DESIGN THESIS PROJECT
Extreme Gestalt: Design, Photography, and Report
OVERVIEW
This project was inspired by the assigned one word prompt, “boundaries.” I created a booklet and collection of images based on the boundaries of ones own mind, specifically through the lense of Gestalt design principles and the Gestalt stream of psychology.
This psychological theory is based on the idea that the mind interprets visual queues as a whole. It looks for patterns and makes assumptions about what we look at because it is too overwhelming to interpret every detail separately.
DEEPER DIVE INTO GESTALT DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Gestalt psychology identifies laws of grouping, which are common ways that the mind makes these simplifications. These laws are:
proximity (objects are close together)
similarity (objects share a similar quality: colour, shape, etc.)
closure (adding one more object to a composition to create a geometric shape)
symmetry (looks for compositional similarity)
continuity (looks for repeating patterns)
Extreme Gestalt is a design work comprised of three parts. The first is a box that houses the other two artifacts. The box is constructed out of cardboard, adhering to the art and craft aesthetic of the rest of the works.
The main component of the project is a large collection of images measuring 4.25 X 5.5 inches. Original digital photographs act as the base of each piece.
Different elements are added, subtracted, multiplied, and distorted to create a multi-media conceptual collage that demonstrates the Gestalt laws of grouping.
The final part of the design project is a set of posters that juxtapose an original photograph against its manipulated counterpart. The posters allow the viewer to see what inspired the final collaged image. This comparison also confronts the viewer and challenges them to be self aware of the Gestalt Theory in action.
I enjoy having the opportunity to introduce painting, drawing, collage, sewing, etc. into the work because my interest in visual art is what lead me to the design field.
Extreme Gestalt is intended for anyone who has an interest in art, design, psychology, or specialty books. There is minimal text used in the design, and the photographic content is appropriate for people of any age. I wanted to make something that could be experienced by as many people as possible.
I was able to meet the challenge of being inspired by the word “boundaries” because the project transcends the boundaries of language and can be experienced visually, or enjoyed tangibly. Also, the projects explores the boundaries by which our minds are constrained; being predictable when it comes to pattern recognition.
Though the project is based on a complex and abstract concept, viewers can take away meaning from the project no matter their level of understanding.