Unit 5
Objectives
Understand how a focal point is significant for attracting the viewers' attention
Identify the how emphasis can operate through contrast, isolation and placement
Explain how emphasis on one element is an effective design tool
Describe how unity is maintained within the focal point of an image
Start by gaining an understanding about the Gestalt theory of proximity in graphic design
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/gestalt-proximity/
Watch:
Mastering Proximity: The Secret Design Principle You Need to Know!
The Assignment:
You need to know the following term: lockup
(https://www.akrivi.io/learn/what-is-a-logo-lockup)
Then:
Design a logo for a fictional brand three times over — each version using identical elements (the same icon, wordmark, and tagline) but arranged with increasingly intentional proximity. The final version should feel like a single unified "lockup," where the eye perceives one mark rather than three floating pieces.
The constraint: Pick from one of three formats at the start:
Horizontal lockup (icon left, text right)
Stacked lockup (icon above, text below)
Monogram lockup (initial inside a shape, name below)
Commit to a format and don’t change it between versions — the only variable is how the elements relate spatially to one another.
Version 1 — Scattered: All three elements are placed on the canvas with no regard for their relationship. They exist in the same space but don't feel like they belong together.
Version 2 — Adjacent: Elements are moved near each other, but the groupings are intuitive rather than deliberate. Something feels off — maybe the tagline is too far below, or the gap between icon and name is slightly too large to feel intentional.
Version 3 — Unified lockup: Spacing is considered precisely. The gap between the icon and name is small enough that they read as a pair. The tagline is close enough to the name to feel subordinate to it, but distinct enough to not crowd it. The whole thing breathes as a single mark.
