What did you learn? This project taught me what the Gestalt Principles were. This was my first time being introduced to Gestalt, which means “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This makes sense because all of the little pieces in the pictures don’t seem like art, but when you look at everything combined, you get the bigger picture.
What was easy? Getting the project started was pretty easy. I am familiar with Figma from DMA 217, so a lot of the features of the app I knew already.
What was challenging? I think the most challenging part of the project was honestly coming up with ideas for each frame, and getting them to relate to the nursery rhyme “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” It was also difficult trying to work Gestalt into my design. I had to make sure every frame had at least one example of a Gestalt principle in it. I was able to incorporate many principles, though, like closure, multistability, continuation, etc.
How could your submission be improved? I think a few of my frames are a bit plain and could use a bit more creativity. I am not very proud of my “down came the rain” and “wash the spider out” frames because they are too simple in my opinion.
How could the professor improve the assignment for the next class? I believe it would be cool to expand the assignment from just nursery rhymes to any short story, song, poem, etc. It gives more room for creativity, and not everyone will have the same 3 themes.
How might you apply your knowledge in future assignments or work scenarios? As somebody who creates graphics for different jobs, I will keep gestalt principles in mind. Using Gestalt in my work will make it more attractive and aesthetically pleasing. I can also remember that not everything should be perfectly symmetrical.
How did a specific reading or video inspire or help you? I looked through some of the past class examples on WordPress for information, and I believe that helped me. I also watched a Figma tutorial on YouTube for an idea. Even though I ended up not using it, I may be able to use the information I learned in the future.
My Gestalt Principles Project
Initial Brainstorming