent. Cultural codes and individual experiences shape how viewers derive meaning from visual signs.
9. Too many images to process and remember
Cells note the stimulation and passes it on to your mind without
considering it
10. Max Wertheimer
German psychologist,
1910
See the scene outside
although partially
blocked
“Flipbook” effect
Eye takes in all the visual
stimuli – brain arranges
the sensation into a
coherent image
23. Brain more closely
associates objects close
together than it does an
object that is farther
apart
24. Brain seeks as much as
possible a smooth
continuation of a
perceived movement
25. Also refers to objects that
are partially blocked by a
foreground object with a
viewer’s mind continuing
the line in order to
achieve a kind of graphic
closure
26. Viewers mentally group
the arrows because they
all point in the same
direction
Opposite directions
create tension because
the viewer will not see it
as part of the group
34. Julian Hochberg, 1970
Emphasizes the viewers
eye movements in an
active state of perception
35. Eyes are constantly in
motion when scanning
an image
Viewers construct a
scene with short-lived
eye fixations that the
mind combines to a
whole
44. What is the iconic sign
here?
Iconic signs have the
strongest one-on-one
connection between the
image and what it
represents
45.
46. What is the indexical
sign here?
Logical, common-sense
connection to the thing
or idea they represent
rather than a direct
resemblance to the
object
Learn signs through
everyday experiences
47. No logical or
representational
connection
Must be taught
Social, Cultural
considerations influence
symbolic signs
60. A collection of signs that
cause the viewers to
make assumptions about
what is seen
Note our family here
61. Group of signs that cause
the viewer to make
mental comparisons
62. Transfer of meaning
from one set of signs to
another
Often sexual references
and “shock” ads
Phallic symbols
associated with alcohol,
tobacco and lipstick
63.
64. Several signs that
combine to form a new
composite message
Meaning must be
derived by the viewer
65. Music often uses several
signs to create a new
complex message
66. Signs can enhance the visual experience, educate, entertain and
persuade a viewer
67.
68.
69. Our link with all the
images we have ever seen
Triggers memories that
change the image
meaning
70. A person’s mental state is
projected onto an
inanimate object or
generalized statement
Individuals reveal
personality traits by
deriving meaning from
oddly formed shapes
71. Seeing a face or other figure in an inanimate object
76. We usually focus only on
significant details within
a scene
77. Mind ignores visual
stimuli that are part of a
person’s everyday
activities
One way to avoid
habituation is to actively
think about new images
when one sees them
78. Walker Evans
Series of images of common tools that demonstrated the
habituation aspect of the cognitive approach
83. Culture determines the
importance of the signs
that affect the people
who live with and among
us
What you notice may be
a factor of race, age,
gender, weight, ethnicity
84. We think with words
Profoundly affect our
understanding and recall
of an image
85. We must look at the world closely to create designs that attract
attention and be mindful of the varied messages that come
from images