Slices of Time - Appraising the Use of Dynamics in Design

Dynamics, movement, kinetics, animation: so many names for an area so frequently ignored in graphics. Ephemeral by nature, such transient devices are frequently ignored over the concrete and contextual. Yet the screen has become the primary source for accessing information and is ubiquitous in urban advertising, stimulating graphics increasingly to include dynamics and visual momentum in their design. This paper seeks to reappraise the application of dynamics for representation and appeal, drawing on implied dynamics in static images, dynamics within the frame and dynamic editing. Using illustrative examples this paper discusses whether a commonality of kinetic perception in dynamics can be relied upon for engagement and appeal, and offers a new conceptual model for event perception, drawing on cognitive psychology, montage theory and eye tracking technology. The paper posits that motion is a primary perceptual form and that its application in visualization boosts gestalt comprehension.