OUGD404 - Study task 4 - Figure/Ground

Figure and Ground - The eye differentiates an object from its surrounding area. A form, silhouette, or shape is naturally perceived as figure (object), while the surrounding area is perceived as ground (background). Balancing figure and ground can make the perceived image clearer.

Figure - part of the composition we view is called 'figure', this is main focus with the surrounding white space being 'ground'. It is usually the smaller of the elements in the visual field. 

Ground - Everything that is not figure is ground. As attention shifts from figure to figure the ground also shifts so that an object can go from figure to ground and back. Ground is sometimes thought of as background but this is not always true. In a flat composition there is nothing behind the figure (if there was there would be the illusion of depth). The shapes are side by side.

White space - there are two type of white space, active white space and passive white space. It doesn't have to be necessarily white, its just the main colour that the viewer should be seeing.   

Active White Space - The space that you make a conscious effort to add to your design for emphasis and structure. Active white space is often asymmetrical, which makes the design look more dynamic and active.

Passive White Space - The white space that occurs naturally, such as the area between words on a line or the space surrounding a logo or graphic element.