Clarity by Heather Whitten

What is clarity? As a part of speech, clarity is a noun. In school we learned that a noun is a person, place or thing. As a thing, clarity is elusive. Webster's dictionary defines "clarity" the quality or state of being clear. To "clarify" is to enlighten. In graphic media clarity is achieved through a synthesis of design elements and principles that often coexist. Principles guide the elements used in design. For example, clarity, a principle, could be communicated by using elements such as scale or colour. In designing graphic media it's important to understand basic structure that improves design.

According to Graphic Designer Litt (2000), keeping a design consistent is crucial and involves using typefaces that are appropriate as well understanding how to lay out a page. We can think of clarity as the ability to communicate a given objective within the framework of many objectives that result in a cohesive and seamless product. While the synthesis of design elements is not finite using established principles of design helps the designer choose what is appropriate in the context of a project. Poor design is often the result of applying too much or too little in all or one of the components and elements. Just as the creative writer must be clear in intention and thought and offer the reader something that stimulates imagination and hold attention, the designer and the artist must offer visual cues that speak to the eye and captivate. Design is expected to go a step further and be functional. Jackson Pollock broke rules when he threw paint on a canvas. It was art for arts sake. In design we are able to break rules within limits.

In many ways Graphic Art relates to the structure of writing. Stephen Walsh teaches screenwriting at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin. It's interesting to note that in our discussions about writing the need to consider the viewer are as important to a screenwriter as they are to a designer. Writing for the stage or screen must take the tactile and the intangible into account. Ideas must not only be connected but interesting. An anecdote he shared was from one of his students who had written a screenplay with the end of the world as its theme. He had no people in the plot. His storyline was lead entirely by machines and each segment of the screenplay approached the subject without connecting the machines to what was absent, the beings that had inhabited the world. The point here is that while the idea was ambitious the plot failed to capture the emotions that would keep the viewer interested.

Similarly, designers must also weigh tactile issues with intangible ones. The ambitions of the designer must not outweigh the ideas they are conveying. When designers break with standard design principles it must be purposeful and work in unison with the overall design. Clarity is directly proportional to context. Good design demands refinement at every stage of the design process to achieve coherency and thus achieve clarity. Visual communication is a powerful medium. We are wired to be visual creatures. "Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak." (Berger,1972, p.7) Visual clarity is synonymous with good design.

This photograph was taken inside St. Peter's Basilica. The photograph does not capture the brilliance of the great dome. While the result of this photograph was not what was initially desired it does create a sense of mystery. The viewer questions what they are looking at. The peripheral area appears as if it is from outer space and the center area, the top of the dome, is recognizable as human, intelligible as art. Clarity then would be called into question. If the photograph is artistic expression, the clarity of the expression is not entirely relevant. However, as a representation of the dome in St. Peter's Basilica this photograph fails to provide any clarity. As mentioned earlier, clarity is a noun. There is a connection here to artwork. Art is a thing. Therefore, by its nature it can be elusive. St. Peter's Basilica is a place. Places are definitive. Representations of places require clarity to communicate their presence.
	The play of light extends from the seated man across the photograph, leads the eye from one side of the photograph to the other side. The direction of light is the first thing I noticed as I walked past. It captures the moment and suspends it. The contrast of light to dark are a result of using a sepia tone sets the overall tone, or voice for the image. This image conveys clarity in the simplicity of the composition.
Colour provides visual cues. Visual cues can lead to clarity. We connect to the environment around us with colour, space and form. This photograph was taken in Annestown, an area in the Southeastern part of Ireland. It reminds one of photos used in travel brochures. It entices with the lush green of the grass. The stone wall and gate invite the viewer to step into the picture.
	At times visual clarity is an undesirable component within a composition. The car is unclear in this photograph but the image works because the composition has an element of motion.
We assign meaning to visual representations no matter what information we are given. Is this visual literacy? If visual literacy involves understanding meaning is that language universal? Are we becoming more visually literate as the world grows increasingly technologically adept in graphic media or does that cloud our sense of clarity?
	Are online museums ornamental? Can clarity exist in an online museum? Did you know that Michelangelo's Pieta is no longer within touch and that it's behind a glass wall in St. Peter's Basilica after the piece was sabotaged by a visitor in the 1980's? How can art be processed if not by looking at it directly? As an Art History major, with a concentration in fine arts, observing art on slides did little to connect me visually to what I learned in school. I was taught to think critically and to analyze art based on the judgments of others. Once I saw some of the famous pieces I studied I was able to make a more informed judgment.
Images can be self explanatory.
	Images can be broken down to convey different aspects of the larger picture. In this image we see the wall but do not notice the stones in the wall.

Examples of topic in online museum:

1. The Birth of Venus
Artist: Sandro Filipepi, called il Botticelli (1445-1510)
Museum: Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence Italy
URL: http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/Dipinti/botveneE10.html
I chose the Birth of Venus because I have seen it in person and it conveys the classical myth with supple line and from. I was transfixed by the colour of Venus's windblown hair. Individual strands appeared quite literally to shine. Though from my perspective, the subjects in the painting appeared somewhat stylized it is in keeping with the decorative nature of the painting. The interplay of colour and pattern create harmony and therefore clarity. I was drawn into the painting as I looked at the focal point, Venus and from there my eye traveled to her companions and to the painting overall. The painting succeeds in conveying the ancient myth of the birth of Venus as a Goddess of beauty and love. She floats to shore on a shell that she has emerged from fully grown. Her modesty and grace are inherent in her gestures. It's interesting to note that Adobe Illustrator has copied the image and used it as a trademark.

2. Pink and Rose Wallpaper Design, ca. 1890
Artist: William Morris (1834-1896)
Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, N.Y.N.Y.
URL: http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/view1.asp?dep=9&full=0&item=23%2E162a
William Morris was influential in the decorative arts in the late 19th Century. He was a writer, activist, designer, and craftsman. Today, he is most often associated with wallpaper. I chose this work as it symbolizes Morris's principles of design. He incorporated nature in all of his work and sought to integrate natural imagery in his designs using colour, shape and form that was unique for his time. The clarity of this design is inherent in the pattern and the choice of subject. His work in decorative art is balanced by repeating imagery and is still relevant for decorative purposes however, his typefaces would be antiquated and busy by today's standards.

Bibliography:

1. Berger, John (1972). Ways of Seeing. Middlesex, UK: The British Broadcasting Company

2. Litt, Judy (2000). Graphic Design Rules. Retrieved September 12, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://graphicdesign.about.com/library/weekly/aa101200a.htm

3. Walsh, Stephen (2003) Irish Film Institute. 2001 How Harry Became a Tree
Reflection

Description:

Project 1. subject deals with clarity as it relates to design and to the language of art and writing. There were a number of resources involved in researching this project. The attempt to explain clarity required an overview of art history and design principles. Generalizations were made in some effort to narrow what turned out to be a very broad subject. However, those generalizations were done in order to winnow excessive information on the subject.

Date of Development: August 25, 2003
Target Audience :Colleagues in CUIN 7317
Delivery Method and Rationale:

In Project 1. I have attempted to define clarity as it relates to design. The subject is broad and therefore my attempt to define it is limited to particular nuances in general terms that I noted either in personal experience or through reading and interviews. I have sought to illustrate my point by relating the act of designing to that of creative writing. My interview with Stephen Walsh illustrates the relationship between writing for the screen and communicating ideas visually. In the photographic section of the project, I sought to use images that I have taken over the years as a means of relating what I believe defines good composition and illustrate one instance where composition is unclear. I attempted to make linkages between concepts and elements and to raise questions at the end of the photographic section. My questions relate to the ideas that were covered in class and in reading material assigned.

Highlights:
In the technological aspect of this project I reacquainted myself with Photoshop and learned to adjust contrast in my photos. In the project itself, I revised many times as I researched the topic. There were aspects of internet design I was not familiar with. My research led me to briefly read about Edward Tufte and his principles for using graphics. I revisited a topic I have more familiarity with, art history, in an effort to understand connections between visual language and design.

Difficulty Conquered:
In general, I found that compiling research for this project was not difficult. However, translating what I read, observed and understood proved much more challenging. At times the topic got away from me. Because there is so much information I found it difficult to weed out what was pertinent from extraneous.
I managed to revise the material over the course of the last several weeks and to approach the topic with a broader approach. My hope was that in being general, I would give an overview of the principle and at the same time present pertinent information in the form of observations made through photographic images.