Design Visual Information. Week 14

Representational.

This image is an image of Nike's first professional athlete, Steve Prefontaine. His superior athleticism makes him not only a proper spokesperson for Nike, but a model for perseverance. This image is representational because of the way he's posing as he concludes his race. His position and attitude are accurately portrayed through this image in the sense that you know he has performed to the peak of his abilities. With him also being posed in the "looking back" fashion, the picture highlights the intensity of the race and the significance of the moment. This still shot accompanied with a black and white effect allows the viewer to see the deeper message in the image, to push your limits and finish strong. Furthermore, this image effectively communicates to the viewer that the strength of an individual is directly correlated to effort he is willing to exert.

Symbolic.

The image I selected is the infamous Nike swoosh. This particular logo has been a symbol of not only peak performance and athleticism, but quality product and material. Since this brand has been synonymous with the top athletes for the past few decades, one glimpse at this image automatically stimulates the viewer to relate to their favorite athlete or sport. Originally, this was a wing of the Goddess "Nike", meaning victory. Although it is a very simple and basic design, this logo has made its way to some of the most well known clothing and footwear in the game. Ultimately, this image explains to the reader that any relation with this particular brand would result in quality goods and peak athletic performance. And by doing so, the hype and following behind nike only increases.

Abstract.

 This image is abstract in the sense that it is broken down to the simplest visual message. Although this is a common sign on streets, no words or directions are necessary to explain what message it is trying to communicate. This abstraction derives a simple arrow with a slight curvature demonstrating the road ahead. What is most interesting about this sign is the fact that it's so self-explanatory that one glimpse automatically explains its message, so placed in any environment, any viewer could understand. I feel that such a simple message contributes to the abstractness of sign and what it is trying to communicate to anyone who sees it. Furthermore, I feel as if this image is derived purely on visual forces and a message so simple that placed in the context of driving, it is very effective.