Gestalt Principles in Chosen Poster:
1. Closure
The closure principle is when our minds finish visually incomplete shapes. For example, a circle could be drawn with a slice taken out of it, and our brains would still recognize the circle though not entirely pictured. In the chosen poster, the tops and bottoms of the “thank you for shopping at Market Basket” text are cut off. But, our brains are still able to read the text and fill in the pieces missing.
2. Similarity
Similarity is the principle that when objects share certain characteristics, we group them together. In this poster, the “more for your dollar” text shares the same type treatment- size, weight, color. It also is grouped together in its alignment, where it travels diagonally down the page. Even though the text isn’t tightly paired together, you still read it as one statement. Additionally, the words are all highlighted within the yellow quotation, further grouping it together.
3. Common Fate
The common fate principle is when visual elements are moving in the same direction in unison, we perceive them as grouped. Though these elements aren’t actually moving, the illusion is created through using arrows, slanting, rotating, etc. This poster achieves this effect in the large text because all the letters are slanted at the same angle, in the same direction.
Poster Hierarchy & Meaning
In the chosen poster, you first read “more for your dollar.” Second, you read “thank you for shopping at Market Basket.” Lastly, you read the small supplementary text. The meaning behind the poster was to highlight the corporate jargon Market Basket lists to you, and kind of mask that cheesy language in an edgy, in-motion poster. The main focus is “more for your dollar,” and then when you get closer, you read all of the things that you got for your dollar.
