Archive for the 'Thoughts' Category

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Gestalt

Published on September 25, 2008 in Thoughts. 2 Comments

Continuing the thoughts generated by my last post… this particular logo has always bothered me because it violates a basic principle of “Gestalt” design theory.

This theory basically says that all properties of a design should work toward a result that is organized, simplified, unified, and understood by the viewer. In essence, the sum should be greater than the individual parts. Gestalt is the German word for form or shape, and in English it refers to the concept of wholeness.

I do not understand the use of orange on this Yellow logo. It makes me think something is wrong. (an indicator that a Gestalt rule is being violated!)

Is the company founder’s name Mr. Yellow? That would be the ONLY reason I might accept the idea that orange is OK to use on that logo.

After thinking about this for a while, I decided to look it up. Wikipedia states that “Yellow” started out as a bus and taxi company, and that this color was chosen because it was determined by DuPont to be the most visible on the highway.

Good idea! “Safety first!” is a good rule too!

Then I noticed their redesign… This I like! It has yellow in it, and it also has some of the Most Visible Orange color! I also like that it is now shaped like a truck windshield. It adds to it’s Gestalt.

Does this logo bother you…

Published on September 24, 2008 in Thoughts. 5 Comments

… like it does me?

Mutual Pursuit

Published on September 9, 2008 in Animation and Faith. Closed

Sunday at our church barbeque I met (and flipped burgers with!) two different people who have found Christ in a very real way after years of seeking. Their stories were way different from mine, but their perspectives on what is important in life were so refreshing! It reminded me that God does not abandon us when we wander, but He actively looks for us as well! There are several stories that Jesus told that illustrate this truth — the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15 being the most memorable to me.

Thoughts on this topic brought me back to an image I created last year.  The gray and black figures represent us as we pursue God (click on the image above).

What we do not always notice is that God is near and is pursuing us at the same time. The white figures represent God pursuing us (click on the image below).