Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Design

This poster for the movie, "The Butterfly Effect" is an example of symmetrical design. The butterfly itself is a very symmetrical insect so it would make sense for the poster to be reminiscent of a butterfly. I found it harder to find images of symmetrical design because maybe people find asymmetrical design more interesting.
This Nike ad caught my eye because of the contrast in color and the contrast of the text versus the image. In most cases, color carries more weight but in this ad the  black and white image carries more weight than the text.  This also makes sense because images carry more weight than text, regardless of color. Your eye goes to the image first and coincides with the message of the ad. 

4 comments:

  1. Good choice on the Butterfly Effect poster. You're right; it's very solid symmetrical design. I like the way the X-rayed skulls and hands echo/are incorporated into the butterfly, and I like the repeating silhouettes behind Ashton Kutcher. They allow his form to take up more space and carry more weight in the design, without just using an enormous picture of him, which would stand out too much.

    Isn't it interesting how an insect as symmetrical as a butterfly has become the symbol of chaos theory?

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  2. I really like your asymmetrical example. I think it works because the legs are in black and white so they don't carry as much visual weight as they would if they were in color.

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  3. This ad also does a fabulous job using lower thirds. The important element, the Nike symbol on the shorts is found at the upper left-hand intersection. The eye then travels towards the body text which is aligned directly right of the symbol. The eye follows the text to the bottom of the page, where the viewer readers the slogan for the company. The eye then ends with the Nike symbol at the bottom right-hand intersection.

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  4. I really love that Nike ad on both conceptual and design levels. The play on asymmetry works in a deep way because the profile of this athlete describes a woman who does not fit the (typically) symmetrical notions of female form. She is busting out of the petite silhouette, but she maintains balance through her commitment to a healthy body. Nice.

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