Gestalt Series: Figure/Ground Relationships
May 2nd, 2010
The Principle of Figure/Ground Relationships Figure/ground is the indispensable gestalt principle of perception that helps to identify objects (figure) as distinct from their background (ground). This principle relies heavily upon contrast, since images and text must be clearly visible to be understood. One example of the use of the theory of figure/ground is this text [...]
Applications of Gestalt Theory to Interactive Media Designs
April 29th, 2010
Author’s Note: This will be a series of posts as I go through explanations of various principals of Gestalt Theory. This first post will serve as an introduction to the topic. Summary Three German psychologists, Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler, originally developed the scientific Gestalt psychology in 1910. Beginning in the twentieth century, [...]
Define: “Information Architecture”
December 29th, 2009
Any website that does not pay attention to the way that their content, information, and navigation are structured risks the possibility of a great site that no one can use. If the public cannot find the information they seek quickly and effectively, most will leave the site. Skilled information architects know that the most effective websites play into human cognitive processes while they structure information.
The Advanced Clear-Fix
October 23rd, 2009
A common CSS issue is when a floated element is placed within a container div. What happens is that the floated element does not automatically force the height of the container to adjust, and the parent container then takes up zero space. When an element is floated, its parent no longer contains its children because the float is removed from the cascade. Here, I discuss how to remedy this situation.