the Basic Elements

Visual Thinking Research

Visual Perception 2/ Feature Hierarchy

The item I chose to analyze for this excercise is a Fender Stratocaster. It is an example of industrial design, and it also employs visual perception cues. What one may notice is a lack of color on the controls, but this is made up for by labels on the knobs. The 3 knobs are labeled volume, volume, and tone. The two volume controls and tone knob utilize spatial grouping and shape to be easily reached by the guitar player. There is also a toggle  switch above the knobs which switches the pickups (for those of you who don't know what a pickup is, it is a magnet which picks up the vibration of the string). Motion plays a large factor in these controls. One must turn left or right to increase or decrease volume and tone, and this is especially important while playing to a live audience. This particular guitar is oriented to a right handed player. It is very intuitive and easy to play live, due to the well thought out controls which require little visual perception,  but feeling instead.

Visual Perception 1/Top-Down Visual Processing

An example of a design item which uses top-down visual processing is a faucet. This fixture requires the user to decide how to use it in a quick fashion. When a user operates the faucet, he/she must devote attention to object, and there must be priming of the plan of use. One must look whether he/she wants hot or cold water (which is present in the left and right handles, respectively), and they must point the spout in the direction they want the water to go. This object is fairly self-explanatory, and performs a simple function with little attention given. This is an example of competent industrial design with respect to top-down visualization, due to the fact that it is simple to use and performs its function well, while also being aesthetically pleasing.