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The
Use of Typography and Image in Visual Composition
Traditionally,
the printed word has been dominant and image and illustration
has been used to enhance the interpretation of the text. This
is still the case in many instances including the design of information
structures, but advances in technology and changes in communication
theories allow for an inverted relationship as well. Roland Barthes,
in his book Image Music Text, states the following:
Formerly,
the image illustrated the text (made it clearer); today, the
text loads the image, burdening it with a culture, a moral,
an imagination (Meggs 41).
It
is one of the responsibilities of an information designer to negotiate
a relationship between type and image within a composition. This
relationship should remain consistent throughout the composition
while reinforcing the organization and hierarchical structures
that have been established. Because of the tenuous relationship
between text and image the negotiator of this space greatly effects
the interpretive meaning of the information. The wrong text with
a particular image, or the wrong image with a particular text
can have disastrous consequences in the meaning and clarity of
the information. Information designers must rely on various tools
to control and negotiate the delicate balance between these potent
compositional elements.
Juxtaposition
| Combination
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