Picture Speaks Louder Than Words

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Pictures Speak Louder Than Words

Today in society we are surrounded by numerous messages. We see them on billboards, read them in magazines, cut them out of newspapers, notice them on the internet. They're everywhere, yet only a couple are engraved in our minds. The infamous Facebook logo is recognized universally, the yellow-line border easily distinguishes The National Geographic magazine from others, and even when beverages are in red and white packages, Coca-Cola is instantly the first name to run across our minds. Perhaps these colors and designs have repeated themselves enough times in society for us to easily associate these small characteristics to the product, but they all share one common component: it's the design, not the words, that speak to the audience. Professor Joyce Macario stated in her lecture, “Good design combines aesthetics with pragmatism in a seamless blend that produces an intended effect.” This effect can sometimes be seen through complex design and other times it can be seen through just the colors and font style used. Either way, every graphic design has a message, and does more than visually appeal to its audience; rather, the art sends us a sign or a signal that sometimes has a more lasting impact in our mind than words do. By analyzing certain examples, this argument highlights the effects of two main principles of graphic design –contrasting colors and artistic symbolism –and demonstrate how together they produce a message. Professor Macario discussed the importance of using complimentary colors in graphic designs. These colors are the most different from one another but when used together, they create a contrast that sparks visual interest. Consider, for example, the Got Milk advertisement where the colors red, green, and white are used (Figure 1). The advertisement instantly draws the public eye to the celebrity, Nicole

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