AET Week 2 Analysis: Composition

The balance in this composition is created in one big way. It highlights the man in the lower right corner and contrasts that with the shadow on the upper left side of the ad. The staircase in the middle of the ad is used to showcase these two points of emphasis. Balance is also established by the use of two very different color schemes, which are blended by the middle portion of the ad. Also the diagonal nature of the staircase serves as an interesting divider for both sides of the ad.

The point of emphasis is on the man with the laptop. The other point of emphasis is the shadow on the wall. This is established by the positioning of both the man and the shadow. The staircase is used to separate them, so that whichever side of the ad you look at you notice one or the other. The text could also be an emphasis as it is a good size and is placed along the entire bottom of the advertisement. I also notice within the “everywhere”/”nowhere” words are two smaller highlighted words which are “here” and now”. This is a clever way to create different meanings in the same text.

The staircase creates a sense of movement in the ad. The staircase tells you to look up at the shadow and down at the man in the corner. This is natural because we the consumer use a staircase for both purposes. Also, the change in color scheme from light to darker in the middle to light again going in either direction emphasizes the staircase and its sense of movement. Also, when looking at the shadow first it can create a second sense of movement because when a consumer notices a shadow they sometimes look around to find the person the shadow belongs to. This causes the viewer to look to the rest of the ad for answers.