Comm 130 – Visual Media & Organizational Principles

This spread, designed by Matt Chase, was featured in the April 2015 issue of the Washingtonian. The article can be found here: https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/04/07/abezash-tamerat-the-art-of-motherhood/ and was written by Jennifer Barger. The subject is an Ethiopian-born mother, artist, and philanthropist. The layout is undeniably eye-catching with its skillful use of contrasting typeface and photography techniques.

The contrasting typefaces displayed are sans serif and a serif variety. In the title of the magazine article, the words “the”, “of”, and “motherhood” all have serifs. This is identified by the notable “brackets” on many of the letters. The word “art” in the title as well as the small print introduction is typed in font without serifs, or sans serif. We can see the lack of serifs as well as no thick/thin transition in the strokes. The contrast in just the typeface alone is a contrast of structure. Additionally, the designer used the elements of size, weight, form, direction, and color to create this contrast.

The photographer utilized both the Rule of Thirds and Leading Lines in this composition.

Our subject matter, the mother, is placed in the right third of the frame.

The lines in the floor lead us to the subject matter- the mother, Abezash Tamerat, and her two daughters.

I have not had a car as of late but thankfully the magazine spread’s theme around motherhood and wall art in this woman’s home. My photos all display the rule of thirds and the second two are also examples of leading lines.

The article itself was inspiring and uplifting, and I believe the designer did an incredible job creating a visually captivating spread utilizing a variety of typeface contrast and photography skill.

Featured by Ads of the World, this social issue piece from an Amnesty International campaign was designed in 2014 by Brother Ad School in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The subject matter of the ad for this global human rights organization is tragic and significant. The designers effectively conveyed the child abuse awareness message with a poignant and moving ad, which demonstrates the usage of the following design principles.

CONTRAST

There are many excellent usages of this design principle displayed. Quickly we notice the contrast between the young boy’s bruised and swollen eye and his unharmed eye. The darkness of the background, clothing, eyes, and hair contrasts significantly with the shocking white text and fair skin. It is almost as if to express this child has been reduced to the injury. That is the focus here.

REPETITION

Due to the simplicity of the ad, there are not exact elements repeated. However, similar text color and font is found in the middle of the ad as well as in the bottom right corner with the tag line, organization name, and logo. That shocking white again reminds the viewer of the intensity and seriousness of the message; just as if we too were punched in the face.

ALIGNMENT

The message of the ad in the center and the organization information in the corner provide an invisible connection in its lack of close proximity. There is obvious order in the arrangement, as the message is meant to be read first. The text is centered and large. The eye easily makes the connection to the bottom right in order to get more information about the ad after the initial impact of the sentence, “He Has His Mother’s Eyes”.

PROXIMITY

The proximity of what is expected to be eyes that are symmetrical in appearance creates a bold connection between what should be this child’s reality and what is. It invokes emotions that this boy is so close yet so far from living a healthy and nurturing childhood. The proximity of the text to his eyes is also intentional, as the reader almost sees both simultaneously.

COLOR

There is a deliberate lack of color in the ad to reinforce the solemn yet urgent nature of the subject matter. The most noticeable shade besides the overwhelming grayscale tones is in the purple/red color of the boy’s bruised eye. This is purposely done to highlight the central intent of the ad.

CONCLUSION

I was instantly and deeply moved by this advertisement and I attribute that to the well-executed use of the design principles outlined above.

Category: Comm 130

The Art of Motherhood