In this unit we investigate: • semiotics and graphics • reaction to sign and symbols: gain attention, convention and culture, response • denotation and connotation • principles of gestalt theory: similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, common fate, figure and ground • the role of Gestalt theory plays in graphics.

In this unit we explore composition and balance in images. To do this we investigate: • what is good composition in an image • the techniques used to achieve effective composition • visual weight • forms of balance: symmetric, asymmetrical, radial and mosaic • forms of symmetry: reflective, rotational, and translational • photographic balance: color, tonal and conceptual balance • the rule of thirds • improving balance using cropping in Photoshop. The concepts introduced will be for photographs, but they apply equally to any other visual medium – from painting to web pages.