REDUCE REALISM PRINCIPLE 3
Reduce the realistic qualities
Reducing fidelity is reducing realism.
High fidelity visual contains detail, depth, shadow, texture, nuance of color.
Low fidelity images are things such as line drawings, silhouettes and iconic images.
Low fidelity images are effective when focused on essential details, induce a quick response, strengthen the impact of the message, or provide explanation. Best used for audiences who need quick comprehension.
Efficient Visual Information Processing
Minimalism makes every phase of the human information processing system more efficient.
We scan to extract significant information after initial perception we extract more complex information. A graphic composed of primitive features takes less time to scan. Distilling a graphic down to its essential visual elements minimizes the information processing required to understand it.
Applying the Principle
Reduced realism is an attempt to interpret reality through visual abstracting and simplification.
To achieve greater abstraction, the designer needs to reduce the degree of detail and limit the expression of one or more visual dimensions.
Limit the number of elements in a graphic.
There must be a sufficient amount of information for the viewer to form an appropriate mental impression, irrelevant information must be eliminated so that the viewer perceives the correct information.
Viewers can easily fill in missing details based on prior knowledge of familiar objects.
Visual Noise
Minimizing visual noise reduce s perceived realism.
To minimize visual noise:
-reduce extreme variations in texture
-experiment with flat and uniform areas of color
-diminish shadows and shading
-and lessen background interference
Silhouettes
Silhouette: Reduction to essential profile.
Silhouettes are an effective technique for minimizing realism because they can be understood with minimal cognitive effort.
Iconic Forms
Icons minimize the processing required for accurate interpretation.
Context is a strong contributor to the meaning of an iconic form.
Line Art
A few strokes with minimal tone value or depth. We add a third dimension to an image from small depth cues. To execute well designer must analytically and intuitively seek the few elements that will convey the idea, emotion or object.
Quantity
Limiting the number of images, shapes, lines, and type.
Remove extraneous imagery, shorten text, clean up the background, and cluster items within a boarder so they are perceived as one unit.
