I am always interested in puzzle, the pieces in puzzle must be connected to form the wanted whole. The method of identifying what puzzle is a part of a schema that allows me to know how puzzle looks like. I always wonder that puzzle is just like real life, how everything works like a puzzle to us.Upon learning gestalt theory where its concept of the whole is different from the sum of the parts triggers my own conscious that every metaphysical objects works by gestalt and schema theories. Therefore, I would like to argue that gestalt and schema is important in our lives, without it our knowledge and our understanding of the world will be limited.
Every object never works or exists without gestalt theory. Philosophers argue the “whole is different from the sum of the parts” applies to every metaphysical objects. A child will never come to existence without the parent, a family is never completed without the members, and an institution will never works with the sum of its part missing. Media institution such as Newspaper Company will face a great possibility of failing to produce newspapers without the journalists, photographers and editors. While schema theory stressed on the structure of the knowledge is important in everyday life in the matter of identifying. Media professionals and philosophers surely have given the insights that the whole will never be possible independent of the sum of the parts.
Mitchel G Ash in his book Gestalt psychology in German culture 1890-1967 explained that the word Gestalt comes from German that means form or shape. Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Koffka defined gestalt theory as the experienced objects and relationships that are fundamentally different from the collections of sensations, parts, pieces or sums. ( Ash, 1995).
Meanwhile, Sandrap Marshall, in his book schema in solving problem explained that Bartlett (1932) defines schema theory as one’s structure of knowledge; the memory is organized around schemas containing summaries of familiar stories or situation. ( Marshall,1995)
Versace logo is based on the image of a head of the myth ancient Greek Goddess name medusa. Gianni Versace fascination with literature and classical art has driven him to use the touch of this ancient myth to be his company logo. Medusa was a Greek goddess who was transformed into a monster after offending the gods; her hair was turn into snakes. Medusa was depicted as a beautiful woman with wild hair, and a few snakes twined here and there. She was the representation of beauty in Greek myth., it is the symbol of beauty .The alluring and attractive representation of a beautiful ancient goddess plays an important role in the brand’s concept of offering a fashion line that offer his customers the promise of beauty. Versace products of exclusivity, privileged, beauty, sophisticated and expensive mirror the concept as well as the logo. Every sum of the parts must work together to form a successful brand, the logo, the concept and the products must work together to create the "whole". The whole is never possible without the sum of the parts. The logo take years to built a schema in people's mind that identify Versace as a "fashion brand" and even to understand the whole concept of the brand. Gestalt and schema theory prove that to acquire knowledge, we must know how things work at the first place in order to even create a successful whole. In this case a global brand.
This is the 1998 Pepsi commercial where 5 year old actress Hallie Kate Eisenberg became the most famous Pepsi commercial model at that time. This commercial was set in a diner, an American culture that represents the harmony of a family oriented restaurant. The whole which is the diner is created by the sum of the parts working together such as the services, the concept and the food. Image of a little girl with her grandfather connotes the type of customer a diner represents; a family oriented subject matter is being highlighted. The waiter represents one of the parts of the “whole” which is the diner. When the one of the sum of the parts fail to give a harmonious/ family oriented concept, everything falls apart. Immediately when the girl asks for a Pepsi, he replied with a harsh tone, an ignorance stare at her face. Why can’t the waiter just show at least some politeness to the little girl even if he cannot offer the required service. Gestalt and schema theory are broken here when the sum of the parts fails to contribute to the concept of the whole. While the schema of the diner has a “frame” in American culture to be a family oriented concept is also broken due to lack of politeness in the service that gives contradiction to the Diner’s concept that has a “frame” in American culture.
Presentation to group of children between 8-10 years old about fire safety.
If I am ask to do a presentation on fire safety at home for children, I would probably start by using these schema. Before we learn how to fight fire, we must learn how to prevent one. The root or the cause of problem of fire accident at home begins with a small fire. The reason why I chose these schemas is that children have a “frame” that can identify candles and matches as the source of fire. At this age, children like to play and it is not impossible that they might play with matches and candles which can leads into fire. A knowledge structure that this is the basic way to produce fire is already inserted in their memory as a part of their schema.
Both pictures of candles and fire matches represent a congruous form of schema because of its familiar nature, thus low level of cognitive is being portrayed.
Gestalt Theory suggested that everything works like a puzzle, connecting each pieces to create a successful whole. In order for visual communication professionals to create a successful whole knowing how to connect the puzzle is the key. The schema must follow as the way to identify by using knowledge we acquire throughout our lives.
References:
Ash, Mitchell G. (1995)Gestalt psychology in German culture 1890-1967. Cambridge University Press. USA.
Marshall, Sandrap.(1995). Schema in solving problem.Cambridge University Press. USA.
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