2. Emotional Effect & Expression

We will study emotions in graphic design in this order:

↠ Are we affected?
↠ Do we feel with it [empathy]?
↠ Which mood is conveyed?

2.1 Are we affected?

By affect, we understand the direct impact of graphic design on us.

What are we affected by in graphic design?

The way a design affects a viewer can be categorized into negative and positive effects. Negative effects can be described as almost 'painful', while positive ones can be identified as 'lustful'. This painful vs. lustful effect can be caused by visual elements (e.g. bright colors vs. smooth gradients) or by human representations (e.g. suffering humans vs. smiling humans). The below poster will be scanned for the two opposing effects according to a checklist through which a semantic differential will be created.

Negative [Pain]

○ Very bright stuff
○ Fast flickering stuff
○ Figure-ground-flicker
○ Sideways movement

Positive [Lust]

○ Smooth gradients
○ Monochromatic surfaces
○ One simple shape
● Smooth roundish shapes

Negative [Pain]

○ Suffering humans
○ Inner body parts
○ Destruction
● Death

Positive [Lust]

○ Smiling humans
● Naked humans

Overall, it can be inferred that the poster has a more positive effect than a negative one. With 'death' (a negative effect) as an exception, the poster contains a smooth roundish shape (i.e. human body), as well as a naked human — all having a positive, lustful effect.

2.2 Do we feel with it [empathy]?

Often, we are not directly affected, but just consider the graphic design emotionally: what does it express
to us?

Expressions from humans/living beings

In terms of feeling with or empathizing when looking at a design, this can be triggered first and foremost by the expressions of human figures. This is because a human's facial expression is the most readable emotional cue. Sometimes facial expressions are straightforward, making it easy to detect and recognize universal emotions, like joy, sadness, disgust, anger, fear, etc.

But what about the more complicated facial expressions? The ones that are signs of concealed emotions?

Looking at the face in the poster, at first glance, you can only see a neutral facial expression: a straight-lined mouth and slack cheeks. But one other important feature missing is ‘unfocused eyes’. The look in the woman’s eyes is like an involuntary emotional leakage exposing her true emotions. The eyes are looking straight at the viewer, with an intensity that almost feels like she is asking for help. This is a look of unease, discomfort, and perhaps even fear.

Can I be inspired by Ekman & Friesen’s morphing of facial expressions? Creating a spectrum of different expressions [using AI] with matching emotions will help in understanding the one expression in the poster by having a point of comparison.

What else can be felt?

● By the eye alone

Neutral, neat, uncrowded. The background is all white. Everything in the poster,
both typography and imagery, is aligned and placed within a cubicle-like space.

● Eye & ear

Both figures are staring at the viewer; the woman with her mouth closed shut
and the man with the gas on. Both of them waiting, not saying a word, almost
frozen. You can feel the silence in the image.

○ Eye & mouth
○ Eye & nose

● Eye & hand
Smooth, wet, soft. You can almost feel the texture of the woman's skin and hair.

● Eye & body
Closed and uninviting. The two figures are embracing; you cannot see even an inch
of the white-tiled background at the center of the image. Their bodies are taking up
most of the space. Even the poster itself as a whole: the narrow margins, the tight
kerning of the typography, the small spacing between the text and image.

● Eye & skin
It feels cold, not only in terms of color, but also the feel of the naked body,
the wet hair and the "lab"-like setting.

2.3 Which mood is conveyed?

Here, we talk in terms of mood, atmosphere, and overall impression, thinking of the whole poster as a stage. When laying out the Daluma poster alongside other designs of this genre and noticing the differences, the mood can be grasped.

Looking at the rest of the posters, the majority fall under the ‘warm’ and ‘friendly’ side of the spectrum. This is because lifestyle and cosmetics posters are often associated with nice, cheerful vibes. They often intentionally show happy, healthy, smiling humans. The toxic poster, on the other hand, shows an entirely different mood. It’s not gloomy per se, but it is definitely cold, odd, closed, and uninviting.

Using a semantic differential for assessing emotional aspects [2.1–2.3]

Building on the previous findings and analysis, a semantic differential can now be created to measure the connotative meaning of the poster, in terms of effect, empathy, and mood.

Construction of a semantic differential

• Arousing  ↠  Unappealing
  
• Painful  ↠  Lustful
  
• Uneasy  ↠  Comfortable
  
• Suspicious  ↠  Certain
  
• Bold  ↠  Unadventerous
  
• Inviting  ↠  Closed
  

Results and discussion