• gestalt principles
• how we use the web
• creating content
• layout and typography
• in class exercise

• Gestalt psychology is a theory of mind and brain that proposes that the operational principle of the brain is holistic, parallel, and analog, with self-organizing tendencies (via)
• was originally a theory to describe thought processes, perception
• basic Gestalt principles:
• law of closure - we percieve incomplete figures as a whole; our mind fills in the missing information
• law of similarity - we percieve unity when things appear the same (form, color, size, brightness)
• when several things are similar we can use contrast (make something dissimilar) to draw attention
• law of proximity - elements that are close to each other are seen as belonging together
• law of symmetry - symmetrical objects are seen as belonging together regardless of their distance
• law of continuity - we percieve a pattern even after it stops
• figure-ground - the tendency to perceive one aspect of an object as figure or foreground and the other as the ground or background
• images borrowed from Spokane Falls Communtiy College
• more on Gestalt principles
• Gestalt psychology
  From Wikipedia.
• Gestalt principles of form perception
  By Matt Soegaard at Interaction-Design.org
• Gestalt principles are tools rather than rules
  Part of a multi-part piece on document design by Gary Bastoky.
• The Gestalt Principles
  A concise presentation from a student at Rochester Institute of Technology
• from a design perspective should be thought of as tools, rather than rules
• web page elements and objects can be arranged and designed to exploit perception to create understanding

• the number of typefaces available to web designers is limited due to the way that fonts are specified on web pages
• creating text as images can overcome this but be careful not to overdo it
• sans-serif fonts are preferable for body copy
• serif fonts work but don't make them too small
• choose fonts that are appropriate for your purpose and audience
• fonts can also convey implied meaning:
  • sans-serif = modern
  • serif = old-fashioned
  • display = fun, casual
• fonts can make your site look amateurish (comic sans) or professional (anything other than comic sans)
• choose a font family and stick with it - too many fonts are like too many colours: can be garish and/or confusing
• find ways to emphasize headings other than size (CSS)
• make sure that body copy is legible and resizable
• try to keep text blocks to a width that accommodates 8-12 words per line - longer lines make it harder to keep position
• experiment with line spacing using CSS to improve readability
• use centred text sparingly and never for large passages or entire web sites
• never justify text - screens deal badly with extra spaces
• use text as a design element when good imagery is lacking

To be continued in week five.

Create a home page mockup for Giant Client using the following:

• use this wireframe for giant client consulting company
• use one of these logos
• use one of these taglines
• use one of these photos as inspiration for your colour scheme
• use one of these shapes in your design
• use this site for free stock images (or any other site that works for you)

Once you've finished the home page, create a variant for use on second level pages. What will you change? What will stay the same? Why? Be prepared to explain your choices.