Investigating the "Blurry" Territory of Graphic Design: A Look at the Simultaneous Realities of Illusions Within the Moire Effect

Abstract

This thesis examines how designed artifacts can present two simultaneous realities within static and motion typography through an investigation of motion and depth perceptual phenomena. The deceptive nature of optical illusions revolves around conflicting realities, inducing a sense of ambiguity. This thesis incorporates the ambiguous nature of illusions in the mediation of visual messages within graphic design practice. The research constitutes the employment of optical illusions in visual arts, specifically in Optical Art, and graphic design. Particular focus is placed on the moir effect and its applications, which hugely inspires the visual investigation. Each of the projects establishes a parallel with the contradictory state of illusions, forming a visual rhetoric in the depiction of multiple realities within elusive truths. These blurry territories within graphic design present a self-reflexive tool for both designers and their audience in becoming observers of themselves and a conscious awareness of how they perceive the world.