Design Syntax Success and Failure

Here we have an example of a successful syntactical design in elegant church seating. They demonstrate a humble use of single-material objects, without ornamentation, as well as the ability to accommodate whatever dimension of religious room that can be made available. These inexpensive to manufacture and space-saving chairs can be afforded to Christian prayer sites throughout the world, without letting their cheap production distort the respectfulness and solemness appropriate in such a setting.

As a counter example, this doorstop in the shape of a cross doesn't quite hold the same grace or respectfulness. The production is cheap enough, but it's more sacrilegious than appealing, and the extra dimensions don't accomplish anything besides requiring more wood material than a single-slab doorstop would. So, while simultaneously alienating the target audience by scuffing a religious symbol, it adds on extra manufacturing to adorn a product that normally would be out of sight anyway.

Top-Down Visual Processing

via http://the-guitar-store.net/used-gibson-guitars/

Here's an example of "Top-Down" visual design processing, almost to an extreme extent. The body of a standard Gibson SG electric guitar demonstrates its design worth without the need to even see it. The user, the guitarist, will play the strings by memory, focusing on the neck of the guitar if on the form at all. Despite this, the player will rely on the shape for comfort and positioning, similar to the design merit of a chair. Typical usage is generated from past experience and regularly adjusted touch/audio response, regardless of how impressive these may be to the eyes of the audience.

Interactions Between the 3 Levels

For this week's blog update, I chose an icon with a representational role and abstract form characteristics: the Peugeot logotype. 

Representational
In terms of representation, the logo is a branding that features a fierce animal at the front of classy automobiles and sitting beside the name "Peugeot". It plays the part of conveying status and reliability the way the Gibson name connotes worth to electric guitar players. In this case, the symbolic and representational aspects of design are inter-related due to the depiction of a lion being a borrowed icon from medieval crests. This is associated with the royal lineages of Europe, as well as the imperialistic dominance of the times.


Abstract
The abstract qualities of the design are communicated best through the medium one finds it in. Shown above at the front of a car, in a shining metal not unlike other auto manufacturers' emblems, Peugeot's design stands out for the sharp contrasts in shape and motion. Note that the color, scale, and texture composition could be found at the front of a BMW, Ford, etc. This serves to enhance the aforementioned contrast and narrow one's focus on the uniquely organic form that strikes a recognizable pose. Where many other companies choose letter forms, regular  shapes, chevrons, and the like to describe themselves, the visual element that most dominates the Peugeot design is the statement of animal ferocity; the symbol of a lion.

Symbolic
Outside of the fact that the chosen design, itself, is a symbol that translates to "Peugeot", the content of that logotype is a symbolic entity which describes the values that the company's products stand for. The lion denotes power and royalty, "the king of beasts", bravery and courage. This symbol, alongside the merits of the vehicle it's been bestowed upon, influences the perspectives of critics and owners to perceive the automobile as to belong in the hands of a similarly characterized driver: a driver of muscle-cars, sports autos, and luxury purchases. Complimented by the pristine metal abstracted from industrial standards and the represented heraldry described above, the Peugeot branding confers that they are the king of autos.

Designed Visual Information - Symbolic

Symbol of the Protoss alien race for the hit computer game StarCraft II.


The above form signifies for thousands of players the advanced alien life forms, the Protoss. The shape itself embodies concepts that hark to consistent motifs founds in Protoss artifacts, from golden clothing to building structure, to the lore of their ancient tribal ancestors who held high regard for life energy. Notably, the shape is not of any discernible item or the like, but borrows from the grace and perfectionism denoted in the Protoss themselves. Like many symbols, recognition relies on a required knowledge of the subject matter, and is only instantly recognizable to those who know that the ball of lightning means unobstructed energy, and the golden structure around it shows the structure that comes of it, a technology exclusive to the Protoss.

Designed Visual Information - Abstracted

Abstracted information display for the hit computer game StarCraft II.


Here is an example of abstracted forms found in the case of the Zerg race's technology tree, which stems at the Hatchery building. As players traverse the tiers, they are able to create new units and structures to expand and strengthen their armies. In extracted format resembling the branches of a traditional tree, the enclosed white text shows the units that can be created as a by-product of each growth, like fruit under the leaves of an apple tree. Without getting to involved in biology, the leaves are necessary for the plant to absorb energy to produce offspring in the form of fruit, and so the buildings like the "Spawning Pool" and "Spire" are necessary for the Zerg to produce new army members. Despite the unfamiliar vocabulary, the familiar tree graph remains easily interpretable and helps new players to understand the mechanics of the alien race.

Designed Visual Information - Representational

Representational concept art for the hit computer game StarCraft II.


This highly-detailed piece by Peter Lee was used as reference material for constructing a human ("Terran") colony on a distant planet. It distinguishes itself as a representational design through its level of precise detail which report exactly what pertained to the scenario. Special attention should be paid to the distinct buildings and landscape, such as the mineral formations and smaller robotic vehicles interacting between structures. Because the intended viewer of this image was the team that would generate a three-dimensional depiction of it, the features have to be fairly precise, directly representing the final product. Unlike abstraction or symbolism, which rely on implied knowledge, this image is explicit in its explanation of the information displayed.