OUGD404 - Study Task 04 - How do you read? - Figure & Ground

Figure and Ground when considered in terms of design and visual communication denotes the eyes' ability to differentiate an element within a design from the area that surrounds it. A shape, form or silhouette is what the eye perceives as the figure, whilst the surrounding area is identifiable as ground, often and most commonly referred to as the background.

The focal point of a composition is the figure, or the positive shape within the design. Simple compositions may feature only one figure, whereas a more complex composition will present several parts of information to perceive. The hierarchy of the design, and therefore the order in which we interpret it, dictates the order in which figures are identified within the image. This identification is easy when  information is recognisable. When information is not so easily recognisable within a piece, where the relationship between the elements is more abstract, the most visually interesting and prominent subject within the design will take on the role of the figure.

Anything that is not figure, is ground. As the gaze shifts from one figure to another, so does the ground around it. This is so that the eyes are able to identify difference in figure, to ground, and back.

Although ground is sometimes considered as background, this is not always the case. In a flat composition there is nothing behind the figure, which can be identified through the lack of visible depth due to the information actually being side-by-side.

Finding a balance in the interrelationship between figure and ground allows for the image to be perceived to be clearly understood; The approach to this relationship can add interest and subtlety to a design.

White Space 

White space, or negative space, is the page or canvas space left in between different elements within a composition / hierarchy. There are two significant types of white space within the field of graphic design - these being active white space and passive white space.

Active white space is space that is added purposefully, when a conscious effort is made to supply a composition with structure and emphasis through space. Active white space is often asymmetrical, which creates a dynamic and active aesthetic within an image.

Passive white space is space that occurs "naturally." This can include spacing between words on a line or the space surrounding a logo or graphic element -  although all space within a design should be considered. 

How space is used within a design can influence how the piece is interpreted and understood. Space is another utensil in the art of visual communication in that we are able to exploit it to best communicate specific messages, concepts or ideologies.