A Study on the Influence of Graphic Design Elements on Visual Direction

Abstract

Humans' visual direction for a visible image is stimulated by the guidance of specific elements to human eyes, which results in temporal direction cognition right after a moving process. This phenomenon is stimulated by visual elements. It's an essential issue for discussion that which design elements among all are able to attract a viewer's attention for the stimulation of the sense of direction from gaze shift. In this era when everything's digitalized, graphic design is also tending to be expressed in diversified ways. As eyes receive more stimulation, interpretation also gets more complicated and the cognition of signals varies. The study focused on the discussion about which design elements are more influential to a viewer's visual psychology leading to a sense of direction. With (1) layout: central, horizontal, vertical, guiding, rule of thirds, triangle, and interlaced composition; (2) space type: 2D and 3D; (3) color brightness contrast: significant, moderate, insignificant; (4) texture contrast: with or without contrast, orthogonal design was sequenced and samples of visual images were created before being tested on respondents in Korea and Taiwan. Finally, data obtained with conjoint analysis was analyzed and explained. Study results indicated that "layout" was the key factor for the stimulation of visual direction from a graphic image, especially for layout in "vertical composition" and "guiding composition". A graphic image with "guiding composition" stimulated stronger sense of direction. Space and color factors differently affected the choice of direction in intensity for respondents in Korea and Taiwan. The difference in people with or without a background in design was insignificant.